Cheese Makes the Game

No matter which NFL team you're pulling for, I hope  cheese will be part of your  party   action to contribute good nutrition  that includes  high-quality protein as well as calcium,phosphorus, and vitamin A. I've collected our favorite snack foods for the game but I think I may have to add this Dairy Makes Sense recipe to the list just for fun!


Co-Jack Cheese Crisps



Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray
1 package (8 ounces) finely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack Cheese


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place 2 teaspoons Colby-Monterey Jack cheese mounds 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Press mounds gently with fingers to flatten. Bake until mounds are thin, bubbly and golden, no more than 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately transfer crisps to paper towels with a metal spatula. Serve when crisps have cooled completely.

Hint: Baking too long will make crisps too hard and not easily removed from the baking sheet.

Tip: May be baked one day ahead and crisped before serving in oven at warm setting, for 4 to 5 minutes.

Superbowl Cheese Team Wins the Game

I'm rooting for the cheese team--that's the dairy cows that provide all that milk for the delicious cheese that is part of every Superbowl celebration at our house!  In preparation for the big game, I'm collecting a few recipes for game day  that fit our criteria for fun, easy and cheese filled!
This recipe can be found at Dairy Makes Sense.


Confetti Quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
1 cup finely minced cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
12 soft corn tortillas
1 cup(4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup(4 ounces) shredded reduced fat Colby cheese
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels or black beans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced

Preparation

Line a large strainer with a coffee filter or paper towel and place over a mixing bowl. Pour yogurt and let sit until some of the liquid has drained away and yogurt is consistency of sour cream. Transfer to small mixing bowl. Stir in cilantro and cumin.

Preheat large skillet over low heat. Line up six tortillas. Divide cheese, corn, cilantro and peppers among tortillas, then cover each with a second tortilla. Place a tortilla on dry skillet or grill and warm until cheese is melted an tortilla is slightly golden. Flip and cook other side until golden. Cut into wedges and serve. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Serve each wedge with a dollop of cilantro yogurt dip.

Entertaining Idea: Make these ahead and serve at room temperature, or set up an assembly line "grillside" and let guests select their own blend of cheese and "confetti."

Cheese Lovers Fast Facts

If you're looking for a delicious,nutritious snack for your Superbowl party, cheese is the perfect choice.  There are over 300 different cheeses in the United States and 2000 in the world that can be classified into eight categories.  Midwest Dairy provides these cheese facts:

• It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.
• The dairy food group is the top source of dietary calcium in the American diet.
• Cheese is the No.2 source of dietary calcium for Americans.
• Cheese is more than just calcium; it also provides high-quality protein needed to help stay healthy.
• Cheese accounts for only 9 percent of the total fat and 16 percent of the saturated fat in the U.S. diet.
• Natural cheeses such as Cheddar,Colby,Monterey Jack,mozzarella, and Swiss contain minimal amounts of lactose. 
• Most dairy foods are gluten free. Natural cheeses are gluten-free and in the case of cheeses that have added flavors or are processed, check the food label's ingredient list to make sure ingredients sourced from wheat,barley,or rye aren't added.

Information about cheese varieties,nutrition information, and recipes can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.ilovecheese.com/. Regardless of which team wins the game, we can all enjoy our favorite cheese!!