Cheese recipes

A reduced-calorie fruit pizza with a shortbread-style crust, vanilla cream cheese spread, and fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and bananas under a glossy citrus glaze. A potluck favorite, lightened up.

Chili con queso dip with Velveeta, poblano peppers, fresh tomatoes, picante sauce, and chicken broth. Thick, creamy, and kept warm in a crock pot for parties.

Smoky, hearty lentil tacos loaded with chipotle sour cream, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. A low-fat vegetarian taco night that even meat lovers will devour.

A quick and easy quiche, perfect for breakfast or brunch. It was quite rich and flavourful. We had it with a bowl of fresh and light salad that helped cut through the richness and it worked very well.

Meaty ziti casserole with a lean blend of ground chuck and ground turkey, mushrooms, bell pepper, and a from-scratch tomato sauce baked under bubbling parmesan. A weeknight crowd-pleaser that lightens the classic without losing the meat-sauce flavor.

Mexican style pizza trades marinara for a chili-spiked bean sauce, piled on homemade yeast crust with mozzarella and cheddar. Half pizza, half nachos, all flavor.

Buttery shortbread crust for cheesecakes and tarts, hand-mixed with unsalted butter, egg yolk, flour, and sugar. Bake the base, line the sides, then seal with egg white to prevent sogginess.

Vegetarian black bean chilaquiles layered with oven-crisped tortillas, rough-mashed spiced beans, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Low-fat, high-protein comfort food.

Super rich fudge truffle cheesecake: chocolate wafer crust, two pounds of dark chocolate ganache folded into a vanilla cream cheese filling, and piped truffles on top. A serious chocolate showpiece.

Lasagna rolls with tomato-fennel sauce wrap mushroom-and-tofu filling inside lasagna noodles, then bake in a sweet fennel-spiked tomato sauce with mozzarella. A lighter, vegetarian take on baked pasta.

Add some Mexican spice to your chili with this vegetarian dish that uses pinto beans, chickpeas and hot chili peppers.

Hearty minestrone: vegetable soup with leeks, potatoes, white beans, zucchini, orzo pasta, and spinach in chicken broth. Lighter weeknight take on the Italian classic in 30 minutes.

Rich bacon-studded carbonara sauce with creamy Parmesan and silky egg yolks that coat every strand of pasta. Add tender chicken for a hearty twist on classic Italian comfort food.

Enchilada bean bake layers corn tortillas with mashed beans simmered in red wine and spices, cottage cheese-yogurt cream, and cheddar. A lighter vegetarian Mexican casserole.

Italian parmesan potatoes are easy foil-packet grilled potatoes tossed with olive oil, Italian herbs and garlic, then finished with melty Parmesan. A no-cleanup side that cooks right on the grill.

It's hard to believe a handful of spinach with a few simple ingredients can turn into something very special. You might want to make a double batch.