Asiago Sweet Potatoes

Another Fresh365online.com recipe, which means it's easy, tasty, and vegetarian. I like it with Asiago, but I've also had good results with Pecorino Romano. I've also used shallots in place of onions when that's all I had, and dried thyme in place of fresh, for the same reason. I do a little less olive oil than the recipe calls for--with all that cheese, you can get away with it.

Asiago Sweet Potatoes

serves 4

4 T olive oil
2 T fresh thyme leaves
2 medium sweet potatoes (or 1 1/2 large), sliced thin
2 small onions, sliced thin
2 c grated Asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. In a casserole dish, drizzle 2 T olive oil, and sprinkle 1 T thyme. Layer sweet potato slices, slightly overlapping, followed by onions. Sprinkle with a handful of Asiago. Repeat, layering sweet potatoes, onion, and Asiago, until no ingredients remain, about 5-7 layers total. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and sprinkle with 1 T thyme.

Transfer to oven, and bake until potatoes are cooked through, and cheese is brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Cheese Ball

Sometimes, like today, I get a hankering for cheese ball and wheat thins, and nothing else will do.  I sort of eyeball everything, but here are the approximations:

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp mayonnaise (although I didn't have any the last time I made it and it still turned out okay)
1-2 Tbsp chopped green onion
1-2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
1-2 Tbsp chopped black olives
2/3 C sliced almonds

Thoroughly combine all ingredients except almonds; then add 1/3 of the almonds to the mixture and combine; form a ball.  Chill for an hour (optional).  Roll ball in remaining 1/3 C almonds to coat.

Easy and oh so tasty.

Cheese Fondue

2 cups chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 C (1 lb) Swiss cheese, shredded
3 T cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 loaf french bread, toasted

DO NOT BOIL!  Heat 1 3/4 c bouillon & garlic until hot.  Add cheese, stirring constantly till melted.  Cheese may not thoroughly combine with liquid.  Combine cornstarch, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and nutmeg with 1/4 cup cold bouillon.  Stir into cheese mixture.  When cornstarch is added, cheese will combine with liquid for smooth blend.  Continue heating and stirring until smooth.  Serve from fondue pot with cubes of toasted french bread.