(Family Features) - Cheese, the ultimate comfort food, brings life to any party. The creamy, tangy taste of cheese wakes up a brunch, dresses up a simple dinner with friends and always draws a crowd around the hors d'oeuvre table. Cheese, which has enjoyed a special place in our diets for centuries, never goes out of style - whether it's a fondue for two or a feast for 50.
Boar's Head, a producer of premium delicatessen products, offers 30 different types of the finest cheeses made and considers cheese-making an art. Their Cheddar, Parmesan, Gruy ère and other cheeses are created in small batches, sometimes by hand, by certified Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers who have passed their skill down from father to son. Perhaps this is why the American Cheese Society rated Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar the Best Cheddar in America.
It's easy to taste the difference between cheeses made with care, effort and fine ingredients and ones where makers have bought milk from inferior producers, substituted dry milk or shortened the aging process. These cheeses lose their texture and character while the ones made with the methods of the master cheese makers retain their authenticity and unique flavor.
Cheddar Cheese Fondue
1 pound grated sharp Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar cheese 1 cup beer1 teaspoon paprika1 tablespoon Boar's Head Delicatessen Style Mustard1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepperSalt and pepper to tasteFrench bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (for dipping)
Mix Cheddar with beer in fondue pot (if you don't have a fondue pot, a crockpot will work nicely). Heat slowly, stirring frequently, until melted. Add seasonings. Keep warm over a small fondue flame. Serves 6.
Macaroni and Two Cheeses
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided3 tablespoons flour2 1/2 cups whole milk1 pound grated extra sharp Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar cheese1/2 teaspoon dry mustardPinch cayenne pepperDash Worcestershire sauceSalt and pepper to taste1 pound elbow macaroni1/4 cup Boar's Head Grated Parmesan cheese1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Using 1 tablespoon butter, generously grease 2-quart baking dish.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter, add flour and cook over moderate heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not brown.
Add milk and whisk constantly until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese and stir until blended. Add seasonings and stir. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well, but do not rinse. Put macaroni back into pot and add cheese sauce. Stir until blended.
Pour macaroni and cheese into baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, dot with remaining tablespoon butter.
Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
Easy Spicy Cheese StrawsUsing frozen puff pastry in the preparation cuts preparation time down to minutes.
1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/4 teaspoon salt1 package frozen puff-pastry sheets, thawed1 large egg white, lightly beaten8 ounces sharp Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Grease two large cookie sheets.
In small bowl, combine spices.
Unfold 1 pastry sheet. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll pastry into 14-inch square.
Lightly brush with egg white. Sprinkle half of spice mixture on pastry sheet. Sprinkle half of Cheddar on half of pastry.
Fold pastry over to cover cheese, forming rectangle. With rolling pin, lightly roll over pastry to seal layers together. With pizza wheel or knife, cut pastry crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Repeat process on second pastry sheet.
Place strips 1/2 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets, twisting each strip twice to form spiral and pressing ends against cookie sheet to prevent strips from uncurling (moisten ends with egg white to help them adhere, if necessary).
Bake cheese straws until golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes 48 cheese straws.
Cheese PuffsMay be made up to one month ahead and frozen.
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 cup water1 cup all purpose flour4 large eggs1/2 cup grated Boar's Head Gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Grease two large cookie sheets.
In 3-quart saucepan, combine butter, salt, cayenne and water. Bring to boil; stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat; add flour all at once, stirring until incorporated. Return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture forms ball and leaves side of pan. Remove from heat.
Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth and satiny. Stir in cheese. Drop teaspoons of batter on cookie sheets, forming mounds about 3/4 inch in diameter. A pastry bag fitted with a 1/2- inch plain tip makes quick work of making the mounds. Puffs should be at least 1 inch apart, as puffs will double in size.
Bake puffs until deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rakes to cool. Serve at room temperature, or to serve hot, reheat in 400 °F oven 5 minutes. Makes about 75 puffs.
Easy Parmesan CrispsCrowd pleasing hors d'oeuvres that can be prepared in minutes
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Boar's Head Parmesan cheese (6 ounces)
Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick reusable baking liner. Drop level tablespoons of cheese 3 inches apart; spread to form 2-inch rounds.
Bake until edges just begin to color, 6 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack; cool two minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining cheese. Serves 6.
For more information about Boar's Head deli products visit their website at
http://www.boarshead.com/.
SOURCE: Boar's Head Cheese
