12 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 12

I started this series with my go to Christmas gift from the kitchen, Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies.  I want to end the series with the gift my mother made and gave to friends, relatives and neighbors for close to 30 years.  Instead of something sweet, she gave people a small cheese ball and a sleeve of Ritz crackers.  Why Ritz crackers?  When made in a log shape, a slice of the cheese ball fits perfectly on a Ritz cracker.

© Margaret's Morsels

Say Cheese!

When I make cheese toast, I cover a slice of unbuttered wheat bread with cheese -- either American or Cheddar -- and toast it in the oven until the cheese melts.  Sometimes, though, I want to serve cheese toast that's not so plain.  When I do, I use a recipe I found in the newspaper almost 20 years ago.  The recipe only uses four ingredients, but it elevates cheese toast from ordinary to extraordinary.

To keep from making a mess on the cookie sheet when the toast bakes, I assemble the pieces on a cutting board or piece of wax paper.  It's much easier to transfer the pieces than it is to scrub melted cheese off the cookie sheet!

Rather than wheat bread, this cheese toast uses hoagie rolls.  When I can't find these in the store, I substitute white deli rolls which are softer than hoagie rolls.  Whichever you use, start by slicing the rolls in half lengthwise.

The recipe calls for the rolls to be buttered.  If you want to save calories or make it a little healthier, do what I do and substitute margarine.  Once the butter or margarine has been added, slice the rolls in half -- diagonally or horizontally -- or leave them whole.

Next comes the secret ingredient:  Parmesan cheese.  It gives the toast a pleasantly sharp taste.  I don't have many recipes that call for Parmesan cheese so, rather than buy it fresh and not use it, I use canned Parmesan. However, freshly grated Parmesan cheese would make the toast even better!  Cover each roll with a layer of Parmesan.

Generously sprinkle finely shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese over each roll.  CoJack, as it's sometimes known, has a smooth mellow flavor that doesn't overpower the Parmesan.  It melts easily and the combination of yellow and white cheese gives the toast a marbled effect. 

Transfer the rolls to a cookie sheet and bake or broil until the cheese is melted.

This cheese toast is delicious with entrees such as Chicken Tender Salad, vegetable soup and pasta, but it's also good for breakfast.

Notice the marbled effect

The next time someone asks what kind of toast you want, say cheese!

Cheese Toast

hoagie rolls, sliced lengthwise

butter or margarine, softened

grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)

finely shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese (to taste)

Lightly spread butter on the cut sides of the rolls.  Cut the rolls diagonally or horizontally, if desired.  Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the butter. Top with Colby Monterey Jack cheese.  Bake or broil until the cheese is melted.

© Margaret's Morsels

Baked not Fried: Appetizer Edition

If eating healthier or losing weight is your resolution for 2012, you're not alone.  According to a recent survey, 57% of respondents had the same resolution.  An easy way to enjoy some of your favorite foods without breaking your resolution is to change the cooking method from fried to baked.  Last year, I showed how this could be done with salmon patties. Another recipe that easily adapts from frying to baking is Mozzarella cheese sticks.

Although the cheese sticks only take 15 minutes to bake, you can't make them on a whim.  The cheese sticks need to be assembled and refrigerated at least four hours ahead of time to allow the coating to adhere properly.

Just like the fried version, these baked cheese sticks are coated with flour, eggs and dried bread crumbs.  Dried bread crumbs aren't the same as fresh and, as such, can't be used interchangeably.

Dried bread crumbs have the added step of being dried and toasted in the oven before being processed into crumbs.  Although they can be made at home, it's easier to buy them at the grocery store.  Dried bread crumbs are available in plain or seasoned varieties.  This recipe uses dried Italian bread crumbs.

Put the coating ingredients in shallow bowls or resealable plastic bags in an assembly line. 

Whichever method you use, keep the coating from sticking to your hands by using one hand for dry ingredients and the other hand for wet ingredients.  If you notice any clumps in the bags or bowls, they can be removed and discarded.

Coat all the cheese sticks -- including the ends -- with flour and set aside.

Working with one cheese stick at a time, coat the cheese stick with the egg mixture letting the excess drain off.

Put the cheese stick back in the flour and coat it a second time including the ends.

I like to use tongs rather than my fingers.

The cheese stick goes back in the egg mixture for a second coating -- let the excess drain off -- before being thoroughly coated with bread crumbs. Just like you did with the flour, make sure to coat the ends of the cheese stick with bread crumbs.  Coating the ends keeps the cheese from oozing out when it melts. 

Put the coated cheese sticks on a piece of wax paper in a container with a lid.  When all the cheese sticks are coated, put on the lid and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Ready to be refrigerated.

When you're ready to bake the cheese sticks, transfer them to an ungreased baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.

Ready to be baked.

While the cheese sticks bake, heat some marinara or spaghetti sauce to serve on the side for dipping.

The recipe makes 12 cheese sticks, but can easily be halved.  If you have any leftovers, they can be reheated in the microwave.  My son thinks these cheese sticks are better than the fried version sold at a popular chain restaurant.  That's quite an endorsement from a 14 year old.

Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

4 Servings

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. water
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs

12 sticks string cheese

1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce, heated

Combine eggs and water in a small bowl.  Put flour in a small bowl or resealable plastic bag; put bread crumbs in another bowl or bag.  Coat all the cheese sticks -- including the ends -- with flour and set aside.

Working with one cheese stick at a time, coat the cheese stick with the egg mixture, letting the excess drain off.  Coat the cheese stick -- including the ends -- with flour.  Coat the cheese stick a second time with the egg mixture and then thoroughly coat with bread crumbs, including the ends.

Put the assembled cheese sticks on a piece of wax paper in a storage container with a lid.  When all the cheese sticks are coated, put on the lid and refrigerate for at least four hours.  

When ready to bake, put the cheese sticks on an ungreased baking sheet and let sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.  Bake uncovered at 400° for 15 minutes or until heated through.  Use the marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Note:  The cheese sticks can be refrigerated overnight and baked the next day.  I think they're best baked four to six hours after the coating is applied.

© Margaret's Morsels

Broccoli Cheese Potatoes

In the 1980's, baked potatoes with a variety of toppings were the rage and available everywhere, even in fast food restaurants.  Unfortunately, baked potatoes aren't "hot" anymore.  Most restaurants don't have them on the menu, except with butter and sour cream and, in a few instances, cheese and bacon.


My favorite baked potato has always been a broccoli baked potato. There's a deli in my city that serves it and, as my family and friends can attest, I order it every single time I eat there.  Occasionally, I'll fix a broccoli baked potato at home, but it only makes one meal.  When I found the recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Potatoes, I knew it would be a good side dish, but it also makes a nice substitute for a broccoli baked potato.


The original recipe called for the potatoes to be peeled, cut in half and boiled.  The potatoes were then sliced, the casserole assembled and baked for an additional amount of time.  I knew there had to be an easier way and looked at the recipe for Scalloped Potatoes for inspiration.


The version I came up with eliminates boiling the potatoes ahead of time. This means they have to cook longer in the oven, but the total cooking time is only a little longer than what was called for in the original recipe.  


Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.  The potatoes need to be sliced the same thickness -- or as close as possible -- so they cook evenly.

Two potatoes make two layers, but you can make three layers if you use three potatoes.  If you want more potatoes than that, you'll need to increase the rest of the ingredients and use a bigger baking dish.


Layer the slices from one potato on the bottom of a greased casserole dish.  Salt and, if desired, pepper the potatoes.

Spread 1/2 or 1/3 of the soup over the potatoes.

Sprinkle the desired amount of cheese over the soup.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 

I use a can of broccoli cheese soup, but you can use cream of broccoli instead.  I like sharp Cheddar cheese, but you could substitute Velveeta, Cheez Whiz or your favorite cheese for the Cheddar.  The amount of cheese is a personal preference.  I use between 1 and 1 1/2 cups for two potatoes.


Although I enjoy the dish the day it's made, I like the leftovers better.  I heat a serving of the potatoes in the microwave before adding some fresh broccoli and a sprinkling of Cheddar cheese.  I heat everything in the microwave a few seconds, just long enough to melt the cheese.  If I want the leftovers to taste more like the broccoli baked potato at the deli, I add some bacon pieces on top.


Broccoli and Cheese Potatoes aren't the same as the potato served at the deli, but it's a lot less expensive, plus there's enough leftover so I can have a "broccoli baked potato" for lunch more than one day!

Broccoli and Cheese Potatoes

4 to 6 Servings

2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick

salt to taste

pepper to taste (optional)

1 can broccoli cheese soup (undiluted)

shredded cheese to taste

Peel and slice the potatoes.  Place one layer of potatoes in the bottom of a greased baking dish with sides 2-inches deep.  Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a layer of soup and a layer of cheese.  Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes.

© Margaret's Morsels

Double Duty Cooking

                                                        

When we bought our house, there were two items other than location and school district at the top of my wish list:  a front porch and double ovens.  I didn't get the front porch, but I got double ovens and I love them.  I don't know how I ever cooked without them!


Although I've had double ovens a number of years, I still find myself planning meals that can be cooked at the same temperature, even if not for the same length of time.  This double duty cooking comes in handy, especially during the holidays when there's a lot of cooking to be done all at once.  Since the holidays are upon us, I'm sharing two side dishes that can be cooked simultaneously.


My family expects turkey and all the trimmings at Thanksgiving so I always serve ham at Christmas.  For as long as I can remember, I've always paired ham with macaroni and cheese.  To me, those two foods go together like peanut butter and jelly, fish and chips, bacon and eggs.  In addition to macaroni and cheese, I also serve green bean bundles.  The macaroni and cheese cooks in half the time of the bean bundles so I put the bean bundles in to cook first.


Green bean bundles may sound complicated, but they're nothing more than whole green beans wrapped in bacon, covered with a sauce and baked in the oven.  You can use a whole slice of bacon on each bundle or you can slice the bacon in half.  The bundles are easier to wrap if you put the beans at the end of a piece of bacon and roll everything into a bundle.

                                                 

To save time, I wrap the bacon around the beans the night before and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The remaining ingredients aren't added until the beans are ready to go in the oven.


The sauce uses a hodgepodge of ingredients, but when combined gives the beans a wonderful flavor.  You don't have to be precise; you can add more or less of an ingredient to suit your taste.  Once the sauce is on the beans, the pan goes in the oven for 45 minutes.  The bacon needs to be thoroughly cooked so you might have to cook the beans a little longer, especially if you use a whole piece of bacon to wrap the beans.  For a nicer presentation, transfer the cooked bean bundles and sauce to a serving dish after you take them out of the oven.


The other side dish, macaroni and cheese, isn't difficult and is tastier than anything you get from a box!  When you cook macaroni -- or any pasta -- you want to add enough salt to the water so it tastes like saltwater.  If the water isn't salty enough, the cooked pasta won't be either.


Most macaroni and cheese recipes use regular or canned milk.  This recipe uses nonfat dry milk instead.  The milk powder is mixed with flour, butter and water to form a sauce.

The sauce before the cheese is added.

Part of the cheese is added to the sauce making it a cheese sauce.  It's ok if all the cheese isn't completely melted.  It will melt when you cook it in the oven.  The macaroni is added to the sauce and the mixture is cooked for 25 minutes.  After the 25 minutes are up, the remaining cheese is sprinkled on top and cooked just long enough to melt, about one minute.  This sprinkling of cheese makes the dish look prettier when it's served.

The remaining cheese before it's melted.

If you want to get out of the kitchen faster, let your oven do double duty and cook two dishes at the same time.  However, before you buy the ingredients and prepare the food, make sure there's enough room in the oven for both pans!

Green Bean Bundles

8 Servings

4 (14.5 oz.) cans whole green beans, drained

bacon (uncooked)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Gather green beans into bundles.  Wrap one slice bacon around each bundle; lay seam side down in baking dish.  Slice butter on top of bundles. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over bundles.  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until hot and the bacon is cooked.

Macaroni and Cheese

8 Servings

1 (8 oz.) pkg. elbow macaroni

2 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 1/4 cups boiling water

3 cups grated Cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix dry milk, flour and butter.  Gradually add boiling water, beating constantly.  Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and continue beating until smooth and creamy.  Stir in macaroni, 1 cup of the remaining cheese and salt.  Transfer to a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish.  Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.  Remove foil.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Continue baking 1 minute or until cheese melts.

© Margaret's Morsels

What's for Breakfast?

A couple of months ago, I wrote about corn, my favorite summertime vegetable.  Today I want to write about my favorite corn product:  grits.  I was going to post this later in the year, but decided to post it today since it's National Eat Grits for Breakfast Day.


My love affair with grits started at a very young age, thousands of miles away from the cornfields of America.  I spent the first 10 years of my life on Guam, not exactly a locale known for grits.  Surprisingly, my mother was able to purchase grits at the commissary.  When I had my tonsils out at the age of five, I came home and ate not ice cream, but a bowl of grits.


For those unfamiliar with this Southern staple, grits are nothing more than coarsely ground corn.  Grits are available in three varieties at the grocery store:  instant, quick cooking and old fashioned.  Stone-ground grits are usually found at gristmills or specialty food stores.  The cooking time and texture are different among the four.


Instant grits are precooked and require the addition of boiling water.  Quick cooking grits are finely ground and cook in 5 minutes.  Old fashioned grits are coarsely ground and take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.  Stone-ground grits take about 40 minutes to cook.


Grits are usually cooked in boiling water or milk and eaten as a cereal or side dish.  Some people eat grits like oatmeal, mixing the grits with milk and sugar.  Others like butter on their grits, while others like them plain. Some people like soupy grits, others like thicker grits.  I like my grits thick enough to eat with a fork.

Left:  Uncooked grits.

Right:  Cooked grits.

When I cook grits, I always fix cheese grits.  However, the cheese grits I make do not require a recipe, a lot of additional ingredients or baking time. When the grits are cooked, I add shredded Cheddar cheese and stir the grits until the cheese is melted.  Cheese acts as a thickener so it's better to start with a little and add more cheese as needed.

Grits are a quick, inexpensive and filling breakfast.  They definitely warm you up in the winter, but they are good year round.  The additions you can put in grits are limited only by your imagination.

Grits

1 Serving

3/4 cup cold water

salt to taste

1/4 cup quick cooking grits (3 Tbsp. if you want them thinner)

shredded Cheddar cheese to taste (optional)

Put the water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir in the grits.  Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Remove the lid and stir the grits.  Add cheese, if desired, stirring to melt the cheese.

© Margaret's Morsels

The Staff of Life

Bread is called the staff of life, but it's not a staple on my dinner table. Occasionally I make cornbread or corn muffins.  When I serve pasta, I heat frozen garlic bread.  For holidays and special occasions, I always make homemade rolls.  The rest of the year my bread basket is empty, except for the few occasions when I need something that's a step up from cornbread, but not as time consuming as homemade rolls.


Recipes for Garlic Cheese Biscuits have been around for decades.  Most of these recipes try to replicate the biscuits served at Red Lobster.  The recipes I've tried over the years made that claim too, but I never thought the biscuits tasted as good as the ones served in the restaurant.  After several unsuccessful endeavors, I finally gave up and decided if I wanted Garlic Cheese Biscuits, I'd have to go to Red Lobster to get them.


Last year, a friend gave me a different version of a recipe for Garlic Cheese Biscuits.  I was skeptical about trying it since I had been disappointed with other versions I'd made in the past.  I compared the ingredients in her recipe to the ones used in other recipes and -- although similar -- there were enough differences that I decided to whip up a batch. I'm glad I did because these Garlic Cheese Biscuits are, as my family calls a good recipe, a "keeper."

I use HeartSmart Bisquick and sharp Cheddar cheese.

You can use regular Bisquick and mild Cheddar cheese instead.

My son never liked my previous attempts at Garlic Cheese Biscuits because they didn't have enough cheese.  He loves the new recipe because it uses a lot more cheese.  My husband thought my previous attempts didn't have enough garlic.  The new version uses garlic powder and garlic salt for a double dose of garlic flavor.  

These minor changes made all the difference and I now have a Garlic Cheese Biscuit recipe my whole family loves.  I'm glad because I don't care for fish and don't want to go to Red Lobster!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

12 to 15 Servings

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400°.  Stir together the first three ingredients.  Add milk and stir until combined.  Place dough in greased muffin cups.  Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Melt butter and mix with garlic salt.  Brush biscuits generously with butter mixture as soon as they come out of the oven.

© Margaret's Morsels