Southern Living Marinated Cheese Food

BALSAMIC MARINADE FOR GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, lemon peel, orange peel, garlic, basil and oregano in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into glass baking dish. Add goat cheese; turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days, turning occasionally.
• Transfer goat cheese to platter. Spoon marinade over. Sprinkle with bell peppers.

SOUTHERN MARINATED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the chicken: Wash chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons house seasoning with 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, then generously sprinkle each piece of chicken with the seasoning mixture. Place in a plastic bag, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove chicken from bag. Add about 3/4-inch frying oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until temperature reaches about 350 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons house seasoning with the flour in a shallow pan (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Roll chicken in flour in batches, dusting off excess, and place in skillet. Turn heat down to medium to prevent burning. Brown chicken on all sides, turning with tongs, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (avoid touching bone) registers 165 degrees F. Remove chicken to lined plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Use a 5-ounce scoop to portion out some 3-Cheese Macaroni in the center of a plate. Add 3 tablespoons Sweet Potato Apple Chutney. Cut a Collard Green Roll in half on the bias, and place each piece against the scoop of macaroni. Place fried chicken pieces against the front of the macaroni and cheese scoop. Pour a little of the pot liquor from the greens around the plate, then grab your favorite hot sauce and dig in! (Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 8 more plates.)
• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the macaroni and cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Place cooked macaroni in a large bowl. Toss macaroni with white pepper, 1/8 cup house seasoning and 1 cup Cheddar. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, being careful not to burn. Whisk flour into melted butter to make a roux. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until a smooth paste, about 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and slowly add milk, whisking continuously, then allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Add the American cheese and cream cheese in batches, whisking, until melted and blended. Add 1 1/2 cups Cheddar, whisking until blended, then remove from heat. Add 1/8 cup house seasoning to cheese sauce (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Quickly whisk in the eggs until combined.
• Spread macaroni evenly into prepared baking dish. Add cheese sauce, tossing, and stirring to coat macaroni well with sauce. Top with remaining cup Cheddar. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese crust is browned, 5 to 10 minutes more. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.
• Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and clove. Add apple cider, stirring, then allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add apples, red peppers, brown sugar and 1 cup water and continue to cook, adding more water if needed, until sweet potatoes are soft but still firm and mixture is thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Stir in raisins and bourbon and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• For the house seasoning: Combine garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt in a small bowl.
• For the rolls: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, celery, onions and green and red peppers and sweat, about 4 minutes. Add chopped collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, jalapenos, smoked salt, baking soda, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup house seasoning and enough water to cover greens (save remaining house seasoning for another use). Cook greens until tender, 2 1/2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Strain pot liquor from greens and reserve. Place pot liquor in a shallow pan and heat over medium heat. Carefully add whole collard green leaves and simmer until leaves soften, about 3 minutes. Remove leaves one at a time and place on a flat surface. Flatten a leaf and top with 1 scoop drained greens right in the middle of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the greens and roll the leaf into a log. Repeat process with remaining leaves and filling.

SOUTHWESTERN CHEESE APPETIZER

Steps:

• Whisk together first 3 ingredients until mixture is blended; stir in diced red peppers and next 6 ingredients.
• Set marinade aside.
• Cut block of cheddar cheese in half lengthwise.
• Cut halves crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices.
• Repeat procedure with Monterey jack cheese and cream cheese.
• Arrange cheese slices alternatively in a shallow baking dish, standing slices on edge.
• Pour marinade over cheeses.
• Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• Transfer cheese to a serving plate, and spoon remaining marinade over top.
• Serve with assorted crackers or even tortilla chips.

MARINATED CHEESE

Steps:

• Slice each block of cheddar cheese into twenty 1/4-in. slices. Cut each block of cream cheese into 18 slices. Create four 6-in.-long blocks of stacked cheeses, sandwiching 9 cream cheese slices between 10 cheddar slices for each stack. Place in a 13x9-in. dish., In a small bowl, combine the roasted peppers, oil, vinegars, onions, herbs, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper; pour over cheese stacks. , Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning cheese blocks once. Drain excess marinade. Serve cheese with crackers or toasted bread.

HERB MARINATED CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut the cheese crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, and arrange on a serving platter.
• Sprinkle with onion, herbs, and red-pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
• Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Serve with sliced bread.

MARINATED CHEESE APPETIZER

Steps:

• Cut cheddar cheese and cream cheese into 1/4 inch slices, then again in half.
• Using a small dish, place cheese slices on end alternating cheddar and cream cheese.
• Make the marinade by combining sugar, basil, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, pimento, parsley, onion and garlic.
• Pour marinade over cheese, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Serve with crackers.

MARINATED CHEESE

Steps:

• In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.
• Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.