YumSugar

Mac Attack! Three-Cheese Mini Macs

partysugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:50:10 -0700

Looking for something orange to serve at your Halloween bash on Saturday? Why not make these adorable and delicious macaroni and cheese bites?! This mac gets its vibrant hue from cheddar and American cheeses.

The technique is like a typical macaroni and cheese recipe, but the ratio of cheese to liquid is different. There's more cheese and less milk resulting in a dense, easily-compactable pasta with thick sauce.

Although the recipe calls for five minutes of cool time, I found that these macs, which are cooked in mini muffin pans, need about ten minutes to set. If you try to get them out of the pan too early, the pasta won't hold its shape and instead of mac and cheese minis, you'll just have a mac and cheese mess. To look at the recipe, keep reading.

Say Cheese! Pimento Cheese

partysugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:30:50 -0700

I am not from the South, so before this week, I had never tasted the comforting spread native to the region that's known as pimento cheese. However, I was eager to experience this seemingly exotic food, so I decided to make it. Pimento cheese isn't a type of cheese, but rather, a seasoned cheese mixture. The main ingredients are sharp cheddar cheese, jarred pimentos (a type of sweet succulent aromatic red pepper), and mayonnaise. The history of pimento cheese is fairly unknown, although it appeared in grocery stores and home kitchens somewhere in the early 1900s. It's delicious simplicity made it a hit during the Depression, and since then, pimento cheese has remained popular in the South. The tasty spread can be enjoyed on crackers, celery or other veggies, toast, or plain, old crustless white bread. To look at the recipe I used - it's Paula Deen's - keep reading.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Mushroom Berry Salad With Cheddar

partysugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:50:14 -0700

When I lived in southern Spain, sometimes I would have a very simple supper of fruit, cheese, and veggies. Especially in the Summer when the heat is intense, a light, fresh meal is essential. This recipe for a sophisticated assembled salad takes that concept to the next level.

Sauteed mushrooms are combined with lightly fried onions, ripe berries, and crisp arugula. A hunk of sharp cheddar cheese rounds out the dish. Pour a glass of Rosé and you've got a delightful dinner. For the recipe, keep reading.

Fast and Easy Dinner: Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers

partysugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:30:35 -0700

What better way to start the weekend than with a succulent, cheese-filled burger? A crowd-pleasing classic, this cheeseburger comes together quickly and simply. For a leaner variation, use ground turkey instead of ground beef.

Once you've mastered the technique, get creative. Provolone, blue cheese, or mozzarella would make for a delicious molten center with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and pesto as toppings. To add the recipe to your collection, read more.

Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
4 ounces cheddar, cut into 4 slabs
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
Toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, red onion, bread-and-butter pickles, and ketchup

Directions

Divide beef into 4 equal portions, and gently form each into a ball. Insert a piece of cheese in the center of each ball, and flatten into 1-inch-thick patties, pinching beef to enclose cheese.
Transfer to a plate; with thumb, make a shallow indentation in center of patties, taking care not to expose cheese.
Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Just before grilling, season patties with salt and pepper. Place on grill; cover, and cook to desired doneness, 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let burgers rest 3 to 4 minutes; serve on buns with desired toppings.

Serves 4.

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Bobby Flay For YumSugar: Two Tasty Sandwiches

partysugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:30:13 -0700

In case you hadn't noticed, we're obsessed with getting our weekly sandwich fix. And there's no doubt that we're fans of chef Bobby Flay, who has a knack for spicy ingredients. That's why I'm happy to announce that two of our favorite things have come together in a very exciting three-part series. As spokesperson for mayonnaise giant Best Foods (or Hellmann's, for all you East Coasters), Flay has created a bunch of innovative sandwich recipes. With my help, Flay tailored two of these recipes to suit the YumSugar reader. Check out our exclusive video of Flay making the two YumSugar sandwiches below!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow, when the grill master gives pointers for making the perfect sandwich. See Flay's first fashionable sandwich recipe when you read more.

The Fashionista Sandwich
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

¼ cup mayonnaise (recommended: Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real)
2 tablespoons Hellmann’s® Dijonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices white cheddar, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced crosswise
1 small bunch watercress
4 croissants, sliced through crosswise
1/2 pound, thinly sliced London broil or roast beef (from your deli department) or 1 ¼ pound flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and marinated in olive oil, chopped garlic and fresh thyme*

Directions

Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium heat. Add 3 slices of beef in an even layer, next to each other and cook for 30 seconds per side, just to warm through.
Top the meat with 1 or 2 slices of the cheese, cover with a lid and let melt, about 20 seconds.
Spread some of the mayonnaise on both sides of each croissant. Layer on beef, cheese, onion and watercress.

Serves 4.

*If using the flank steak: Marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Heat a grill to high or a grill pan over high heat until smoking. Season the steak with salt and lots of black pepper and cook on both sides until golden brown and slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 6 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices against the grain of the meat.

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Say Cheese! Cheddar and Guinness Welsh Rarebit

partysugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:15:41 -0700

Cheddar is a widely known, popular variety of cheese that originated in the Somerset region of England. However, the firm cow's milk cheese is now made in many places around the world. It can range in flavor from mild to sharp and in color from white to orange. Orange cheddar gets its color from a natural dye called annatto. An incredibly versatile cheese, cheddar is delicious alone, on a sandwich, or mixed in a sauce - as is the case in this recipe.

Since some of you were disappointed by a recent chicken rarebit recipe that called for jarred cheddar cheese sauce, I decided to find a homemade version and share the technique with you. Although a Welsh rarebit is a British dish, my variation uses Irish cheddar and Guinness, making it appropriate for St. Patrick's Day. This cheesy, toasty snack is comforting and simply delicious. To look at the easy recipe, read more.

Beer Cheese on Toast
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 pound extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup dark beer
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt
Toasted baguette slices from 2 baguettes
Sliced tomatoes

Directions

In a food processor, combine the cheddar with the beer, garlic, mustard and cayenne and blend until smooth. Season the beer cheese with salt.
Preheat the broiler. Spread the toasts with the beer cheese and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet.
Broil the toasts 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, rotating the pan, until the cheese is bubbling and browned around the edges. Top with tomato slices and serve.

Serves 6.

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Yum's March Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:50:04 -0800

Can you believe March is already here? With it comes longer days, the arrival of Spring, and St. Patrick's Day! Oh not to mention all the wonderful fresh produce - asparagus, artichokes, spring onions - that will be popping up in farmers markets very soon. To ensure that you make the most of March, I've rounded up the items I can't live without this month. To find out what they are, start clicking.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Shrimp and Cheddar Grits

partysugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:30:20 -0800

Kick-start your weekend with this scrumptious, Southern-inspired dish. In it, shrimp and scallions are served on a bed of cheesy grits.

The resulting meal is comforting, yet healthy. Instead of cooking the shrimp on the stove or in a deep fryer, it's broiled in the oven.

Serve with cornbread and collard greens for a completely delicious dinner. Want to look at the recipe? read more.

Shrimp and Cheddar Grits
From Eating Well

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup quick grits* (not instant)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3/4 cup extra-sharp or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound (or 16-20) peeled and deveined raw shrimp
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Bring broth and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, toss shrimp, scallions, oil, garlic powder, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt in a medium bowl.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, stirring once, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
Serve the grits topped with the broiled shrimp and scallions.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 356 calories; 13 g fat (5 g sat, 3 g mono); 197 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbo hydrate; 32 g protein; 1 g fiber; 428 mg sodium; 275 mg potassium, Selenium (61% daily value), Calcium (25% dv), Iron (20% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv). 2 Carbohydrate Servings

*Look for quick grits near oatmeal and other hot cereals or near cornmeal in the baking aisle.

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Would You Eat This Porter Cheese?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:30:03 -0800

At a dinner party over the weekend, I tried Cahill Porter Cheese - an Irish cheddar cheese marbled with malty, bittersweet porter beer. Strangely enough, the mild taste of the cheddar cheese perfectly complements the caramel, chocolatey flavor of the beer. Some guests did not enjoy it, but I can't stop thinking about how it would make a unique, tasty grilled cheese sandwich.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Mushroom-Cheddar Frittata

partysugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:45:11 -0800

Although this recipe takes a little over an hour to cook, it makes a good weeknight meal because there's minimal prep-work. Once it's in the oven, you can forget about it! Add a crisp, green salad for a balanced vegetarian meal.

With its roasted mushrooms and rich cheese, this crust-less pie is also an excellent option for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mushroom-Cheddar Frittata
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 package (10 ounces) white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/2 pound red new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
1 cup shredded white cheddar
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and patted dry

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, toss mushrooms, potatoes, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, hot-pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Stir in cheddar and broccoli.
Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and potatoes, and stir to distribute them. Bake until puffed and set in the middle, and a paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Serves 4.

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