DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Tag Archives: cheese


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Taco Dip

Me + taco dip = disaster. I need to be really careful when I make a batch of this. If I’m by myself, I will inhale the whole tray. Since I have no self control, I only make this for small gatherings. I most recently made it to watch the NFC and AFC playoffs. I’ve tweaked my recipe over the years and I’ve come up with what I think is a pretty awesome recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Taco Dip
serves 10

1 16 ounce can refried beans (I use the spiciest stuff I can find)
1 8 ounce package American Neufchâtel cheese or regular cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup low fat sour cream
1 packet spicy taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups medium salsa
1 package taco blend cheese
1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced
3 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

  1. Mix cream cheese and taco seasoning until well blended. Mix in sour cream until incorporated.
  2. Spread refried beans into bottom of a 9×13 pan. Top with an even layer of the cream cheese and sour cream mixture.
  3. Spread salsa on top of the mixture and top with an even layer of cheese. Sprinkle green onions and lettuce on top.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips  and enjoy! (And remember to share!!)


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Soft Pretzels

I find myself craving soft pretzels at times. Who can resist their soft, doughy saltiness?? I love these because you can put whatever you want on them – cinnamon sugar, garlic powder, Parmesan, or just plain salted. The best part is that they’re wayyy cheaper to make than to buy at the mall!

Making these is a ton of fun; I’ll have to keep making them so I can practice on my pretzel twisting…

Soft Pretzels
adapted from allrecipes.com
serves 12

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons butter, melted

toppings of your choice* (for the photo above, I used cinnamon sugar)

  1. Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl of warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until creamy.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour melted butter and yeast mixture into well and stir to combine. Slowly incorporate remaining 2 cups flour to form dough. Knead dough until smooth, about 7 – 10 minutes.
  3. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough into bowl, turning to coat in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 415°F. In a large bowl, mix baking soda and hot water.
  5. When dough has doubled in size, divide into 12 even pieces. Roll pieces into ropes and twist into a pretzel shape.
  6. Dip pretzels into the baking soda water before placing on baking sheet.
  7. Brush pretzels with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with topping of your choice.
  8. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned.

*For toppings, try the following:

  • kosher salt, served with melted cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
  • garlic salt, served with melted cheese
  • Parmesan cheese, served with marinara sauce


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Tater Tot Casserole

I had the privilege of trying this delicacy for the first time last year. As much as I hate to say this, I actually kind of like it. A lot. And I have a few little secrets that make it even better.

1. Red pepper flakes, and lots of ’em.
2. Baking the casserole without cheese to get the tots crispy

I apologize in advance for the photo. I think it’s dang near impossible to take an appetizing photograph of this monstrosity of a meal.

Tater Tot Casserole
serves 8

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound frozen green beans
1 pound frozen corn
2 10.75 ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 32 ounce package tater tots (I like the mini tots)
1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Sauté the onion in a large pot until cooked. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
  3. Mix in green beans, corn, and soup. Stir in red pepper flakes until well-distributed.
  4. Spread mixture into a casserole dish and top with tater tots.
  5. Bake 30 – 45 minutes, or until tots are golden brown and casserole is heated through.
  6. Top with cheese and broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.


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Beer and Cheese Soup

What comes to mind when you think of Wisconsin? Beer. Cheese.  More beer. What better way to celebrate Wisconsin than with this beer and cheese soup? Mike absolutely loved it. I didn’t like it as much, but I’m not a fan of beer so that’s no surprise.

Make this with Wisconsin cheese and beer for bonus points 😉

Beer & Cheese Soup

Beer and Cheese Soup
serves 2

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, diced and separated
1 cup chicken broth
1 12. oz beer
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
sour cream

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
  2. Add 1 diced potato and brown 8 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the beer and chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  3. Cook remaining potato in a separate small pot.
  4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika and vinegar. Add cheese and blend until smooth. Turn heat to low and stir in the second diced potato.
  5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.


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Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

This pasta is hands down the best pasta I have ever had. It’s cheap, easy, and delicious. What more could a girl ask for? I need to find a place to buy sun-dried tomatoes in bulk so I can make this dish more often.

Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta

Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

1 16-ounce package spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, sliced into rings
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
1 8-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled (the tomato basil feta was exceptionally good!)
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions. Drain and return to the pot.
  2. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Saute garlic, onions and sun-dried tomatoes until the onions are translucent. Mix into the spaghetti and stir in feta, Parmesan and cilantro. Serve immediately.


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Shepherd’s Pie

I remember the first time I tried shepherd’s pie. It was at Brocach in Madison, WI and I loved everything about it. One day I was standing in front of my fridge trying to figure out what to do with all the random food I had laying around and it dawned on me to make an attempt at recreating the deliciousness I had encountered at Brocach.

This meal is the perfect comfort food. I will definitely make it again when it gets colder out.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s Pie
serves 4

6 large potatoes, peeled and quarted
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup beef broth
5 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and mash with butter and minced onion. Mix in 1/4 cup shredded cheddar and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until clear, about 3 minutes. Add in beef, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until meat is browned.
  4. Stir in flour and ketchup until well combined. Pour in beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour  beef into a 9×9 ovensafe dish. Top with peas and carrots. Smooth mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.


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Couscous Salad

When it’s hot outside and you have no air conditioning at home, the last thing you want to do is have the stove or oven running for a long period of time. The beauty of this recipe? It takes just minutes to make on the stove, and you can use the microwave if you want! This couscous salad is extremely quick and easy to make and the leftovers taste great!

Couscous Salad

Couscous Salad
serves 8

2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup feta, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the water with the butter and salt. Once boiling, add couscous and stir quickly. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork to break up the clumps and set the couscous aside to cool.
2. Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion together in a bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste. I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour the veggies and dressing over the couscous. Stir until evenly coated. Continue to add balsamic vinegar and olive oil as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I love the taste of vinegar and will add copious amounts of it to whatever I’m eating. If you don’t like the taste as much, please feel free to use less of it!!


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Chicken Gruyere with Sauteed Mushrooms

I bought some Gruyere a long time ago to make a puff pastry, but I never got around to making it. So, after seeing it sit in my fridge for month after month, I finally decided to use it.

Shredded Gruyere

Chicken Gruyere with Sauteed Mushrooms
serves 3 – 4

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup butter, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 pound fresh mushrooms (cremini or white button)
1 onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup white wine
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    2. In a shallow dish, stir together flour, salt, pepper and parsley. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.
    3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Place chicken into the  skillet and fry until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer browned chicken to a 1 quart baking dish.
    4. Add remaining butter to skillet and fry the mushrooms and onion until wilted and lightly browned. Stir in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour mushroom mixture over the chicken.
    5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 2o minutes, remove foil and sprinkle the chicken with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

      Chicken Grueyere with Sauteed Mushrooms


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      Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

      One of my favorite things to do is cook for my friends. The more people there are and the more food I make, the happier I am. I think that this is a trait I got from my mom who loves to have elaborate dinner parties that never fail to amaze people. I hope that one day I can be as good a cook as she is.

      I stumbled across this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided that it would be a good dish for a dinner I had with Mike and two of our friends.

      Red Bell Peppers

      Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce
      adapted from allrecipes.com

      12 ounces fettuccine
      1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
      2 red bell peppers, julienned
      2 onions, sliced
      3 cloves garlic, minced
      3/4 teaspoon cayenne – adjust more or less depending on spice tolerance
      1 cup fat free sour cream
      1/2 cup chicken broth
      3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
      salt and pepper to taste

      Fettucine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

      1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.
      2. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute red bell peppers, onions and garlic for 3 – 5 minutes.
      3. Stir in broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cheese.
      4. Toss pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


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      Pasta with Asparagus

      I love buying produce from the farmers’ market and the market is located only blocks from my apartment. I loved this dish so much that I made it several times over the course of 2 weeks. Thank goodness I have a tolerant boyfriend…

      asparagus

      Pasta with Asparagus

      1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces, using only the tips and tender parts of the stem
      1 lb dried pasta
      5 tbsp unsalted butter
      1/2 tbsp finely chopped onion
      1/2 cup heavy cream
      nutmeg, salt, and black pepper
      2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, plus additional to serve

      pasta with asparagus

      1. Cook asparagus in a pan of boiling, salted water until just tender – about 3 – 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water until completely cooled. Drain and reserve.
      2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until al dente.
      3. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat, until soft, 5 minutes.
      4. Add asparagus and cream and simmer gently until the cream is just thickened, 1 – 2 minutes.
      5. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
      6. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta with Parmesan to the hot sauce and toss gently, adding reserved water as needed.
      7. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.