Another Iron Chef Success

Word on the street is that our Grandview Iron Chef Cheese Night was another success. As usual, Rachel is ON TOP of things & has collected the following recipes. If anyone wants to add to our cheesy goodness, please send us an e-mail. . .even if you weren't able to attend, we'd still love your favorite cheese recipe.

Chili Cheese Dip by Janice A.

Heat 8oz of Cream Cheese with 15oz can of Chili with NO BEANS until well 

mixed and heated.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Pastry-Wrapped Dill Cream Cheese Spread by Rachel B.

1 block cream cheese

1 tube crescent rolls

Dried dill (or your favorite dried herb)

Crackers

Lay out the crescent roll dough on a lightly floured surface and press seams together until it makes one large rectangle. Completely cover the cream cheese block with dried dill. Place the dill-covered cream cheese block on the dough. Encase the cream cheese in dough (you can decorate it with any left-over dough). Bake according to crescent roll directions until golden brown. Serve with crackers.

Cheese Ball by Amanda Butterfield

28 oz cream cheese

1 5-oz bottle Kraft Old English Cheese

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp parsley flakes

1 ½ Tbsp dried onion flakes

Sliced almonds to coat

Mix together and chill 1 hour. Then roll into ball and cover with sliced almonds. Best if made the day before.

Steve’s Macaroni and Cheese by Diane R.

6 cups of water

1 Tbsp of table salt

1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese shredded (or you can experiment with mixtures of different cheeses)

1 pound of elbow macaroni (I like Ronzoni brand, it’s about a dollar a box)

1 ½ cans of evaporated milk

2 large eggs

1 stick of butter

½ tsp of powdered mustard dissolved in 1 Tbsp of cold water

Hot pepper sauce to taste (I prefer Frank’s Red Hot; I usually give it 6 to 8 shots)

2 tsp kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

For the topping:

¾ cup of fresh bread crumbs (you can also used crushed saltines)

3 Tbsp of butter

In a 12-inch skillet melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs or saltines stirring until the butter is absorbed. Take off the heat, set it aside, and let cool.

For the Mac-n-Cheese:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and then add a Tbsp of table salt. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente – take out a piece and after it cools test it with your teeth; if it is still a little firm, but not crunchy, it’s done.

While the pasta cooks beat the eggs in a bowl; add one can of evaporated milk, mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper and mix well. When the pasta is done drain it in a colander and return it to the pot. Reduce the burner to medium low and add the butter to the pasta in the pot. Place it on the burner and melt the butter. Add the milk and egg mixture and about a third of the cheese. Stir until the cheese starts to melt. Add another third of the cheese, and continue stirring. Reserve about a half cup of the cheese for the topping, but add the remaining cheese and as much of the second can of condensed milk as needed to make a creamy sauce (I usually add about half of the 2^nd can). Taste it, and add more salt if you need to at this point.

Turn on your broiler. Pour the mac and cheese into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix the reserved cheese with the cooled breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese. Place on the middle rack of the oven and broil until it is just golden brown, about a minute. Serve immediately.

TIP: We like to freeze about half of it for another day when we can’t bother cooking, or in lunch portions.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese by D. Moore

½ pound elbow macaroni

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp powdered mustard

3 cups milk

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 bay leaf

½ tsp paprika

1 large egg

12 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

1 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Topping:

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in ¾ of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Remember to save the leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.