Cheese Recipes

Old-California empanadita pastry with a flaky cream cheese and butter dough. A versatile chilled make-ahead dough for sweet or savory hand pies, brushed with egg wash before baking.

Creamy onion cheese soup made with sweet Vidalia onions and melted American cheese in a milk-based roux. Six ingredients and 30 minutes for a thick, velvety bowl of pure comfort.

Caramelized onion and rosemary pizza on a homemade food processor dough with Parmesan and a splash of red wine vinegar. A focaccia-style flatbread in 35 minutes.

Crustless onion pie with sauteed onions, eggs, Parmesan, and bread crumbs baked into a savory vegetarian custard. A low-fat, 5-ingredient onion tart with no pastry shell.

Oysters Veracruz: Mexican-style baked oysters topped with chipotle sauce and melted quesadilla cheese. A spicy, smoky twist on classic baked oyster appetizers.

Parmesan twists braid a buttery cheese-and-sour-cream dough into golden savory straws topped with caraway or poppy seeds. Crisp cocktail party appetizer that bakes in 10 minutes.

Mini party cheesecakes baked in muffin cups on vanilla wafer crusts, topped with cherry pie filling and whipped cream. Perfect bite-sized desserts for a crowd.

Molded crab dip with cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce. A retro gelatin-set appetizer served cold with crackers.

Pasta e fagioli with cannellini beans, fresh tomatoes, rotelle pasta, and Italian herbs finished with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan. A classic Italian bean and pasta dish that's hearty, healthy, and quick.

Alfredo pasta with heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano finished with a dash of nutmeg. A rich, authentic Italian cream sauce with just 5 ingredients.

Pasta e fagioli with pinto beans, pork chops, elbow macaroni, and tomatoes in beef broth. Half the beans get pureed to thicken the broth into a hearty Italian soup.

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, lemon zest, chives, and chopped almonds, then drizzled with a bright lemon-Dijon vinaigrette. Served cold or at room temperature.

Pasta with pesto and grilled chicken: linguine tossed with jarred or homemade pesto and charred chicken pieces. Quick 30-minute dinner, warm or room temperature.

Pasticcio di Maccheroni, the Greek baked pasta casserole layered with spiced ground beef, macaroni, grated cheese, and a rich béchamel crown.

Patty Ann's cheese cake tarts: bite-size cream cheese pastry shells with two fillings, pecan and coconut. Muffin-tin desserts for holiday cookie trays.

Beat sugar and butter until -light. Blend in egg and -flour. Mix well and spread onto -bottom of 10-inch -springform pan. Bake at 450-degrees for 10 -minutes.