LaBelle Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

• 5 ounces fine minced onion (approximately 1 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt for sweating onions, plus more to taste at end of cooking

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 quart chicken broth, heated to a simmer

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 12 ounces LaBelle fenugreek cheese, shredded*

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Melt butter in large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, and salt. Sweat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour over the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add the chicken stock and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add the bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Turn off the heat, stir in the heavy cream. Gradually add the cheese, one small handful at a time, and stir until melted before adding next handful. Stir in the maple syrup. Taste and add additional salt if desired. If soup is not hot enough, return to a low heat until warmed through. Serve with toasted, seasoned croutons on top. Serves 4 soup bowls or 6 smaller cups.

*If you are using LaBelle green olive cheese, omit the maple syrup and substitute dry white wine.

LaBelle Onion and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

(*salt and pepper as desired to taste)

8 oz. of LaBelle Original Plain cheese, grated

1 small jar of artichokes drained and chopped

1 medium sized onion chopped

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup half/half

8 oz. diced green onions

Directions

Add olive oil into bottom of pan and sauté onions until translucent.

 Add artichokes and flour (will make a gummy paste). Add the half/half.

 Slowly add the cheese (already grated) and blend it into a thick yogurt texture.

 Serve with crackers of your choice.

 Dip serves 6 people.

Smokin’ LaBelle Mac-n-Cheese

Ingredients

•  1 lb. LaBelle Hickory Smoked Plain or LaBelle Hickory Smoked Bacon Cheese, grated medium fine

(reserve 1 cup for top of dish)

•  4 tbs. butter

•  4 tbs. flour

•  2 cups whole milk

•  1 cup half and half divided

•  1/2 tsp. black pepper

•  1/2 tsp. kosher salt

•  3 or 4 dashes hot sauce

•  1 lb mostaccioli cooked al dente

•  1 cup cracker or seasoned bread crumbs

•  1 tbs. olive oil

Directions

In a sauce pan, add the butter over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for one minute over heat. Pour in the milk all at once and whisk until smooth; continue to cook until thicken. Whisk in the grated cheese one hand full at a time until blended, be sure to reserve 1 cup of the cheese for the top of the dish. Stir in the pepper, salt and the hot sauce. Finish the Sauce by stirring in 1 cup of the half and half then set aside. Spray PAM in a 3 quart casserole dish. In the pan you cooked the pasta, add the cheese sauce, mix well then pour into the prepared casserole pan. Pour the 1/2 cup half and half of the dish. In a separate bowl combine the cracker or bread crumbs, olive oil and 1 cup grated cheese, lightly toss then spread evenly over the casserole to coat the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. (A convection oven works best to brown the top.)

LaBelle Fondue

LaBelle original plain, fenugreek or olive cheese can be used in this recipe.*

Use 3 pads of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend butter, flour, salt, and pepper in a pan over low heat for 2-3 minutes until it's a creamy white mixture (do not brown).

Add 2 cups of half/half to the pan and blend with a whisk. Slowly add one pound of grated LaBelle cheese.

Continue to blend until all cheese is added. If the fondue is too thick add more half/half (it should have the thickness of a gravy).

Serves 12-18 people, make half the recipe for 6-8 people.

Serve the fondue with sliced apples, pears, grapes, French bread, or small cuts of cooked ham or beef.

* Using all the same variety cheese is recommended (do not combine the different types of cheese into the fondue)