neufchatel

Sombrero Bread Bowl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Sombrero Bread Bowl!  OMG, this is the best kept secret!  Go to your nearby Bakery and choose a savory artisan bread, small loaf. I chose Rosemary Olive Oil. From there, the biggest challenge is waiting for your mouth-watering seasoned creation to come out of the oven!  Repeat after me, “All good things come to those who wait!” You can thank me later. 

SOMBRERO BREAD BOWL

Ingredients:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 green onions

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

14.5-ounce round loaf of artisan loaf

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. In medium bowl, blend Neufchâtel cheese, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes, and bacon until well mixed. Stir in onion snips. Cut off top of bread bowl. Hollow out insides. These may be used for dipping later. Fill center cavity with creamy mixture. Replace top. Wrap entire loaf in foil. Bake for 90 minutes. Peel back foil to expose bread bowl. Bake 30 minutes longer. Serve warm with bread cubes, multi-colored tortilla chips, and green onions. Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Veggie Pizza!  Now don’t get this confused with your typical pizza parlor favorite. This particular dish is served cold as an appetizer or a side dish. And it’s easy to bake-and-take for cookouts and picnics. One recipe serves 24 easily, giving you enough for that second helping. 

VEGGIE PIZZA 

Ingredients:

2 8-ounce cans of Crescent rolls

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 cup mayonnaise 

1 package dry Ranch dressing mix

1 cucumber, peeled, cut-up, and seeds removed

1 small head of broccoli florets

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Unroll dough and press out onto an ungreased 11 1/2″ x 17″ baking sheet to form a crust. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a small bowl, mix Neufchâtel cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch mix until smooth. Spread evenly on cooled crust. Layer cheese mixture with cucumber, broccoli, and carrots. Press lightly. Top with cheddar cheese. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Cut into small bars or triangles. 

Pina Colada Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Pina Colada Pie! Sometimes it’s necessary to serve your guests a dessert low in sugar. This one is perfect because it boasts tropical flavor with enough fruity sweetness to satisfy that sugar craving which follows at the end of a meal. Please note you may substitute a sugar-free graham cracker crust for the homemade cookie crust. 

PINA COLADA PIE

Ingredients for Homemade Cookie Crust:

2 cups Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix crushed shortbread cookies and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into a pie plate sprayed with nonstick oil. Bake 10 minutes. Cool before filling. 

Ingredients for Filling:

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Lemon Jello

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding 

4-ounce of Lite Cool Whip

1 8-ounce can crushed Pineapple in Natural Juices, do not drain

1 teaspoon Coconut flavor

Instructions:

Soften Neufchâtel cheese and add other ingredients. Stir until well blended. Pour into pie crust and chill for several hours or overnight. 

*Garnish: Toast 1/2 cup flake coconut in 350° oven for 4 minutes. Watch! Set aside to cool. Fresh strawberries also make an appealing garnish. 

Smoked Salmon Dill Spread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Smoked Salmon Dill Spread with Crudités!  For those who appreciate a healthy choice while socializing, this one is for the books!  Add an assortment of baked bagel chips for a salty crunch finish. 

SMOKED SALMON DILL SPREAD

Ingredients:

8 ounces of Neufchâtel cheese 

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 

2 tablespoons fresh Dill, chopped 

Dash of White Pepper 

1/4 pound Smoked Salmon, chopped

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together, form into a log, and refrigerate at least one hour. Serve with your favorite raw vegetables cut into bite-size pieces to create a crudité platter. 

Quiche Lorraine

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Quiche Lorraine!  Pie for Breakfast? Or Brunch or a light Dinner?  Without a doubt!  This flaky rim pastry tart filled with a rich, creamy filling is a classic French staple that boasts tradition in every bite. 

QUICHE LORRAINE

Pastry:

1 1/3 cup flour

Pinch of salt

3 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1/2 cup butter

Sift together flour and salt. Add softened butter and Neufchâtel cheese. Mixture becomes crumbly but eventually forms a single large ball. Set aside for 30 minutes to an hour. Roll out and line a deep 9-10″ pie dish. 

Filling:

8 thin slices cooked ham or crisp smoked bacon

8 ounces Gruyère cheese*

2 cups sour cream

3 eggs and 1 yolk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Cover pastry alternating ham and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over ham and cheese. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 375° 50-60 minutes until set. 

*May substitute Gruyère cheese for thinly sliced Swiss cheese. 

Neiman Marcus Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Neiman Marcus Cake!  Repeat after me, “Butter is my friend. Butter is my new best friend.” One bite of these sweet cream butter bars and you’ll swear they came from a French bakery. Look no further than the Neufchâtel cheese filling for confirmation. I always serve this cake with fresh fruit for the ultimate pâtisserie experience. 

NEIMAN MARCUS CAKE

Ingredients:

1 lb. box of yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 lb. powdered sugar

8 oz. bar of Neufchâtel cheese

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Stir cake mix, melted butter, and one egg. Press into the bottom of a greased and floured 9 x 13 glass dish.  Mix powdered sugar, 2 eggs, almond extract, and softened Neufchâtel cheese until smooth. Pour over top of cake mix. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares and serve with fresh strawberries. 

Strawberry Basil Spread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Strawberry Basil Spread! Is it a dessert….or an appetizer?!?!  Strawberries are such a versatile fruit. They may often be added to a garden salad featured on restaurant menus or as a topping on waffles, pancakes, and ice cream. Everyone seems to find favor in their sweet and tangy flavor. After all, strawberries are candy-like, naturally juicy, and sometimes creamy…..especially when slathered onto a cracker topped with Neufchâtel cheese. You seriously cannot go wrong with this tantalizing recipe. Plus, it looks good enough to eat. Wouldn’t you agree?

STRAWBERRY BASIL SPREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries 

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

8-ounce block Neufchâtel cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Fresh strawberries, for garnish

Instructions:

Place the frozen strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a mixing bowl. Allow the strawberries to thaw for 30 minutes. Mash the ingredients together using a fork. Leave small chunks for texture. Place the block of Neufchâtel cheese on a serving platter. Slowly spoon the strawberry sauce over the block of cheese. Chop fresh strawberries; arrange over top and around sides where the sauce has spilled over. Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil leaves. Serve with sea salt pita crackers. 

Bleu Cheese Ball

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Bleu Cheese Ball! I’ll never forget my first taste of bleu cheese. I was having dinner with my father in a charming restaurant nestled along the Mississippi River in the heart of Nauvoo, Illinois. The waiter came over and offered us a complimentary tasting of their claim to fame, bleu cheese. It was aged in the local wine cellars, he boasted, while pouring a taste of wine for the perfect pairing. One bite, one sip and I was in love. My father, on the other hand, wrinkled his nose and said the cheese tasted like old socks. Needless to say, I finished his portion.

BLEU CHEESE BALL

Ingredients:

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened

4 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Green onion snips

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine Neufchâtel cheese, bleu cheese crumbles, shredded cheddar cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into a ball. Roll in green onion snips. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve with crackers, pretzel sticks, and smoked almonds.

Kalamata Olive Whipped Feta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Kalamata Olive Whipped Feta! Roasting olives in the oven gives them a unique rustic flavor that compliments the creamy texture feta cheese is widely known for and incredibly well-balanced. The caramelized flavor seems to be the most popular at room temperature, making them a sophisticated appetizer at any gathering.

KALAMATA OLIVE WHIPPED FETA

Ingredients:

4 ounces manzanilla Spanish olives, stuffed with pimentos

6 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted

2 shallots, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

4 ounce burrata cheese

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Tupelo honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

Olive oil, for garnish drizzle

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a baking dish, combine manzanilla olives, Kalamata olives, shallots, olive oil, Herbes de Provence, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together. Bake 25 minutes. Set aside to cool. To make the whipped feta, use a food processor. Combine feta cheese, Greek yogurt, burrata cheese, Neufchâtel cheese, garlic powder, Tupelo honey, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Spread the whipped feta onto a plate. Top with roasted olives. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted baguette slices.