Cooking with Cheese

If there are times in your household when you're searching for what to make for dinner that will please the entire family, look here to our recipes. This homemade version of the classic kid-favorite Macaroni and Cheese will sure to please picky eaters. And for refined adult palates, Salad Greens with Fontina act as a great accompaniment to Macaroni and Cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6

6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cup) dried rigatoni or other short, tubular pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated white American cheese

4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated yellow American cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

1 cup soft light rye bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Sliced green scallion tops, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and the milk. Cook and stir until the mixture has thickened and become bubbly; reduce the heat. Add the grated cheeses. Stir just until the cheese are melted. Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the cooked pasta and the oregano. Spoon the milk mixture into an ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Top with the bread crumbs.

3. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish individual servings with sliced scallions and serve.

Salad Greens with Fontina

Serves 8

You can rinse the greens early in the day and make the dressing 2 to 3 days ahead, but wait until just before serving to broil the cheese.

8 cups torn fresh spinach leaves, stems removed

1 cup mesclun salad mixture, torn into pieces

1/2 cup extra-virgion olive oil

1/4 cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup fine Italian dry bread crumbs

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed

8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 16 wedges

1. Rinse the spinach and mesclun greens; pat dry with paper towels or spin dry in a salad spinner. Place the greens in a large serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator until needed.

2. For the dressing, in a screw-top jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, wine, lemon juice, mustard, sugar and pepper. Cover the jar; shake well to combine. Chill the dressing until ready to serve.

3. Just before serving, preheat the broiler. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into a small, shallow bowl. In another small, shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and oregano.

4. Dip each wedge of the cheese in the olive oil, turning to coat each side thoroughly with the oil. Roll each wedge in the bread crumb mixture, covering all sides. Place the cheese wedges on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Do not let the sides of the cheese touch one another. Broil about 3 inches away from the heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese is brown and slightly softened. Watch the cheese very carefully when broiling; overheating will cause the cheese to melt.

5. To serve, shake the dressing and pour over the salad greens. Toss the greens to coat with the dressing. Divide the greens among eight plates. Top each serving with two wedges of cheese; serve.

Kitchen Tips for Cooking with Cheese

1. When adding cheese to a sauce, make sure the sauce is warm, not hot. If the temperature is too hot, the cheese can get stringy. If this happens, try adding a touch of lemon juice, one drop at at time, or a little white wine to smooth it out.

2. Softer cheeses and processed cheeses, such as American, melt more smoothly into sauces. Hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, can give your sauce a grainy texture.

3. Cut cheese into small pieces or grate it before adding it to a sauce. This allows the cheese to melt quickly and evenly.

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