Ingredients

PIE SHELL

Pillsbury Ready to use Pie Crust

2 Tbls margarine
3/4 cup shredded Kraft medium Cheddar cheese

FILLING 
1 large Valdalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz Fresh spinach leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups half-and-half 
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions         

             Lightly butter a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan.  Dust pan with flour lightly and center the pastry on it. Tuck the pastry into the pan without stretching it.  Fold back the overhanging pastry, pinching it into a ridge.  Preheat the oven to 400º F.  Line pastry with a large piece of aluminum foil, that overhangs each side a little, pressing it into the bottom.  Add enough dried beans or rice to fill the pan about halfway and bake the pastry on the center oven rack for 20 minutes.  Remove pie pan from the oven and lift out the foil along with bean/rice filler.  Prick the bottom of the pastry 5 to 7 times with a fork, then put the pie shell back in the oven. Reduce the heat to 375º F and bake the shell for 10 minutes more. Then remove it from the oven and immediately sprinkle a handful of grated cheddar and swiss cheese over the fork holes, letting it melt to seal them and keep the egg mixture from leaking out. Set the shell on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.  

          Heat 2 Tbls. of vegetable oil in a large skillet and add the onion and sauté it over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until clear. Stir in the garlic and spinach. Cover and steam the vegetables for about 4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, and then blend in the half-and-half, mustard, salt, and pepper. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly in the pie shell and sprinkle on about half of the cheese.  Now slowly pour the egg mixture over the filling and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. 

          Bake the quiche at 375º F for about 40 to 45 minutes, until slightly puffy and golden brown. When done place the pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm, or cold.   

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Ingredients:
1 can (12 ounces) Spam
8 slices of whole grain white bread
Softened butter
4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz monterey jack cheese, thinly sliced
16 oz jar of ORTEGA medium Salsa Verde

OPTIONS:  Try Hickory Smoked or Bacon SPAM in place of regular SPAM.

Preparation:Lightly butter both sides of each piece of bread and brown in skillet until lightly toasted.  Set aside when done. Slice the spam into 8 pieces about 1/4-inch thick. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high. Grill the spam until nicely browned and slightly crisp on both sides.  Put 2 slices side by side on one piece of grilled bread. Top with a slice of each cheese, and then spread a tablespoon of salsa verde on top of cheese slices.  Place another slice of bread on top and grill in skillet until cheeses melt.  Repeat until all four sandwiches are grilled, then serve immediately.  Enjoy!
 

SPAM recipes and products

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January 20th is National Cheese Lover’s Day

The scale for cheese flavors ranges from sharp to sweet. Sharp cheese is more bitter and stronger tasting. Sweet cheese on the other hand is more subtle and creamy.
In addition to sharp and sweet, different cheese flavors include buttery, earthy, nutty, peppery, robust, and tangy.  The texture of the cheese also has an affect on how you can eat it. For example, you wouldn't necessarily use the same cheese to make a sandwich that you would use to make a cheese sauce. The different types of textures range from crumbly, dense, hard, silky, smooth, soft, or velvety.

Air and even more so moisture is really bad news when it comes to cheese, mold can easily form on cheese which is not stored in airtight boxes. Ideally your fridge should be keeping cheeses between 34°F and 38°F. 

High in moisture, fresh cheeses like queso blanco, ricotta, and mascarpone, are fairly close to milk and should only be taken out of cold storage for short periods or right before use.  They also are usually the first to go moldy.  Firmer cheeses like Cheshire, and cheddar, are easily kept for two months.  Certain cheeses, especially hard varieties like Romano and Parmesan, take being frozen for up to 3 months and cheeses like Limburger with their strong aromas and flavors can easily find their way into other foods, so always store in a sealed container. 

So when you venture forward and are ready to go shopping for cheese, consider the following: 

Where to Shop...Try a reliable source such as a specialty market or gourmet grocery store.
Amount to Purchase...Buy only what will be consumed with in a few days. Flavors and aroma of fine cheeses change over time in a home refrigerator.
Characteristics of Cheese...Cheese should present the characteristics of that particular style. The interior should not have cracks, mold or discoloration in any form.  Natural rind cheeses have a rustic appearance. The rind on the outside of these cheeses is a side product of production.  Blue or Roquefort styles will have some mold and cracks (on the outside); this is a normal characteristic of these types of cheeses.
Taste and sample, sample, sample!!!

Follow your pallet and choose flavors that appeal to you.

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CHARCOAL BACON CHEESEBURGER

Ingredients

1/4 lb PLUMROSE bacon
1-1/4 lbs ground Angus beef
1 tbls HEINZ 57 Steak sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb KRAFT Cheddar cheese
Romaine Lettuce
4 Sesame Seed buns

 Directions

Fire up charcoals in grill before making burger patties to attain high heat. Slice bacon strips in half and place in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry bacon until it becomes crisp, then set aside on paper towel until ready to use.  Next in large bowl, mix Angus beef with steak sauce using your hands. Form into 4 patties.
Place patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is achieved. Place a slice of cheddar cheese and 3 half slices of fried bacon on top of each burger during the last minute of grilling.

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