Tag Archives: cheese

Sun-Dried Tomato-Caramelized Onion Sauce w/ Quinoa, Spinach, & Chicken

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Have you ever spent a significant amount of time firmly believing in something, only to have everything you thought you knew flipped topsy-turvy and your perspective changed entirely? It makes you stumble, but once you catch your balance, sometimes you realize it was actually a good thing.

My pivotal moment involved sun-dried tomatoes. For as long as I can remember, I stood by the belief that I do not like sun-dried tomatoes. Not only that, but I hate them. I had them on a pizza once long ago, thought they were horrible, and avoided them like the plague from then on. However, I recently spotted a jar of sun-drieds in the pantry, and figured I could whip up something for dinner with them that my parents would love, and I just wouldn’t eat any myself.

I was wrong in so many ways.

It turns out, I actually like sun-dried tomatoes. And I was also incorrect in assuming I wouldn’t eat any of this Sun-dried Tomato-Caramelized Onion Sauce w/ Quinoa, Spinach, & Chicken, because I probably ate half the heaping pan-full myself (minus the chicken, of course). I guess it just goes to show that you should never be too stubborn in your opinions because anything can change. Being my father’s daughter, I am the queen of stubbornness. But by opening up my mind (and taste buds) to new experiences, I can find a plethora of new things to love, like sun-dried tomatoes. Continue reading →

Vegetable Lasagna with Blush Sauce + How-to Video

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One of the most obvious signs of growing up is when your holidays start to change. For as long as I can remember, my family has celebrated Easter morning together with multicolor baskets brimming over with chocolates and other goodies. Then, in the glow of the post-basket-opening high, we’d have a spirited egg hunt, the memories I have of which are tainted by visions of my too-competitive older sister hurling me out of the way to snatch an egg from me. Finally, we’d capped off the day with a multi-course dinner and dessert. However, this year was the first year that all of that drastically changed (and yes, I received baskets through age 18; I’m not ashamed). Continue reading →

Baked Pepper Jack Sticks

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My feeling towards most savory foods is that, if it doesn’t have cheese, it ain’t good. Of course, this isn’t always true. But you would be hard-pressed to find something that isn’t better with a little bit of cheesy goodness.

In fact, the more cheese, the merrier. I always order extra cheese on my pizza, and yet it never seems to be enough. And my favorite meal ever is my Eggplant Parmigiana because it is loaded, stuffed, and oozing with mounds of endless melty cheese. It’s like a dream come true.

Naturally, for any cheese lover, fried cheese is the bomb. There is perhaps no greater way to experience cheese then breaded in a crispy suit of golden armor and fried until it reaches molten perfection. The standard fried cheese is mozzarella, chosen for its impeccable stringiness and mild flavor. But why not kick things up a notch with some hot and spicy pepper jack?

These Baked Pepper Jack Sticks were born from two things: my love for cheese and my need to use up a block of zesty pepper jack just waiting to come out of the fridge and party. But instead of frying it, I opted for oven-baking which provided the same golden brown crust and gooey interior as frying does, but without all the fatty oil and hassle.  Some of the sticks do bust open while baking, but that’s all part of the fun. In fact I most enjoyed the ones with cheese streaming out the edges; they were extra delicious. Continue reading →

Fried Eggplant Parmesan Sticks

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“Got any more of those?”

That was the first Mother Cookie said after finishing the freshly fried Eggplant Parmesan Stick I gave to her to taste-test.

And for the rest of the night, as I finished frying the sticks, she incessantly inquired, “Got any more of those?”

That’s how good these babies are; once you try one, you can’t get it off your mind. I lost count of how many I ate throughout the night, which is probably for the better. They were just so heavenly, I couldn’t stay away. I can say without hesitation that these Eggplant Parmesan Sticks are one of the best recipes I have made to-date.

These are essentially darn good mozzarella sticks with eggplant inside. The concept makes perfect sense. Traditional Eggplant Parm is comprised of fried eggplant, marinara, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. So, classic mozzarella sticks are just missing the eggplant. Add that in, and you’ve got handheld eggplant parm. Mind blown.DSC_2503

What results is the most perfectly golden brown, crispy, crunchy breading encasing ooey, gooey fresh mozzarella cheese and tender eggplant that melts in your mouth after frying. Using fresh mozzarella makes a big difference here; it’s the gooiest stuff on the planet, creating the ideal stream of cheese that stretches from the stick when you take that first bite. Send the deep-fried dream for a dunk in some marinara sauce to bring the eggplant parm experience full-circle.

This is life-changing.

Forget what you know about mozzarella sticks; forget what you know about Eggplant Parm. This combines the best of both worlds, creating one of the most delicious finger foods you’ll ever enjoy. I can promise you that you will never eat a mozzarella stick this delicious from a restaurant, and I’ve tried a lot of mozzarella sticks in my day. The flavorful breading with just the right texture, the cooked-to-perfection eggplant, and that slightly sweet, amazing fresh mozzarella cheese are incomparable.

Best of all, don’t worry about battling with the deep fryer. We pan-fry these stove-top!DSC_2528

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Some of these will leak cheese when frying, but don’t worry. There will still be plenty of cheese left in there.
  2. You must use fresh mozzarella to get the full experience. This is not the same as regular mozzarella. The fresh stuff can be bought in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.
  3. Want the best Eggplant Parmigiana recipe ever? I’ve got it right here.
  4. Leave out the eggplant for the perfect classic mozzarella stick recipe.
  5. This is a great way to get kids to try eggplant. Just tell them they’re eating cheese sticks, and they won’t care.DSC_2463


Eggplant Parmesan Sticks
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

  • 1 fresh eggplant, skins removed
  • 20 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
  • Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
  • Marinara sauce, for dipping

Special equipment: toothpicks

Directions

  1. Slice the eggplant and mozzarella cheese into about 1-inch wide, 3-inch long sticks, about ½-inch in thickness (you don’t need to be precise; whatever looks like standard cheese stick size to you). Try to keep the cheese and eggplant the same size so they’ll hold together better when frying. Skewer each slice of eggplant together with a slice of cheese using a toothpick (you will remove this after frying).DSC_2466-3DSC_2466DSC_2465-5
  2. Put the flour in one large bowl, the milk and egg in another large bowl, and the breadcrumbs in a third large bowl. Whisk together the milk and egg.
  3. Use the toothpick to help you dip each stick into the flour and coat entirely. Then dunk and coat in the milk/egg mixture, and finally dunk and coat in the breadcrumbs. Repeat once more so that each stick is double coated. I don’t recommend doing a single coat because the cheese will leak through when frying.
  4. Place a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and fill about 1 1/2-inches deep with oil. Let it get good and hot, about 5-10 minutes.
  5. While the oil heats, line a baking sheet with paper towels and preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
  6. Gently place one breaded stick into the oil to test if it’s ready. If it sizzles, you’re good to go. If not, wait a few minutes more. Put about 6 sticks in at once, but no more. If you crowd the pan, the oil’s temperature will drop. If you can, place the sticks cheese side-down first. This will prevent the cheese from leaking later.
  7. Let each stick fry until golden brown then flip and fry the other side until golden brown. Once flipped, you should be able to gently and carefully remove the toothpick to make for easier frying, or you can wait until after it’s completely fried. Be careful not to burn yourself, and watch the pan because each stick will fry at a different rate.
  8. When a stick is good and golden brown on both sides, use tongs or a fork to remove it from the oil and transfer to the prepared baking sheet so the paper towels can soak up the extra oil. If you haven’t already done so, remove the toothpicks. Place finished sticks in the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest of the sticks. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.DSC_2479

Super-Sized Sausage & Pepper Calzone

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Alright. Let’s address the elephant in the room.

Yes, there is meat in this calzone. Yes, I am a vegetarian. No, I did not eat it.

But darn, I wanted to. That’s how good it smelled and looked when I pulled it out of the oven. I made it the same night I made the Spinach Artichoke Calzone from yesterday’s post. As you might’ve guessed, the Spinach Artichoke Calzone was my dinner, and this Super-Sized Sausage and Pepper Calzone was for my parents.

It’s a calzone party this week, and this recipe is your invitation to join in. I’ve got a special place in my heart for calzones that developed from buying fresh calzones from Wegmans when I was younger. Those babies were good, but I knew I could make one even better.

I am willing to bet this Super-Sized Sausage & Pepper Calzone is ten times better than anything you could get at a Wegmans or local pizza joint. Not to mention, putting it together is practically just as easy as picking up the phone and ordering delivery, so why not choose the tastier option?

Just look at the size of that thing!DSC_1206-2

This golden brown beauty is oozing with marvelous mounds of creamy 3-cheese filling then stuffed with meaty sausage and sweet, robust peppers. Fresh herbs and garlic give it those beautiful Italian flavors you’d get from any Italian restaurant, but the sheer size of this behemoth and its generous amount of filling make it even better. You won’t believe how flavorful, cheesy, and filling this baby is. It’s a meal made for the hungriest calzone lovers.

Think you know calzones? Not until you try this superhero-sized pocket of goodness. There’s so much good stuff packed into that shell that you’ll be overwhelmed with excitement. Just take it one bite at a time.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Don’t like sausage and/or peppers? This is a very versatile recipe, so switch them out with whatever you like: pepperoni, broccoli, bacon, you name it. Or leave out the sausage and pepper and enjoy a three-cheese calzone.
  2. Watch this baby when it’s baking. The crust goes from done to burnt quickly.
  3. Fresh ingredients are a must. Don’t expect this to compare to restaurant-quality if you use dried herbs.
  4. This giant calzone easily feeds two, but double the recipe to make two behemoths and feed more mouths, if you like.DSC_1267

Super-Sized Sausage & Pepper Calzones
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • Store-bought pizza dough or your favorite recipe
  • 5 tbsp. butter
  • Marinara sauce, for dipping

For the filling

  • 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large red pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • ½ a yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 32-oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
  • 2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray OR place a pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
  2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to soak up excess grease. Meanwhile, in a small pan, bring olive oil to medium heat and cook peppers until tender and slightly browned.
  3. Place all the filling ingredients, including the sausage and peppers, in a large mixing bowl and stir together until thoroughly combined. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Flour a working surface and roll out dough into a circle as thin as you can make it without it tearing. Carefully transfer to baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and spread filling out on the top, leaving about 1 -2 inches around the edges plain. Use more or less filling depending on your preference, but you will want more than you think you do; it’s deceiving.
  5. Wrap the edges in aluminum foil, leaving only the center uncovered, and bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until set and starting to brown. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown all around.
  6. Slice and enjoy. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

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Spinach-Artichoke Calzone

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It’s no secret that spinach artichoke dip is one of the most delicious dippable delicacies ever created. Why do you think almost every restaurant has it on their appetizer menus? We Americans gobble the gooey stuff up like it’s our job.

Side note: Another word that needs to be added to the dictionary – dippable.

I’ve got a sublime recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip that I turn to time and time again. There is just no beating it; I haven’t even found a restaurant that can top it. However, as much as I love me some spinach artichoke dip, I would get sick of it if I ate dip day after day. Luckily, there’s a lot more one can do with the deliciousness of spinach-artichoke dip than serve it in a bowl with chips.

Take this giant, super-stuffed Spinach Artichoke Calzone for example. I get all the flavors and components I adore from my favorite dip in the form of a big, fat, hearty calzone. This baby looks innocent enough on the outside with its golden brown crust, but break in, and oodles of gooey, creamy cheesy filling flow out like lava from an overstuffed volcano. It’s a beautiful site.DSC_1108

The filling is good enough to eat on its own with three kinds of cheese, garlic, onion, spinach, tangy artichokes, and fresh herbs. It tastes just like heavenly spinach artichoke dip, but that ricotta gives it the signature calzone-filling taste and feel. Encased in a crisp crust, it’s like you get your favorite appetizer turned into a full-blown meal. And holy crow, this recipe yields one big, honkin’ calzone, enough for at least two people to stuff their tummies with. But you know what I say, go big or go home!

If you love spinach artichoke dip then you have simply got to try this calzone, no if, ands, or buts about it. Even if you don’t do much cooking, you still don’t have an excuse not to try this because all you have to do is mix some ingredients together in a bowl and stuff it inside store-bought dough. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Don’t call the pizzeria tonight; this calzone is even better than anything you could get from a restaurant, I guarantee it!DSC_1170-2

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. If you want to use homemade dough, go for it!
  2. Fresh is key: fresh spinach, fresh garlic, fresh herbs. Using those good quality ingredients is what makes this calzone a step-up from what you’d get at a sub-par pizzeria, and it takes the calzone from good to amazing.
  3. If you want more spinach artichoke heaven, try my dip recipe, my Spinach Artichoke Veggie Burgers, or my Spinach Artichoke Nachos.
  4. You have GOT to watch this while cooking. Covering it in aluminum foil will keep it from burning, but once you remove the foil, it browns very quickly. DSC_1080

Spinach Artichoke Calzones
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • Store-bought pizza dough or your favorite recipe
  • Flour, for dusting
  • 5 tbsp. butter, melted
  • marinara sauce, for dipping

For the filling

  • 1 32-oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup chopped yellow onion or 1 chopped shallot
  • 3 generous cups fresh spinach, stems removed
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped into small chunks
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
  • 2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 2 tbsp. of the melted butter OR place a pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
  2. Place all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together until thoroughly combined. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  3. Flour a working surface and roll out dough into a circle as thin as you can make it without it tearing. Carefully transfer to baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and spread filling out on the top of half the calzone, leaving about 1 -2 inches at the edge plain. Use more or less filling depending on your preference, but you will want more than you think you do; it’s deceiving.
  4. Fold half the dough over top the filling like you’re making a pierogie or taco and pinch the edges together well. Brush remaining melted butter over top.
  5. Wrap the edges in aluminum foil, leaving only the center uncovered, and bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until set and starting to brown. A knife inserted in the center should feel hot when you pull it out. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown all around.
  6. Slice and enjoy. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.DSC_1141

 

American Pizza

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We all have our ultimate pizza place, the one no other could compare to. We’ll defend it to the end. We’ll cross the country just to eat it. Pizza has that power, my friends.

A while back, I told you about my favorite pizza joint, THE pizza joint: Len & Joe’s. Located in Port Jervis, NY, it’s small, not the most aesthetically-pleasing, and quite quirky, but dang, they make good pizza.DSC_4043

I told you why I loved it: the paper thin crust with crunchy edges, sweet sauce laid down with an easy hand, and what really makes it special: the incomparable, unbelievably gooey sea of cheese flooding the crust. Why is that cheese so crazy creamy, oozing off the corners of every slice? Because it’s American cheese, aka the meltiest stuff on the planet.

Side note: when is spell check going to stop telling me “melty” and “meltiest” aren’t words? Somebody put these in the dictionary already!

Anyway, I know if you’ve never tried it, American cheese on pizza sounds a little weird. Since I literally grew up on the goo-rific pizza, I never once thought to question it until I was describing the pizza to my best friend, and she had this “Uhh I don’t know about American cheese…” look on her face.

Don’t jump to conclusions until you try this heavenly pizza. Since the crust is thin and there’s a light, perfectly-portioned layer of sauce, the cheese is the star here, and it works so wonderfully. You’ve just got to experience it.

Now, I know if you don’t live near Port Jervis, NY then you can’t actually try this pizza, and you’ll never understand how awesome it is. Such is my problem as well because I live a good four hours away. When we’re in the area, we stock up on half-baked pies we can hoard in our freezer and bake whenever we please. But we ate the last one recently, and I was up the creek without a pizza paddle.

Lucky for you and me both, I got my pizza-loving butt in the kitchen and crafted a homemade version of my beloved Len & Joe’s. This American Pizza, named for the U.S.’s signature cheese it’s covered in, is so close to L&J’s pizza, it’s scary.DSC_1725

After our first bites, Mother Cookie and I both agreed the likeness was freaky. My American Pizza has that super thin crust, soft with a good chew in the middle but nice and crisp around the edges. I used just a kiss of sweet sauce and then topped it with a complete coverage of creamy, molten, lava-like American cheese that melts as effortlessly as ice cream under the summer sun. Beautiful, golden toasted brown spots dot the cheese’s surface, just like the ones on L&J’s original pizza. Those are little flavor spots, my friends.

This is one of the best pizzas that will ever come out of your kitchen. There ain’t no pizza joint you can order from tonight that’ll produce anything comparable to this cheese lover’s pie. You have got to try it; it’s life-changing.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. If you want the full effect, you’ve got to make the homemade crust. Store-bought crusts and store-bought dough just don’t compare to homemade (trust me, I’ve tried quite a few), and they won’t yield the thin and crunchy Len & Joe’s-like texture.
  2. I am, however, okay with store-bought sauce as long as you buy good-quality stuff, and not some crap like Ragu. You can tell a good sauce by its ingredient list: you should be able to recognize all the ingredients and sugar should be one of the last things listed, if at all.
  3. I recommend getting the best-quality American cheese you can. If you didn’t know, you can get some awesome American cheese sliced fresh at your grocery store’s deli. It’s SO much better than the pre-packaged stuff like Velveeta or Kraft, and it’ll make this pizza even better.
  4. This cheese goes from perfectly melted and browned to black in no time, so keep an eye on it.
  5. Add any toppings you like.DSC_1650

American Pizza
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water (about 105°F)
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • cornmeal, for sprinkling
  • 1 generous cup GOOD QUALITY store-bought marinara sauce
  • 1/2 lb. good-quality American cheese (from the deli), sliced

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour and salt and pulse 3 or 4 times.
  3. Whisk 1 tbsp. of the olive oil into the yeast mixture. With the motor running, slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Pulse the machine 10 to 15 times to knead the dough. The dough should clean the insides of the bowl but will be slightly sticky.
  4. Coat the inside of a large bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp. oil. Dust your hands with flour and remove the dough from the food processor. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal in a thin even layer.
  6. Flour your working surface and roll out the dough as thin as you can into a rectangle (obviously, it won’t be perfectly shaped). Carefully transfer the dough to the baking sheet.
  7. Parbake dough for 10-15 minutes, or until set and and just beginning to turn golden. Spread sauce over top then completely cover with a layer of cheese.
  8. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and browned on top. let sit for 2 minutes then slice and enjoy.DSC_1707

Extra Creamy 4-Cheese Stovetop Mac & Cheese

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There’s nothing more disappointing than a dry mac and cheese. On the list of Life’s Most Devastating Disappointments, dry mac is right up there with when the pizza you ordered doesn’t have enough cheese or getting a half-filled container of fries from the drive-thru. It’s like you were robbed of what you longed for and deserved.

In theory, pasta and cheese should always be a winning combination, but it’s not that simple. If the sauce is dry and crumbly, then all you’ve got is a flavorless pile of clumpy mush, and that ain’t appetizing.

I learned a long time ago that the best way to avoid Chronic Dry Mac & Cheese Disappointment Syndrome (CDMCD Syndrome) is to stop trusting restaurants’ macs or other people’s recipes. Occasionally, I find a good mac, but it’s not worth the 9 out of 10 times I don’t.

I specifically designed this Extra Creamy 4-Cheese Stovetop Mac & Cheese to be have a high sauce-to-pasta ratio, yielding a sea of super creamy, rich cheese sauce. I guarantee you’ve never had a mac this luscious in your life.DSC_9633

Here are the secrets to super sauciness: Firstly, I used an epic quantity of four kinds of cheese, each one specifically selected for its creamy meltibility (with the exception of the parmesan, which I chose for its strong flavor). Sharp cheddar is a must-have in a classic mac. Then we’ve got super smooth and soft Muenster and slightly tangy, crazy melty Monterey Jack. The complimentary quartet of cheese is then complimented by a secret ingredient: hot sauce. It doesn’t make it spicy; just a tiny touch adds a hint of something special to each bite.

My second secret to sauciness is making a slightly larger quantity of sauce than most mac and cheese recipes yield, so you get more creamy cheesiness for every noodle. I also used just a bit less than the whole box of noodles, unlike most recipes, so you again get more sauce per noodle.

The final secret is making the mac and cheese stovetop. Oven-baking is a common offender in drying out sauces or making them curdle, so we keep our sauce nice and velvety smooth on the stove. Best of all, this is a MAJOR time-saver, so you can have this indulgent, heavenly mac on the table in 30 minutes or less.

End result? Crazy creamy and gooey mac and cheese like you’ve only dreamed of, loaded with cheese and bursting with the perfect medley of flavors.

Dry mac and cheese? Psh. Yeah right. DSC_9705

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Never made mac and cheese from scratch before? This recipe’s a great place to start.
  2. Get a visual on building the roux for the sauce with this quick video.
  3. You can switch out cheeses, but try to pick ones with good meltibility.
  4. Choose whatever pasta shape you like, but I highly recommend sticking to multigrain and whole wheat pastas. They have a more al dente texture, more protein and fiber, and personally, I think they taste better.
  5. Still want the breadcrumb topping you get with a baked mac and cheese? Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Stir in 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and brown. Sprinkle over the top of the mac!
  6. Need more awesome mac and cheeses? Try these:
  7. You’ll be surprised how much more delicious mac and cheese is when you don’t overcook pasta. People think you can boil it forever, but limp, mushy pasta is no good. Stop cooking when it has just a teeny bit of bite left in it; this is called al dente.DSC_9614

Extra Creamy 4-Cheese Stovetop Mac & Cheese
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

  • About 12 oz. cavatappi or elbow pasta (use ¾ of a 16-oz. box, it doesn’t have to be exact)
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 4 tsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 – 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  • 2 cups shredded Muenster cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. hot sauce

Directions:

  1. In a large pot of salted boiling water over high heat, cook the pasta according to box directions. Drain.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour so that it’s free of lumps and let cook for one minute, continuing to whisk.
  3. Whisk in 3 cups cream and all the milk until free of lumps. Cover and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Do not boil.
  4. Once sauce is thickened, whisk in all the cheeses, salt, and hot sauce until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Test taste to decide if you’d like any more cheese. If sauce is too thick for your liking, whisk in more cream, ¼ cup at a time.
  5. Turn off heat and immediately fold in pasta until well-coated. Serve immediately.DSC_9638

Tortellini Dippers w/ 4-Cheese Fondue & Pesto Sauce

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When I am in the presence of tortellini, I feel honored. Why? Because tortellini is the King of All Pasta. Although every kind of pasta is wonderful and delicious in all its starchy goodness, none could hold a candle to the majesty of tortellini.

Why does tortellini reign supreme? Because it’s filled with cheese! How could any plain pasta compare to pockets of cheesy stuffing? You don’t have to dress tortellini up with fancy sauces to make it fun and delicious. In fact, they’re a tasty snack when eaten plain. But did you know that this pasta royalty is good for more than just piling in a bowl and eating with a fork?

My Tortellini Dippers with your choice of 4-Cheese Fondue or Pesto for dipping take tortellini to a whole new level. This isn’t some bland pasta entree; it’s a fun appetizer with two delectable and decadent dipping sauces to dunk skewered tortellini into. This beats chips and dip any day!_DSC8327

Here, you can choose the homemade route with an easy but divine 4-Cheese Fondue, or you can go the pre-made route with some pesto from the store (or you can make your own pesto too). I used both so everyone could dip what they wanted, and because both sauces are delicious. But the best part about using both sauces is that their flavors are so complimentary you can combine the two, if you’re feeling adventurous.

The 4-Cheese Fondue is smooth, creamy, and cheese-loaded to the max. With melty Fontina, sharp parmesan, mild Monterey jack, and gooey mozzarella, you’ve got a harmonious quartet with which you can’t go wrong. Everybody works together beautifully, each bringing their own flavor element and amping up the cheesiness to an extreme level. The ooey gooey fondue is a perfect pairing for those tender little tortellinis, and also with the pesto if you take my advice and combine a little bit of each._DSC8249

Forget the same old boring appetizers that no one actually enjoys; step outside the bag of chips and experience delicious little tortellinis dunked in heavenly 4-Cheese Fondue and robust pesto. It’s fun, fresh, and a welcome change to the typical finger foods.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Pick whatever kind of tortellini flavor you like, and if you want to add some nutritional value, go whole grain.
  2. I did experiment with ravioli instead of tortellini, but they were a bit too big for dipping.
  3. Make sure to cook your tortellini al dente, meaning that it still has a bit of bite, so that it isn’t limp and falling off your skewers.
  4. There’s a lot of cheese in that fondue because it’s FONDUE, not a sauce.
  5. You can pop the tortellinis in the oven to bake up nice and crisp after boiling. Then they have some crunch, like a chip would, when you dip ‘em._DSC8317

Tortellini Dippers with 4-Cheese Fondue and Pesto Sauce
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Generously serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 20-oz. packages tortellini, your choice of flavors (I used spinach & cheese and five-cheese, but there are a ton of fun flavors of there)
  • 1 7-oz. container basil pesto OR buy 2 containers if not making the fondue

For the Four-Cheese Fondue:

  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. In a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, cook tortellini just until al dente. This will literally only take a minute. Drain. Pour tortellini onto prepared baking sheet and keep warm in oven until fondue is done.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour until free of lumps and let cook for one minute, continuing to whisk. Whisk in cream until free of lumps then cover and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  4. Whisk in all the cheeses, salt, and pepper until completely smooth. Taste test to make sure it’s to your liking. If it’s too thick, whisk in 1/4 cup of milk at a time. Transfer to fondue pot to keep warm while serving or serve straight from pot if you don’t have a fondue pot, keeping lid on so it stays warm. You may heat up the pesto in the microwave before serving or eat it as is. Serve sauces with the tortellinis on fondue forks or skewers.

Which scrumptious sauce…

_DSC8275

…will you choose?_DSC8328

Roasted Tomato & Garlic White Pizza

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Few things in this world give me as much joy as a good slice of pizza. You’d have to rub your feet on it for me to not enjoy pizza. Considering I’ve made it through 5+ years of crappy CNY pizza and haven’t imploded from withdrawal, I’d say that’s good proof right there that even bad pizza is good. But my God, when I can get a really, really good slice, the kind with the right amount of sauce and cheese and my preferred crust-to-topping ratio, well that’s the closest I’ve come to heaven on Earth.

Ever since I discovered an easy, fantastic homemade pizza crust, I’ve essentially received a passport to a world of infinite pizzatastic possibilities. No toppings are off-limits, and ain’t nobody going to tell me how I can or can’t slice it.00000407

If I want white pizza, I can make it. And I can top it with juicy, fresh roasted cherry tomatoes and sweet garlic. I can hit it with three kinds of cheese since one ain’t enough for this cheese-worshiping Smart Cookie. Then, with a good bake in the oven to turn this baby hot, melty, and golden brown, we’ve got ourselves Roasted Tomato and Garlic White Pizza, aka flavor-packed, cheese-overloaded paradise in a slice.

With a thin and crisp crust, creamy ricotta, caramelized garlic and tomatoes, and goo-rific mozzarella and parmesan, this is one killer pizza you don’t want to pass up. Your local pizza joint will never churn out such a beautiful pie as this: dressed up in thick layers of cheese, dotted with pretty red roasted tomatoes, and freckled with fresh thyme. It’s heaven you can hold in your hand and take a bite right out of. Forget your bad day or your self-loathing from post-holiday weight-gain; grab a slice and let your troubles melt just like that mozzarella cheese.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Store-bought dough is okay, but I urge you to try this recipe. I was afraid of making homemade dough until I tried it. I couldn’t believe how little time and effort it required, but it was so much better than anything else I’ve had!
  2. Roasting the tomatoes and garlic bring out their natural juices and flavors, making them sweet and robust like you’ve never experienced before.
  3. The better quality cheese you use, the better your pizza will be.
  4. Pizza stones are beneficial, but not required.
  5. Craving more pizza with this easy crust recipe? Try my Lil Pizza Bites and White Cheddar Broccoli Pizza.

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Roasted Tomato & Garlic White Pizza
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

For the crust
adapted from Williams-Sonoma

  • 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water (about 105°F)
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Toppings

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 whole cloves of fresh garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups good-quality shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar and warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour and salt and pulse 3 or 4 times.
  3. Whisk 1 tbsp. of the olive oil into the yeast mixture. With the motor running, slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Pulse the machine 10 to 15 times to knead the dough. The dough should clean the insides of the bowl but will be slightly sticky.
  4. Coat the inside of a large bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp. oil. Dust your hands with flour and remove the dough from the food processor. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  5. While the dough rises, roast the tomatoes and garlic. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread tomato halves out in an even layer and place garlic cloves in the center of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and bursting, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  6. Finely chop cooled garlic. Set aside.
  7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a floured surface however thin you’d like it. Sprinkle a pizza pan or preheated pizza stone with cornmeal. Lay the crust on top and parbake for 7 minutes, or until puffed and set but not yet browned.
  8. In a medium bowl, combined ricotta and chopped roasted garlic. Spread over crust in an even layer. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan, then evenly distribute the tomatoes over top. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Slice and enjoy.00000391