Four Cheese Gratin Recipes

Steps:

• For the sauce, melt the butter in a shallow saucepan. When it's just starting to sizzle, stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for a minute, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Stir through the mustard, cream cheese, truffle oil (if using) and parmesan, and cook over a low heat until thickened. Season with lots of black pepper.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Trim the leaves off the cauliflowers and slice into rough steaks about 1cm thick. Don't worry about the outside bits not being slices - it will all be used. Assemble the dish a bit like a lasagne. Spoon a quarter of the cheese sauce into a large baking dish and spread it out, then add half of the cauliflower. Repeat the process, finishing with a thick layer of sauce. Scatter over the mozzarella, and the gruyère or cheddar and crispy onions.
• Bake for 1 hr 30-1 hr 45 mins until the cheese is golden and the cauliflower is soft but not mushy. If you want a golden finish, you can grill it (keep an eye on it) or leave it in when you turn the oven up for the crackling, if making the salt & vinegar roast pork as well. Once baked, leave to stand for 10 mins before serving in the middle of the table.

Steps:

• Stir the queso, broth and cream in a medium bowl.
• Put half of the potatoes in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour half of the queso mixture over the potatoes. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and queso mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a medium casserole dish.
• Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat until browned, 5-7 minutes; drain. Stir in herbs and tomato sauce. In a bowl, mix eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese., Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; layer with 4 noodles, cottage cheese mixture, an additional 4 noodles and half the remaining meat sauce. Repeat last 2 layers. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and remaining mozzarella cheese., Cover with greased foil; bake until cheese is melted, 50-55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked lasagna. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake lasagna as directed until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, increasing time to 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, prepare a double recipe of the white sauce. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Gently stir in the potatoes until coated. , Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over potatoes. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until crumb topping is golden brown.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Generously brush a large skillet with butter, then rub with the garlic. Combine the mozzarella, asiago and raclette in a bowl.
• Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the potatoes, spreading them out. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, half of the cut-up butter, half of the shredded cheese blend, and pepper to taste. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the cream over the potatoes, then add the nutmeg and bay leaves; simmer 3 minutes. Dot the potatoes with the remaining cut-up butter.
• Generously brush a shallow baking dish with butter; slide the potatoes into the dish; arrange with a fork, if desired. (If your skillet is ovenproof, you can skip this step and bake the potatoes in the skillet.)
• Sprinkle the potatoes with the parmesan and the remaining shredded cheese blend. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Discard the bay leaves.
• Photograph courtesy Anna Williams

Steps:

• Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl until well combined. Spread 1/2 of the butter onto one side of each slice of bread; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat; stir in spinach and giardiniera. Saute until spinach is wilted and mixture is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
• Place 1 slice of bread, buttered-side down, into one side of the warm skillet. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in the other side of the skillet. Place mozzarella slices in the skillet and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Place mozzarella slices on top of the bread in the skillet. Repeat with the provolone, Asiago, and Fontina slices.
• Add spinach mixture and tomato slices to the skillet, adding more oil if necessary, and cook until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Place spinach mixture on top of the cheese, followed by the tomatoes and the remaining slice of bread, buttered-side up. Flip the sandwich and cook until browned and cheese has melted, 5 to 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add potatoes and onion., Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. If desired, top with additional pepper.