Say Cheese!
To my utter delight, the nice folks over at Président Cheese sent me a gift package last week to use for holiday entertaining. It included 3 of their new Brie logs as well as a beautiful Acacia wood serving set.
(Me and Brie? We get along. Do you remember how I served it this summer at a cookout? Serious Yum.)
With my annual girls’ after-Christmas party looming on the horizon, this package could not have come at a better time. Typically I would have already started to create a list of appetizer ideas, but not this year. Work is pretty crazy right now, and I haven’t had much time to play the foodie role.
Enter Président . Président Cheese that is. I checked out their site and am totally impressed with some of the recipes. There is no doubt I’ll be turning to them for some holiday bites inspiration. For instance, this is a definite:
2 tablespoons fig preserves or jam
¼ teaspoon Italian herb blend
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
6 oz. Président® Brie Log
4 thin slices prosciutto ham
1 teaspoon olive oil
Combine figs, preserves, Italian herbs, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cut Brie log in half lengthwise. Top one half of Brie with fig mixture and place other half of Brie on top, sandwiching the figs in-between. Lay the prosciutto slices out lengthwise, slightly overlapping the edges, and place Brie near one end. Gently, roll prosciutto around brie tightly. Heat olive oil in sauté pan large enough to hold log and sauté log, turning to crisp prosciutto on all sides. Remove from pan and serve with bread, crackers, or toast.
As wonderful as that sounds, I’ve got something even better for you. I’m not just here to tell you a story of how great my gift is and how I’m going to use it. Instead, I’m going to share with you. That’s right, this lovely serving set with accessories could be yours!
As you can see, the rich wood board comes with a pull out storage drawer that houses three stainless steel serving utensils: 1 cheese spreader/serrated knife, 1 cheese fork, and 1 hard cheese knife. (For more details on size, etc, click here.)
Now all you have to do to enter the contest is leave me a note in the comments section telling me your favorite cheese appetizer. One entry per person, please.
Bonus: You can get a second chance by twittering about this giveaway or posting it on your own blog. You’ll just need to come back here to the comments section and post a link for me to see.
Please be sure to enter a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can get in touch with you. If you can’t be reached, I’ll be forced to choose an alternate winner and we don’t want that now do we?!?
Contest ends Sunday, December 20th at midnight (CST) and the winner will be announced first thing Monday morning! Say Cheese!
Contest open to U.S. Residents Only.
Photo Credit: President Cheese website
I love serving the Trader Joe's goat cheese brie with dried cranberries and dried cherries as an appetizer. Surprisingly good combination!
I love baked brie wrapped in puff pastry with a little apricot preserves and some almonds.
I'm with Kira–I love baked brie in a puff pastry, though I prefer it with blueberry or blackberry compote. And I love triple cream St. Andre. On a cracker, I suppose. :) Roasted grapes make a nice snack with brie, too.
Also? Call me crazy, but I love port wine cheese balls.
And I'm a fan of President butter.
If you like a little kick this is where it is at!
Jalapeno Baked Brie
2 (4 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 ounces brie cheese wheel
2 tablespoons Tabasco red/green pepper sauce
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Work crescent roll dough into a thin circle large enough to completely wrap the brie. Place brie in center of dough circle. With fork, poke top of cheese several times. Slowly pour 1 tablespoon Tabasco red/green pepper sauce over top of cheese, allowing it to sink in. Add remaining Tabasco sauce, poking cheese a few more times with fork (some sauce will run over side of cheese).
Fold dough over top of cheese, working it together. Brush edges with beaten egg to help seal. Bake approximately 10 minutes, following directions on crescent roll package. Do not over-bake, as cheese will run.
one of my favorite cheese appetizers is called mini caprese bites which is super easy but looks very elegant.
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
1 container of bocconcini, patted dry
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, juilanned
Preparation
– marinate the tomatoes and cheese in the vinaigrette for 30 minutes or so, reserving marinade when done.
– thread 1 tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto each skewer (or really any kind of variation you prefer). place skewers on platter and sprinkle with basil, salt & pepper. drizzle additional marinade if desired.
**I usually skewer with decorative cocktail picks or at holidays i like to use various cupcake picks.
My favorite cheese appetizer is bacon wrapped dates stuffed with fontina cheese! You take a date, slice an opening, stuff it with a generous piece of fontina, wrap bacon around it (bacon should be cut into 3" pieces), and broil for about 20 minutes. They are one of the easiest appetizers I make and are always a huge hit!
almost embarrassed to admit it, but i love me some sausage balls this time of year! so easy too, with just three ingredients… bisquick, shredded cheddar, and sausage. always a hit.
i would win some serious points with my mother-in-law if i gave her that cheese board for christmas… just sayin'…
Mmmm….I love cheese in just about ANY form!! One of my holiday favorite apps is fresh cranberries with jalapenos, green onions, cilantro and ginger served over cream cheese.
My favorite cheese appetizer? Oh man, that's a hard one. Off the top of my head, I have to say the spinach queso from Chef's Market is pretty freaking incredible!
PS. I should win because shipping would be free! hehehe
Annnnnd I tweeted.
Ooh that's gorgeous! My favorite cheese appetizer is the brie en croute I make for Thanksgiving and Christmas morning every year. Yum!
Um, I don't really eat cheese. Unless it's goat cheese. Can I still enter? :) Or is that not fair? hehe. How about these babies for a cheese app:
http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2009/04/goat-chees…
Mmmm….
Oh! I tweeted, too!
http://twitter.com/lesleyest/status/6732385726
My favorite cheese appetizer is made with Dubliner aged white cheddar, a bit of garlic, cream cheese, worchester, and a Guinness beer…sorry I don't have the exact amounts…I've made it so often I just eyeball it. Great with thin pretzel chips…or?! Would love to win cheese board! Thanks for the offer!
Autumn @ kimmie2122@yahoo.com
Wow, that's a hard question… I haven't met the cheese I didn't like.
As an appetizer, I like a sampling of cheeses. Cafe Margo does it very well with some fantastic choices.
I like to keep it somewhat simple. Toast crusty Italian drizzled with olive oil and a little garlic.
Mix Chevre with 1 tablespoon pesto, 1 tsp basalmic vinager & 2 finely chopped artichoke hearts
Place on top toasted Italian bread with crispy proscuitto slices!
delish!!
See above…I mean to say "Italian Bread" on the first line…
I tweeted also!
http://twitter.com/sataralady
This would brighten my end of the year!! THANKS!!
As you know I love to trave and I have tried many different cheeses from all over the place. In Holland, after getting my picture taken in the giant wooden shoe, I toured a cheese factory and though quite smelly, it was some of the best cheese I have ever eaten. In Paris, a slice of cheese and a hunk of bread sustained me from the Champs Elysees to Le Louvre. After all of that…it turns out my favorite cheese appetizer recipe is one from good ole American KRAFT. Not at all fancy or pretty…but oh so good!
1) brown 12 slices of bacon and crumble
2) mix together 1 block of cream cheese, 1 c. grated parmesean, 1 c. mayo,1 small onion finely chopped, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1 8 oz.
pkg colby/monteray jack cheese, and bacon
3) spoon mixture into a prepared hollowed out bread bowl
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
eat until nauseated!(optional)
I am with you on cheese … yum! My favorite lately is a cranberry cheese log (not sure what kind of cheese it is but Leean Witt had it in the back room at her party and I think I ate a third of it!). It's a white cheese. If you know what it is I would love to know so I can can it;-)
I really like this Blue Cheese Cheeseball. It's a little different and very flavorful!
3-oz package blue cheese
5-oz jar Old-English cheese spread
2 3-oz packages cream cheese
1 T grated onion
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
1/4 tsp Accent
1/2 chopped pecans (divided)
4 T chopped parsley (divided)
Working with all cheeses at room temp., mash them together. Add 1/4 cup nuts and 2 T chopped parsley. Shape into a ball. Put into a bowl lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate. Roll in 1/4 cup nuts and 2 T chopped parsley.