Who doesn’t like CHEESE? I believe cheese makes everything better !! It is the foundation of a good pizza, soul of a quesadilla and Mac ‘n’ Cheese won’t even exist if there was no cheese. Today, on National Cheese Lover’s day, Divine Spice Box brings to you a collection of “cheese lover’s recipes” which you can make and celebrate your love for cheese in the right way … the cheesy way !! Have a read
I woke up to a rain drenched morning today and my body suddenly started craving some hot, comforting food. While i sipped on my morning tea, i raided my refrigerator to look for stuff that i could convert into a hearty breakfast and there, sitting in its glory.. was a pound of cheese ( Yes, i do buy Cheese by the pounds !!).
My mind started wandering in all sorts of directions (mostly towards a nice, crispy grilled cheese sandwich) but i landed up making some quesadilla (always a good option when you are short on time). As i took bites of the piping hot, cheese oozing quesadilla, i started checking out my twitter feed and soon got to know that i am not alone in loving cheese today ! It’s National Cheese Lover’s day today… aha !! Instantly i knew, i had to blog about cheese today and share some of my best cheese recipes with you all.
Types of Cheese
When i think of Cheese, I am taken back to my childhood when my mother would prepare pizzas from scratch and i would be in-charge of prepping the vegetables and grating cheese for the topping. I only knew of Mozzarella back then (the only easily available “melting” cheese in India) but it made its way into our heart through many dishes like cheese vegetable sandwiches, pastas,pizzas, lasagnas and casseroles.
Indian dishes use the non melting “Cottage Cheese/ Paneer” which is enjoyed in various forms and often considered as a replacement for “meat” in popular preparations. Look for Paneer dishes the next time you visit an Indian Restaurant and you would be amazed with the selection.
In the past few years, i have had a chance of trying out many new varieties of cheese and i am always as excited as a kid when i trying out a new recipe with cheese. To celebrate this day, i am sharing my favorite cheese dishes from my blog which (i hope) would tempt you to make something cheesy tonight !! Save, Bookmark, Print or dive right in !!
CHEESY GRILLED CHILES RELLENOS
Chiles Rellenos is traditionally prepared using Beef stuffing but this vegetarian version is equally comforting. Beans, onions, peppers and Neat Food’s meatless mix comes together to give your poblano peppers a hearty stuffing. Top it all with a generous amount of cheese and pop them in the oven till the cheese bubbles. There, you have it … Make it into an interesting appetizer to share with a crowd or serve it along side some Spanish Tomato Rice.
Find the recipe here
NACHOS CHEESY TEX MEX PLATTER
This looks great right? So bright, chunky, beautiful and chaotic – Just the way i like my comfort food. The beans add in an interesting texture, taste and fill factor to this dish. This dish is super easy to prepare and it gets over in a matter of minutes. be as creative as you like this dish and add in some other gravy,salsas, sour creme, cheeses or spices. Enjoy this with a tall glass of lemonade and you have yourself the best party appetizer ever!!
Find the recipe here
QUICK FIX VEGETARIAN MEXICAN LASAGNA
Ever tried Mexican Lasagna ? This one dish speaks “Comfort” loud and clear! Its got everything you love about Mexican cuisine – Tortillas, cheese, beans, chilis, salsa. The best thing …. this one dish needs no prepping, just pour the contents from cans and packets and you can fix yourself a fancy meal in just 30 minutes !! There is one hidden jewel in this recipe, we replaced the beef with the Jackfruit company’s “Tex Mex Jackfruit” to add a meaty texture to this dish. YUM ! Try it.
Find the recipe here
SKINNY SHAHI PANEER
Indians love Paneer to core and Shahi (meaning Royal) Paneer is one of the most loved Indian curries, not only in India but across the world. This recipe is a skinny version of the popular curry which uses cashew paste instead of cream and is made without a drop of oil but tastes just as royal !! seriously ! Make with a fresh batch of homemade Paneer for a truly divine experience. Serve with your favorite flatbreads or on top of Basmati rice. Our recommendation – Homemade whole wheat Garlic Naans
Find the recipe here
QUARK MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
Quark is a fresh cheese common among German speaking countries. It is sort of a Yogurt cheese which looks like yogurt in appearance but has the creaminess of cheese. A great thing about Quark is that one big serving (170 gms) contains only 80 cal which is almost half of a typical greek yogurt but it has 15% more protein. It works great in recipes to replace cream cheese and can be used in various creative ways like we have in this Mac ‘n’ Cheese ! Whats the icing on the cake you ask ? To make this dish comforting yet protein rich, we have used Lentil pasta in this recipe ! Delicious meets Goodness 🙂
Find the recipe here
HASH BROWN PIZZA
We all love Pizza !! That’s a no brainer.. right? What makes this pizza unique is the addition of the Hash brown on the sides.. making it delicious throughout !As Unusual as it sounds, this recipe has 2 elements combined to create a simple yet creative pizza. An interest twist to the usual topping, this pizza is crispy on the base and on the top ! Now that is a clever combination and is truly lip smacking!
Find the recipe here
SPANAKOPITA
Spanakopita is a savory stuffed pastry which is enjoyed as a snack in Greece. Flaky, crispy and full of beautiful flavours, this dish is one not to be missed. If you love Feta cheese, this is a must try recipe. Not only easy to put together, you can make a big batch ahead of time and freeze to have a fancy appetizer in stock with you to entertain surprise guests !! Serve with your favorite hummus (our recommendation is this red orange pepper hummus) or the traditional Tzatziki
Find the recipe here
CRISPY CRUSTED EGGPLANT SKINS
Eggplant skins is the new Potato Skins !! It is delicious, easy to prepare and look fancy. This dish uses pantry staples and you can have a delicious meal on your table in just 30 minutes. Stuff these eggplant skins with just about anything and top it all with a generous helping of cheese and bake till the cheese melts and makes it truly divine !
Find the recipe here
CREAMY CHEESY TOMATO BASIL CAPELLINI
This is a simple preparation with fresh and robust flavours of Tomatoes ! Taking inspirations from a caprese salad, this pasta is refreshing and the sauce is just creamy and totally dreamy. The sweet basil adds a very aromatic flavour to this pasta and the semi sweet tomato sauce compliments it well. This dish tastes great the next day a the flavours mature, so you can plan ahead and make it in advance as well.
Find the recipe here
CHEESY BURST POTATO CROQUETTES
As yummy as the name sounds, this dish is truly worthy of many compliments. This dish is inspired by the Indian Tikkis. It is crispy crunchy on the top and has a cheesy surprise inside waiting for you. The deep frying melts the cheese inside and as you cut the croquette open, cheese simply oozes out to delight you with joy. If you are looking for evening snacks or party food, these cheese burst potato croquettes are a great filling option and very interesting too. If you are serving these as party snacks, i would recommend the mint-coriander chutney or Tamarind chutney
Find the recipe here
With these amazing recipes at hand, which ones are you going to try tonight? Let us hear !!Happy National Cheese Lover’s Day !!
