Cheese recipes

Jo Mazzotti casserole, a hearty baked noodle dish of ground pork, onions, and mushrooms in a rich tomato sauce with cubes of sharp cheddar melted through. An old-school Midwestern crowd-pleaser.

Overnight breakfast sausage casserole with browned sausage, sharp cheddar, eggs, and bread cubes soaked overnight. The make-ahead Christmas-morning casserole that goes from fridge to oven to plate.

Chili brunch egg bake mixes a dozen eggs with cheddar, cottage cheese, diced green chiles, and melted butter. Assemble the night before and bake in the morning. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Symphony Sandwiches wrap smoked turkey, provolone, creamy avocado, tomato, shredded carrots, and alfalfa sprouts in a warm flour tortilla with a garlic-Dijon spread. Packed lunch goals in 25 minutes.

Light garlic pesto sauce made with fresh basil, Parmesan, chicken broth, and just one tablespoon of olive oil. A lower-fat pesto with bright, garlicky flavor.

Garlicky clam dip made with cream cheese, minced clams, clam broth, Worcestershire, and fresh lemon juice. A no-cook appetizer that's ready in 15 minutes for crackers, chips, or veggies.

Velvety pureed leek and potato soup enriched with heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg, topped with crumbled blue cheese and a shot of white wine on the side.

Schinkennudeln is a Swabian ham and noodle casserole layered with sour cream, Swiss cheese, and bread crumbs, baked until golden. A hearty German comfort dish that's perfect for leftover noodles.

Two-layer brownies with fudgy chocolate base topped with cream cheese-almond swirl studded with mini chocolate chips: baked together, chilled until firm, sliced into rich squares.

Mexi corn lasagna layers seasoned ground beef, corn, and picante sauce between corn tortillas with a cottage cheese and Parmesan filling, topped with melted cheddar.

Tortilla pinwheels with green chile cream cheese, sliced turkey, and cilantro rolled into flour tortillas. Easy make-ahead party appetizer that yields four dozen bites.

Ham-somes, savory ham pinwheels: a caraway biscuit dough rolled around a zesty ground-ham filling with horseradish and mustard, sliced into spirals and baked, then served with a warm cheddar cheese sauce.

Savory zucchini quick bread loaded with French fried onions, Parmesan and fresh basil. A no-yeast loaf that bakes up tender, herby, and toasts beautifully the next morning.

Filibuster sandwiches stacked with salami, bologna, Swiss, coleslaw, pickles, and horseradish on onion rolls. A deli-style piled-high sandwich with zippy horseradish and crunchy slaw.

Raspberry cream cheese snowflake pie with a cut-out pastry topper dusted in powdered sugar, layered over a sweetened condensed milk and raspberry filling. A show-stopping holiday pie that looks like winter in dessert form.

Authentic Mexican sopa de tortilla with a tomato-chicken broth, crispy fried tortilla strips, fried pasilla chiles, and avocado, cheese, and crema garnishes. The classic comforting bowl of central Mexico.