Tag Archives: cheese

Combining Meat and Cheese

When I’m looking for a quick meal to serve on a busy weeknight, I often turn to my initials—-MC. When my family members see MC on the dinner calendar that hangs on our refrigerator door they instantly know that we’ll be dining on two favorites: Meat and cheese. I have a seemingly endless variety of recipes, which feature a combination of meat and cheese, that are fast, tasty and nutritious. Some of my family’s favorites are: CHEEZ-IT MEATLOAF Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef 1 cup crushed Cheez-It crackers (you can also use a generic version of cheese crackers) 1/4 cup … Continue reading →

Edible Christmas Masterpieces

Have you ever considered molding an igloo out of cream cheese to spice up your holiday buffet table? What about crafting a Christmas wreath from crescent rolls and chicken? Does it sound like something you’d leave to professional chefs? Well, think again. There are a slew of simple recipes that allow you to create amazing works of art for your holiday dinner table, without having to take a culinary arts course. Here are a couple of my favorites: CHICKEN AND CRESCENT ROLL CHRISTMAS WREATH Ingredients: 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls 1/2 cup chopped red pepper 1/2 cup chopped frozen broccoli … Continue reading →

Classic Chicken Recipes

I buy chicken breasts in bulk, so the following recipes make regular appearances on our dinner table. They are among the easiest and affordable chicken dishes to prepare, which is why I place them in my menu rotation month after month. If you are spending this last day of March devising your menu for the upcoming month, I highly recommend adding the following chicken dishes to the list: CLASSIC CHICKEN PICCATA Ingredients: 4 boneless, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup flour Salt and pepper 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup … Continue reading →

Simple Soup Recipes

Soup’s versatility makes it one of my all-time favorite dishes. It doesn’t take a ton of skill or time to whip up a big pot of hearty homemade soup. What’s more, a single pot can yield dinner plus leftovers for a quick and nutritious lunch the next day. The following recipes are among my very favorites. The Corned Beef Soup is ideal for using up leftover St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef. Meanwhile, the Bratwurst Soup is a crock pot classic that cooks on its own while you tend to more important tasks. CORNED BEEF SOUP Ingredients: 1 tablespoon chicken paste … Continue reading →

Hosting a Valentine’s Day Fondue Party

Despite them being up since the week after Christmas, I have purposely avoided the Valentine’s Day displays at Wal-Mart and Target. Now that we are only a couple weeks away from Love Day, I figure I’d better get motivated to spread some Valentine’s Day cheer. (Ho, ho, no!) While I am still in the planning stages for this year’s festivities, I did find recipes from a Valentine’s Day fondue party I helped host a few years ago. A fondue maker I won at an office Christmas party inspired the party. It broke shortly after the party, but not before we … Continue reading →

Warm Up with Homemade Chowder

It’s one of the cheapest ways to warm up your family on a bitterly cold winter’s day–stirring up a pot full of steaming hot soup. Homemade soups and chowders are simple to prepare and make for quick and healthy midweek meals. The following recipes are not only affordable, but they also feature ingredients that even your pickiest eaters will happily devour: CRAB AND PEPPER JACK CHEESE CHOWDER Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup red bell pepper, diced 1 14-ounce can low-fat chicken broth 1 cup water 1 teaspoon ground cumin … Continue reading →

Hearty Homemade Winter Soup Recipes

We received more than 40 inches of snow in the month December. That’s more than our city typically sees during the entire winter season and meteorologists say more of the white stuff is on the way along with record breaking cold temperatures. Next week Milwaukee is not supposed to get above ZERO. In fact, on Wednesday the forecasted high is predicted to be -6. City officials are already warning people not to travel if they don’t have to. What a joke. Who willingly chooses to expose themselves to dangerously cold weather conditions? If I had my way I would stay … Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Holiday Appetizers

If you are hosting a holiday party there’s no reason to make it harder on yourself by making dozens of elaborate dishes. These quick and easy appetizers are just as mouthwatering as fancier munchies. What’s more, they can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator until party time. Happy snacking and happy holidays! ITALIAN CHEESE AND PESTO PARTY TORTE Ingredients: 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 10 slices Provolone cheese 8 ounces pesto 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine Fresh basil leaves, for garnish Directions: Mix cream cheese and garlic; … Continue reading →

Super Simple Cheese Snacks for Your Holiday Party

These aren’t your typical boring cheese and cracker snacks. Rather, the following super simple recipes (super simple because most can be made in three steps or less) are both eye and palate pleasing. The main ingredient is fresh cheese. If you live in a smaller town you might consider shopping at a specialty cheese store to get the fresh Brie needed for the following snacks. However, if you reside in a larger city you can get all the ingredients at Whole Foods or your favorite major grocery chain. JARLSBERG CHEESE SPREAD Ingredients: 2 cups Jarlsberg cheese, shredded 1 to 2 … Continue reading →

More Easy and Affordable Snacks for Your Holiday Party

Ground beef is one of the most affordable meats in the market, which is why you don’t need to wait for it to go on sale before you buy. If you are entertaining for the holidays ground beef should be at the top of your shopping list. Not only is it a budget-saver, but it’s also extremely versatile as seen in the following simple yet delicious party dishes I like to make this time of year: GROUND BEEF STUFFED JALAPENO PEPPERS Ingredients: 8 ounces ground beef 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup drained canned diced … Continue reading →