Crackers and cheese are one of life’s true snacking pleasures. They have been around for almost two centuries since they first made a debut as an after-dessert course in restaurants in the 1850s. Today, this classic duo is still going strong in everything from lunchboxes to the most elegant charcuterie boards.
Crackers are available in different shapes and sizes. Some can be round, rectangular, or even irregular in shape. John Pearson, who invented crackers, will always be credited for baking the first cracker at a time when it wasn’t even in anyone’s imagination. He used only three basic ingredients. Later on, more ingredients were added to the recipe that gave a different flavor to the crackers.
Crackers are one of the most versatile snacks around, and these cheese crackers are no different! There’s something about a homemade version of a store-bought snack that’s amazingly delicious. By making crackers at home, you can skip over the artificial flavorings, sugars and preservatives and stick to the good stuff—
These crackers are buttery, crunchy, savory, so cheesy, and sprinkled with that addictive spice known as everything bagel seasoning. You will love these!!
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Cheesy Everything Spice Crackers
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder & smoked paprika. Add the butter & pulse 5-7 more times or until butter is incorporated into flour & no large pieces remain. It should look like coarse meal. Add the cheeses & pulse a couple more times until combined. With the machine running, stream in 1/4 cup of the half & half until mixture comes together in a ball. Divide ball in half.
Take one half & roll out to about an 1/8-inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Transfer dough, along with bottom piece of parchment to a baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut out 2 x 2-inch crackers & use a fork to prick each one a few times. Brush the crackers lightly with remaining half & half & sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of everything spice. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until crackers are a light golden brown. They continue to crisp as they sit. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Don't hesitate to substitute a different cheese in for the cheddar & Romano such as fontina, asiago, parmesan, gruyere or an aged gouda if you prefer.
If you’ve never had oyster stew, you’re definitely missing out. It’s similar to clam chowder with its rich, silky, luxurious and full of briny umami flavor. If you like oysters, this is the dish for you!
Some versions are essentially just oysters and cream, but I like to add bacon, potato or even other creative additions but it is generally agreed that as soon as you add these ingredients you’ve crossed the line from oyster stew to chowder.
The star of this recipe is the smoked oysters. The smoked oysters added a smokey richness to this stew/chowder recipe that is hard to duplicate. It cooks up quickly and is hearty enough to be a main meal.
If you aren’t accustomed to eating smoked oysters, they are delicious and packed full of healthy nutrients. Oysters are a shellfish that have vitamin C, zinc, protein, iron, and selenium. (Selenium is great for keeping your brain happy!)
Serve this rich and creamy stew/chowder with some focaccia bread, traditional oyster crackers or saltine crackers. Love it!
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Smoked Oyster Stew w/ Bacon, Potatoes & Onions
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Instructions
Cut up unpeeled potatoes into bite-sized cubed & boil in water with vegetable bouillon powder until tender in a small saucepan. Drain & reserve broth. Set potatoes aside.
In a saucepan, fry bacon until cooked but not crisp. Blot on paper towel. In bacon drippings, sauté onions until nearly tender then add mushrooms & garlic. Cook until mushrooms have released their moisture.
Add reserved vegetable broth, flour, half & half, Italian parsley, smoky ranchero seasoning, seafood seasoning, veg salt. Simmer until boiling. Cook until sauce thickens then add potatoes, chopped bacon & oysters. Carefully combine all ingredients, Serve with your choice of crackers or focaccia bread.
Another zucchini recipe? Sure, why not. It’s such a versatile vegetable and it doesn’t hurt to add more veggies to our daily menu!
By replacing the lasagna noodles with zucchini slices, the tasty result has all the wonderful flavors we love about the Italian dish – it’s even very similar in its texture!
This lasagna is perfect in the summer with your garden-fresh veggies and herbs, or in the winter when you need a comforting meal. This updated version features zucchini slices with layers of cheese, bacon, leeks, mushrooms, swiss chard and a flavorful sun-dried tomato sauce.
Lasagna in any form must be up there on our list of comfort food favorites. What’s not to love about lasagna? They’re saucy, cheesy, and perfect to fill with our favorite ingredients. The possibilities are endless when we can really start to think outside the basic fillings.
The replacement of traditional pasta with zucchini adds great texture to the dish, plus a beautiful presentation. The longer you cook the lasagna, the softer the zucchini noodles will become.
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Bacon Zucchini Lasagna
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Votes: 1
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Instructions
Bacon & Veggies
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté bacon until slightly crisp. Remove & blot on paper towel. Add leeks & mushrooms to the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl.
Heat 1 tsp of oil in saucepan; add zucchini slices. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender & just beginning to brown. Remove from pan to a plate. Heat remaining 1 tsp of oil & add the Swiss chard; sauté 4 minutes or until wilted. Combine bacon & Swiss chard with vegetable mixture in bowl.
Sauce
In a skillet, heat oil. Add onion & cook 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika & sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring with a spatula. Add veg broth & allow to bubble for 2 minutes then add salt & pepper (if using). Bring to a boil then reduce heat & simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream & parmesan cheese.
Cheese
Grate mozzarella & parmesan cheeses. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese & 150 gm (1 1/2 cups) mozzarella; stir well.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with veg oil.
Spread a small amount of the sauce mixture in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of zucchini slices over the sauce; top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, then half of the veg/bacon mixture & about a cup of sauce. Repeat layers, ending with zucchini slices. Spread the remaining sauce mixture on top of the zucchini slices; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
Cover & bake for 20 minutes. Uncover & bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly & beginning to brown, Allow to sit about 10 minutes before serving.
Although quiche didn’t really take hold in North America until the end of the 1970’s, it had been mentioned in the ‘Joy of Cooking’ cookbooks already in 1931 & 1951.
Considered to be a classically French dish, it actually originated in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule. Later, when the kingdom came under French control and was renamed Lorraine, the quiche was reinvented as Quiche Lorraine.
The original quiche Lorraine had a bottom crust made of bread dough and the filling was comprised of a heavy custard, onions and smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added. In today’s quiche the bread dough crust has been replaced with pie dough and you can just about put any variety of vegetables, seafood, ham and different cheeses in the filling. Any vegetables you add should be sauteed, steamed or microwaved first, with the exception of things like fresh tomato slices or asparagus tips. Meat definitely needs to be cooked first.
A quote from the 1900’s, that ‘real men don’t eat quiche’ was made in reference to the small quantities of meat quiche contained. I think that train of thought has ‘gone by the boards’, as time has passed though!
This flavorful BLT QUICHE is good with either pork or turkey bacon and your choice of savory cheese.
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Ingredients
- 1 - 9" single pastry shell (see recipe note below)
- 110 grams pork or turkey bacon, diced
- 1 large leek, rinsed, drained & sliced
- 250 ml flame roasted tomatoes, drained, chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 tsp EACH salt, dry mustard, garlic & onion powder
- 113 grams cheese, shredded of your choice (Swiss, Gouda, cheddar)
Ingredients
- 1 - 9" single pastry shell (see recipe note below)
- 110 grams pork or turkey bacon, diced
- 1 large leek, rinsed, drained & sliced
- 250 ml flame roasted tomatoes, drained, chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 tsp EACH salt, dry mustard, garlic & onion powder
- 113 grams cheese, shredded of your choice (Swiss, Gouda, cheddar)
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a deep 9" quiche or pie pan with pastry.
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In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet onto paper towels; cook the leek in bacon drippings over medium heat until softened, 5-7 minutes. Chop bacon. In a bowl, whisk eggs, half & half & spices until combined. Place half of grated cheese in bottom of quiche shell; layer with leek, bacon & roasted tomatoes. Carefully pour egg mixture over all.
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Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the quiche tests firm in the center. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing & serving.
Recipe Notes
- I have a good pastry recipe that I had posted on my blog October 10/2016 that works real nice for quiche.
