Make most of New Year’s with these cheesy recipes
The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has a few suggestions for appetizers to try this New Year’s holiday.
More recipes can be found on the group’s website, www.wisconsincheese.com.
Spiced Pear Tartlets
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 medium pears, cored and diced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces havarti cheese, diced (1 cup)
2 packages (1.9 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
Fresh thyme leaves
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pears, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until pears are just softened.
Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Cool. Stir in havarti.
Place tart shells on an ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pan; fill with havarti mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with thyme. Serve warm.
Gorgonzola Cheese Fondue
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles (6 ounces)
2 ounces (14 cup) cream cheese, cut into small cubes
Pepper to taste
Fig or raspberry preserves
Honeycomb
Assorted dippers: Baguette and pear slices, green onions roasted brussels sprouts and thinly sliced, cooked and rolled steak lollipops
Instructions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and garlic powder. Bring to a boil; cook and whisk for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in gorgonzola and cream cheese until melted. (Do not boil.) Remove from the heat. Season with pepper to taste.
Transfer to a fondue pot. Heat on low to keep warm. Serve with fig preserves, honeycomb and dippers.
Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Bites
Ingredients:
1 pound bacon
Bread Cheese Bites:
1 packages (6 ounces Brunkow’s Brun-uusto Baked Cheese (juustsoleipa), cut into ½- inches cubes ½ small fresh pineapple, peeled cored and cut into ½-inch cubes toothpicks
Blue Cheese Bites:
2 ½ cups dried apricots
1 cup blue cheese crumbles (6 ounces)
Toothpicks
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
Instructions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place greased wire racks on two aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheets.
Cut bacon strips in half widthwise. Arrange bacon strips in a single layer on racks, taking care to not overlap. Bake for 15 minutes. (Bacon will be partially cooked.) Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.
Bread Cheese Bites:
Wrap one bacon strip around one juustaleipa and pineapple cube. Repeat step with half of the bacon. Secure bacon with toothpicks. Place on a wire rack.
Blue Cheese Bites:
Cut a lengthwise slit into each dried apricot. Stuff each with about 1 teaspoon blue cheese. Wrap remaining bacon around apricots; secure with toothpicks. Place on a wire rack.
Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce and honey in a bowl. Spoon or brush glaze over bacon-wrapped bites. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
