Tag Archives: blue cheese

Willpower Rest Day – Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac

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Bacon & Blue Cheese MacI try to eat green and eat clean, but sometimes I need to give it a rest! And, now I have the science to prove that it’s okay to indulge in my Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac recipe every once in a while. A recent study says that our willpower is like a muscle, after use it becomes fatigued and is no longer able to perform at peak levels. After a lot of use, your needs to take a break, just like you need to recover after a hard run or workout!  The scientists studying decision making called it “self-regulation failure,” and people in the food and fitness world call it a “cheat day” when these decisions come to food – I don’t like those terms and am rebranding the idea a Willpower Rest Day!

sauce for blue cheese mac

This pot of cheesy goodness is about to be poured onto noodles.

I first developed this rich and creamy recipe for macaroni and cheese for Litehouse Foods using blue cheese crumbles from their Simply Artisan Reserve line of cheese. It’s become famous with friends, family and readers of the Living Litehouse Blog. And, also beloved by the thousands of people who have sampled it at Fresh Summit in Atlanta and recently the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. I’m not trying to brag (oh, who am I kidding?!), but I’m heard exclamations like, “OMG, this is the BEST macaroni and cheese I’ve EVER eaten.”

BAco

Smoky, salty bacon complement bold blue cheese – there is a lot of umami action going on with this fancy mac and cheese. However, the flavors aren’t so over the top that the kids will be freaked out. However, maybe you WANT to keep them out of it (more for you) so just double up on the blue cheese! Have I convinced you to give your willpower a rest day and make up a batch of this delicious baked macaroni and cheese recipe?  This baked pasta recipe can even be made ahead and then popped into the oven an hour before serving.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Mac

 

Also, check out these macaroni and cheese making tips from from Cooking Light — everything you need to know to satisfy your mac madness!

Willpower Rest Day – Bacon and Blue Cheese Mac #ComfortFood #LivingLitehouse #CLBlogger

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What is your favorite comfort food? Do you rest your willpower every now and then? Fan of blue cheese? Please share in the comments below, XOXO — Jennifer 

Bacon & Blue Cheese Mac
Print
Willp
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Treat yourself to this rich and creamy baked macaroni and cheese made with blue cheese and bacon -- delicious as a side dish to steak, a casserole for your pot luck or just straight out of the dish.
Course: Main Dish, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound radiatore pasta mini ziti or elbow noodles
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2/3 cup blue cheese dressing I used Litehouse brand
  • 8 ounces white cheddar, freshly grated
  • 5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled I used Simply Artisan Reserve Brand
  • 1/4 cup Instantly Fresh Herbs, or fresh chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
for topping
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/2 cup unsalted panko
  • 1 tablespoon Instantly Fresh Parsley, or fresh chopped
  • 6 strips center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Bring water to a boil and prepare pasta according to directions, but shaving 1-2 minutes off of the cooking time to keep al dente.
  3. Meanwhile, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter begins to sizzle, quickly add flour and whisk constantly until roux is golden, about 2 minutes.
  4. Pour in milk and whisk constantly, stirring until the mixture slightly thickens.
  5. Reduce heat to low and add in white cheddar and blue cheese a couple handfuls at a time until cheese melts and sauce is thickened.
  6. Stir in Blue Cheese Dressing. Stir in Instantly Fresh chives and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Add cooked pasta to baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over top, tossing to coat all the noodles.
  8. Cover top in panko bread crumb mixture.
  9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden and crunchy and sauce is bubbling. Top with crumbled bacon

Life of Party! 5-min Blue Cheese and Orange Gingersnap Appetizer

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Blue Cheese & Orange Gingersnap BitesInvited to a holiday party, you dutifully ask “can I bring anything,” fully assuming the host will not want you to risk ruining her celebratory spread of nibbles and noshes. But this time (gasp) you to “it would be so lovely for you to bring an appetizer or dessert . . . if it isn’t too much trouble.” 

sweet treat personalityYou’re thinking –

“It really IS too much trouble, why’d I have to open my big mouth.”

 

 

 

As I see it, you have several options to this potluck-ish predicament. First, you could skip the party and save yourself the trouble. Second, you could show up empty-handed and blame it on the dog or dropping your dish on the way to the car. Third, you could attempt a fancy recipe seen in a gourmet cookbook and spend precious free-time hours in the kitchen with no guarantees of the results. Fourth, you could grab anything left on the store shelf like a bag of chips and onion dip and end up looking like an uninspired slacker. Or, fifth, and the obvious winning choice – make this proven to be insanely delicious app in a snap  — Gingersnap Blue Cheese & Orange Bites.

Gingersnap Blue Cheese Orange Bites

So many things to love about Gingersnap Blue Cheese & Orange Bites – the taste is insane with “pows” of sweet, spicy, pungent, salty and zesty citrus tastes with every bite. You also get pretty much every texture in the textbook too – crunchy, smooth, juicy and chewy. But, drum roll, one of the most amazing things about this appetizer recipe with a complex flavor profile yet simple presentation is that it can be made in 5 minutes or less. You don’t need a culinary school certificate to make this easy and elegant appetizer recipe — in fact, you don’t even need to know how to cook!

I originally made this hors d’oeuvre recipe for Litehouse Food as a way to feature their deliciously rich and creamy Artisan Reserve Center Cut Blue Cheese.

Life of the party! 5-min Blue Cheese and Orange Gingersnap Bites with personality! <img class=”media-image” src=”https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWgsddYUYAAexyf.jpg:large” data-height=”550″ data-width=”696″ style=”margin-top: 0px;…

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cooking light appetizer gallerLooking for more quick, easy and healthy nibbles for your party? Check out Cooking Light’s gallery of Top Rated Party Appetizers!

What is your favorite 5 minute appetizer? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

 

Gingersnap Blue Cheese Orange Bites
Print
Blue Cheese and Orange Gingersnap Bites
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 
Razzle dazzle holiday guests with this 5 minute appetizer that mixes and mingles orange segments, blue cheese, honey and crunchy ginger cookies into a festive flavor experience worth celebrating any time of the year.
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 36 appetizers
Ingredients
  • 36 2" diameter gingersnap cookies
  • 5 ounces center cut blue cheese, coarsely crumbled or cut into 36 chunks
  • 5 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or "Instantly Fresh" Mint from Litehouse Foods
Instructions
  1. Lay gingersnaps out on serving platter. Top each with an orange slice and chunk of blue cheese. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with mint.

Pomegranate, Blue Cheese and Quinoa Caviar – Easy & Elegant Holiday Appetizer

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Blue Cheese Pomegranate and Quinoa CaviarNow that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to refocus on the remaining festival of eating that spans now through the New Year!  There is more noshing and nibbling packed into the next 30 days than perhaps in the whole calendar year! With invited (and quite possible uninvited guests) dropping by with holiday cheer and hungry appetites, I like to have a few simple yet show-stopping appetizer recipes at my fingertips so that no one is disappointed.

Pomegranate Blue Cheese Quinoa Caviar is an easy and elegant appetizer for your next party or celebration. Leftovers are delicious sprinkled on a salad.

Blue Cheese Pomegranate and Quinoa Caviar

My recipe for Blue Cheese, Pomegranate and Quinoa “Caviar” is an easy yet elegant addition to any gathering, whether you need sophisticated snacks to headline a cocktail party or as a prelude to a full-scale dinner party. Or, perhaps as an “I’m not cooking tonight” mini meal to enjoy with a bottle of wine in your fuzzy slippers after everyone heads home!

jennifer fisher pomegranate fresh summitOne of the treasures of this holiday hors d’oeuvres recipe is pomegranates. Pomegranates on their own are a quite festive fruit, the little arils inside resemble ruby-red jewels and taste decidedly more precious. When paired with a pleasingly pungent blue cheese and the almost nutty texture and taste of quinoa, you get a taste experience that I can describe no other way than Manheim steamroller for your Mouth – a modern orchestra of fa-la-la flavor!

Blue Cheese Pomegranate and Quinoa CaviarWhile this holiday appetizer looks like it spent all day getting ready for a food glamour shot, it’s actually embarrassingly easy to make. All the ingredients are just tossed together in a bowl and then molded into a standard 6-ounce ramekin dish. If you’d like to do individual servings, mold with a mini melon baller or cookie dough scoop.

I’ve served this Christmas and New Year’s Eve party recipe on one of my favorite cracker; the nearly paper-thin wafers from 34º Crisps.  However, you can use the cracker of your choice or even serve a dollop atop an apple or pear slice.

Blue Cheese Pomegranate and Quinoa Caviar on Steak Salad

If you have leftovers, a big spoonful or two of Blue Cheese, Pomegranate and Quinoa “Caviar” is fantastic on a steak salad – especially with the Pomegranate Blueberry Vinaigrette. Enjoy!

 

Pomegranate, Blue Cheese, Quinoa “Caviar” + Cracker Topping Madness #HolidayFood

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Make a a quick and healthy appetizer platter with these 10 Easy and Elegant Ways to Top Crackers.PS – Need some other easy cracker-topping ideas? I’m your girl, I have a gazillion combinations of goodness. Here is just a sampling of my madness — 10 Easy and Elegant Ways to Top a Cracker.

So, what are your favorite things to put on a cracker? See if you can surprise me! Share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Blue Cheese Pomegranate and Quinoa Caviar
Print
Pomegranate, Blue Cheese and Quinoa Caviar
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 appetizer servings
Ingredients
  • 2 ounces Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese (Crumbles or Center Cut) or blue cheese of choice
  • 1/3 cup pre-cooked red quinoa
  • 1/3 pomegranate arils (1 tablespoon reserved) pomegranate arils (1 tablespoon reserved)
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Add blue cheese crumbles, cooked quinoa, pomegranate arils and vinegar into small bowl, stir gently to combine.
  2. Transfer to 6-ounce ramekin dish and use back of spoon to tightly pack down.
  3. Place serving plate on top of ramekin and quickly invert.
  4. Carefully lift up ramekin, leaving mixture in mold form.
  5. Sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme and walnuts along with reserved pomegranate arils.
  6. Serve with crackers, apple slices or on a salad.

Olive You! Easy Holiday Recipes and Entertaining Inspiration

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As the holidays approach, I think fondly of all those who are near and dear – and also my loved ones further away. And, of course, the readers of my blog and friends and supporters on social media are on my mind and heart, what would I do without you all! I just want to let you know that it would be the total PITS without you . . .  OLIVE YOU! Because OLIVE YOU so much (bear with the puns please), I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to use olives in holiday recipes.

Olive You

First, it’s cocktail hour. Might I suggest skewering up a salty olive to complement a sweet drink – you’d be surprised at how well the combination goes. Because I fall on my face easily enough sober, I typically limit myself to ½ a drink. With just one “mini” drink, I can still wake up refreshed for the fiercest workouts and morning to-do lists, but can still enjoy a little taste of fa-la-la libations.

Cranberry Martini with Mezzetta Olive

Here, I’ve added a Mezzetta Olive to a Mini Cranberry Martini – it’s a tablespoon each of vodka and cranberry juice along with a splash of lime juice – and cranberries for garnish.

Mezzetta Olives for a Cheese Board

Holiday Olive TrayNo cocktail party would be complete without an olive tray and cheese board filled with delicious noshes –  olives, aged cheeses, seasonal fruit, artisan crackers and an array of almonds. It’s simple yet sophisticated as a focal “snack” for your festivities and also makes a lovely prelude to any holiday meal and creates an abundance of Mezzetta Memories.

 

Pasta with Blue Cheese OlivesSpeaking of holiday meals, think of all those busy-night dinners leading up to and after the BIG DAY where a huge roast or bird isn’t on the menu – yet you have a house full of folks who have worked up quite the appetite shopping, wrapping, visiting, caroling, baking or being on hall-decking detail. My recipe for Pasta with Blue Cheese Olives is the easiest, most amazing holiday meal that comes together practically in the wink of an eye – or as long as it takes to cook pasta al dente. If you’re making it after Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza or whatever your holiday celebration may be, feel free to toss in any leftover main course protein such as beef tenderloin, pork roast or turkey breast!

Pasta with Blue Cheese Olives Recipe

  • 8 ounces uncoooked whole grain pasta
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup Mezzetta Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, halved crosswise
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 12 ounces pre-cooked protein leftovers, like chicken, turkey, roast beef
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat up olive oil in large skillet and saute garlic and red pepper flakes for approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Add olives and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes until warmed.
  4. Toss with noodles optional protein leftovers (warmed) and a little extra olive oil, if needed. Season with salt to taste. Stir in blue cheese while still warm.
  5. Serves 4.

 

 

 

Pasta with Mezetta Blue Cheese OlivesBeing able to make a speedy yet special recipe like Pasta with Blue Cheese Olives which uses extraordinary ingredients I wouldn’t necessarily use every day (including gourmet olives, bold blue cheese and sun-dried tomatoes) frees up my time to make more meaningful Christmas memories with family and friends that will last a lifetime. Plus, I appreciate the fact that Mezzetta, a fourth generation family-owned company, also values holiday tradition, family and providing the highest quality olives available from the sun-drenched soils of California, Italy, Spain, France, and Greece. I like to keep quite a few varieties of Mezzetta olives stocked in my pantry for impromptu salads, pizzas, pastas, snacks and more — inspiration is just a twist away!

Mezzetta MemoriesPlease visit Mezzetta to find daily inspiration and enter the Holiday Memories Sweepstakes for a chance to win the holiday memories sharing pack. One winner will receive an Instant Print Digital Camera plus an Ultimate Olive Lover’s Gift Basket and ten others will receive the Ultimate Olive Lover’s Gift Basket – I have one, it’s fabulous! Expires Dec. 31, 2015 – enter here.

OLIVE YOU! Unforgettable @MezzettaFood #MezzettaMemories and #HolidayRecipes https://ooh.li/c1e1539 #ad

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What are your favorite holiday memories that involve gathering friends and family around good food? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs + Movie Night Entertaining #UnlockYourChef

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I don’t know if I’m swooning more over creamy, velvety Castello cheese or the new Bradley Cooper movie, Burnt, that opened in theaters nationwide on October 30th. Which would you prefer, a hunk of Havarti or a sizzling hot chef?  I say YES to both!  Oh, and in addition to the movie night entertaining fun, there’s also a fabulous sweepstakes to enter – read to the bottom for details.

Bradley Cooper in Burnt

Castello® cheese is ready to “Unlock Your Inner Chef” and help you make everyday occasions delicious, indulgent and special. Bradly Cooper can do that too, but I think it will be easier to get your hands on Castello® cheese – it’s available in the fine cheese section of a variety of retailers nationwide.  Making cheese since 1893, Castello brings both innovation and tradition to the art of cheese making – Havarti, Blue cheese and Crème cheese are their specialty.

Castello Havarti with Jalapeno Cheese

Plan to go see Burnt movie on your next girl’s night out, that way you can drool at all the yumminess (and I don’t just mean food) without offending your date. In the meantime, I created a delicious appetizer recipe that will heat up your movie night entertaining at home – Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs.

Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs

close up gavartiThis recipe uses the Havarti with Jalapeno Castello® cheese. The mild, butter taste of Havarti is kicked up with spicy jalapenos and is yummy served on a cheese board in cubes or ooey-gooey and marvelously melty in my easy appetizer recipe.

 

The Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs are super simple to make and take only five minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to bake.  Basically, by the time your “coming attraction” previews are over, these melted cheese stuffed rolls are ready to serve.

Jalapeno Havarti Bombs

Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs Recipe

  • 6 ounces (approximately) Havarti with Jalapeno Castello® cheese, cut into 10 cubes
  • 1 can refrigerator biscuits, 10 per package (regular size, not “grand” size)
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fine in a food processor or mini-chopper
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 10 jalapeno slices

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  2. Slightly flatten each biscuit with fingers. Place a cheese cube in the middle and wrap the biscuit dough around the cube, sealing the edges. Roll between palms to make uniform ball shape. Repeat with remaining cheese and biscuits.
  3. Roll the cheese wrapped dough with your hands to make a ball shape. Complete this step with all the dough and cheese before going on to the next step.
  4. In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, approximately 20 seconds. Set aside.
  5. In another small bowl, combine the crushed tortilla chips, Parmesan and dried cilantro.
  6. Roll each cheese bomb in butter and then roll or dip in the crumb mixture
  7. Place each cheese bomb on the baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Lightly press a jalapeno ring into the top of each
  8. Bake on the center rack for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  9. Makes 10.

Castello and Burnt SweepstatkesVisit the Castello & Burnt site for more delicious inspiration and recipe ideas inspired by the film Burnt — and also to enter the Unlock Your Inner Chef sweepstakes for a chance to win great prizes. Prizes include a private cooking class for two and a year’s worth of Castello cheese.

Jalapeno Havarti Cheese Bombs with @CastelloUSA cheese! + #Win #UnlockyourChef #sp https://ooh.li/1e1267c

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So, what is your favorite thing to snack on during movie night at home? Who is your favorite hunky, heart throb actor? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer