Cheese, Please! How to Make a Memorable Cheese Plate

For the avid foodie, there are few things in life more beautiful than a good cheese plate. If you want to create a truly gourmet quality cheese plate for your next dinner party or holiday gathering at Savannah Lakes, use these simple tips for assembling the perfect spread.

  1. Consider the basics. Before beginning, consider how many people you’ll be serving and what other types of food you’ll have. This will help you to determine how much cheese to buy.
  2. Determine quantity. For an hors d’oeuvre, your cheese plate should include one to two ounces of cheese per person. If you plan on serving it after the main meal, pare it down to just one ounce per person.
  3. Choose the perfect serving platter. Invest in a sturdy cutting board, a marble cheese platter, or an attractive slate slab.
  4. Choose the cheeses. Lighter options, like goat cheese and fresh mozzarella, are great options for before dinner, while fuller bodied cheeses include cheddar, aged gouda and bleu cheese.
  5. Create a theme. If you’re still unsure of which cheeses to choose, create a theme. Pick cheeses from one specific region of the world, or opt for cheeses that are all made from goat’s milk.
  6. Organize. Spread your cheeses out on the platter for easy cutting, and be sure to offer a different knife with each kind. You’ll also want to serve complementary breads and crackers alongside.

The Perfect Cheese Platter [Real Simple]
How to Set Up a Cheese Platter [Food Network]
Creating the Perfect Cheese Plate [Food and Wine]

Just Like Mom Used to Make: Chicken Pot Pie Recipes

With its light, fluffy exterior and its thick chicken stew inside, chicken pot pie is a classic recipe that will make you feel warmer and cozier with every bite. If you want to adapt this time-honored dish for your own friends or family, here are three great recipes to show you how.

Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie [foodnetwork.com]
You can be sure that the Barefoot Contessa herself will have a few things to add to such a classic dish. Ina Garten’s pot pie gets an elegant makeover with the addition of fresh parsley leaves and chicken bouillon cubes, and serving it in miniature bowls makes it even more chic.

Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie [bettycrocker.com]
If you’ve been dreaming of chicken pot pie but you’re short on time, this six-ingredient recipe is the perfect solution. It uses frozen vegetables, cream of chicken soup, and biscuit mix to make pot pie easier than ever.

The Epicurious Chicken Pot Pie [epicurious.com]
When you have the time to make the crust, chicken, and filling all from scratch, this is the recipe to use. This pot pie is perfect for a dinner party with your foodie friends, as it incorporates complex ingredients like black peppercorns, dry white wine, and dried chanterelle mushrooms along with the usual meat and veggies.

What Are Your Favorite Spring Recipes? Here Are a Few to Try This Season!

As the days get longer and springtime (finally!) rolls around, you likely start to crave lighter meals made with bright, fresh ingredients. Retire your usual favorite spring recipes in favor of something new and exciting with these delicious dishes from around the web.

Grilled Artichokes [oprah.com]
Create a tasty side dish for chicken, steak, or fish with Oprah’s recipe for flavorful grilled artichokes. Grilling these layered veggies on a stovetop grill gives them a bit of a blackened taste, and the homemade dipping sauce that goes with them adds even more flavor.

Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns [localfoods.about.com]
Fiddlehead ferns come into season during the spring, which makes this dish very fresh and delicious. This recipe also takes just 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook, so it makes quite a quick last-minute side dish on busy weeknights.

Risotto With Prosciutto and Peas [realsimple.com]
If you’re looking for something heartier and more filling, this rich, creamy risotto recipe is the perfect choice come spring. Thin prosciutto adds a salty taste, while the sweet spring peas make it perfect for warmer weather. Cook the risotto in white wine and chicken broth to add a deep, complex flavor throughout, then serve it with your favorite grilled meats or as an entree with a fresh salad.

Plan a Beautiful Brunch with These Websites

If the in-between brunch is your favorite meal of the day, you might simply adore the sweet and savory recipes on these great websites.

Food Network
Your favorite Food Network show hosts offer their own favorite brunch recipes on the network’s website. They offer tips and tricks for how to plan a beautiful brunch, ideas for food themes, and, of course, detailed recipes for how to create tasty dishes. The Sausage Bread Brunch Sandwich from the Sandwich King Jeff Mauro is great for a causal weekend breakfast, while the Ted Allen’s Brunch Tart with Spinach, Olives and Leeks is a great main course for a more sophisticated meal. Whatever your brunch style, you’ll find something for everyone on the Food Network's website.

AllRecipes
Browse by type of food, plan a breakfast buffet or search brunch foods by ingredient on the AllRecipes Breakfast and Brunch section. Each of these simple recipes are rated by users and feature the complete nutritional information, so you can plan your brunch right down to the smallest detail.

5 Appetizing Apple Crisp Recipes

From the cold winter months to hot summer days, apple crisp is a sweet, rustic treat that makes a perfect dessert any time of the year. The sweet apples and gooey cinnamon sauce complement the crunchy crust, and apple crisp tastes even more wonderful when topped with cold vanilla ice cream.

There are a number of different ways to make this delicious dish, from quick, simple recipes to elegant creations ideal for dinner parties. Here are some favorite apple crisp recipes that you can make right in your own kitchen.

Apple Crisp II [All Recipes]

Betty Crocker’s Apple Crisp [Betty Crocker]

Easy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel [Chow]

Apple Crisp with Oat Topping [Southern Food]

The Divinest Apple Crisp Ever [Architect Mom]

Public Domain/Public Domain

Improve Your Usual Lunch Sandwich with These 4 Recipes

Your usual turkey and cheddar has been your go-to lunch sandwich for years, and your kids love their daily PB and J. Everyone loves a great sandwich, but it can be easy to get stuck in a bit of a sandwich rut. These fun recipes feature fresh, unique ingredients to help you make some creative alternatives to the standard lunchmeat sandwich.

California Grilled Veggie Sandwich
Whether you’re a vegetarian or you simply want a tasty way to get your daily veggies, this fresh, grilled sandwich is a delicious option. Simply cook the peppers, zucchini, onion, and squash on the grill and top with a bit of mayo and zesty lemon juice.

Cuban Midnight Sandwich
This hot sandwich features ham, turkey and a number of flavorful spreads and sauces. Pair it with black bean soup or plantain chips to create a traditional lunch.

Roast Pork and Pickled Cucumber Sandwich
The sweet, warm flavor of the pork perfectly contrasts the pickled taste of the cucumbers for a sandwich that’s zesty and flavorful.

Smoked Salmon Salad Sandwich
Instead of your usual tuna salad, try a smoked salmon salad instead. This sandwich uses a mixture of smoked and roasted salmon to ensure that the flavor is noticeable, but not overpowering.

Quick and Healthy Pasta Recipes

Pasta is a comfort food that’s perfect for just about any occasion, but it is often packed full of calories and carbohydrates. If you’re on a diet but still crave spaghetti, lasagna, rice noodles or any number of other delicious pastas, you might just love these quick and easy pasta recipes:

Mediterranean Pork Penne
This is certainly not your mama’s pasta dish, but it’s a welcome, unique addition to your usual pasta recipes. Using whole-wheat penne makes it a bit healthier, while stir-fry pork strips add a ton of beneficial protein to this complex and well-seasoned dish.

Bowtie Pasta With Chicken, Broccoli and Feta
Even children will love this simple, cheesy pasta dinner, and it’s a great way to get picky eaters to get a full serving of vegetables. Grilled chicken is a lean source of protein, and a full serving will leaving you feeling full without ruining your healthy diet.

Pasta Primavera
This Italian cuisine classic is jam packed with a variety of nutritious vegetables, and it takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Whole-wheat spaghetti and low-sodium tomatoes make this recipe an even healthier take on the beloved original. At just over 300 calories, this is a pasta dish that won’t make you feel guilty about indulging.

For more healthy, nutritious pasta recipes, visit the NIH website here.

Learn to Cook with Turnips from These Online Guides

Turnips peak in October and continue to grow throughout the fall and winter, making them a delicious but often forgotten choice for warm, hearty cold weather meal planning. These online guides will teach you how to choose the perfect turnips, give you tips for preparing them, and provide you with enough recipes to last through the season.

Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is a reliable choice for many cooking needs, and her Turnip and Rutabaga Basics guide does not disappoint. Here you’ll find what to look for when purchasing a turnip at the grocery store or farmers market, as well as how to store turnips in your home kitchen. She also provides a number of turnip recipes for side dishes, breakfasts, and nutritious salads.

All Recipes
Like the name implies, you’ll find just about any recipe you can imagine on All Recipes. The site’s section of turnip recipes is vast and packed with unique options, from Creamy Turnip with Paprika Soup to Crispy Turnip ‘Fries’ that even the kids will love.

BBC Food
The popular British television network features delicious and nutritious turnip recipes on its great food website, with many dishes that you may not have even tasted here in America. Categories like main courses, snacks, and appetizers organize the recipes, and the site features tips for buying and storing turnips as well.

Public Domain/Public Domain

Pin It on Pinterest