YoIf you find comfort in cheese and knowing that you won't have to carry a mountain of dishes after cooking with it, these are the recipes for you.
As part of our Budget Bites column, where we've teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick, and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month, we present to you three cheesy dishes that maximize flavor and minimize both the mess. like food waste. They also make the most of basic ingredients and keep the fresh shopping list to a minimum.
We also provide a handy shopping list for ingredients (although hopefully most are already available), which are used in all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether locally or online.
Shopping list
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 80 g watercress
- 2 red onions
- 140 g bacon cut into cubes
- 8 pork sausages
- 50 g hard Italian cheese
- 10 slices of American style cheese
- 600ml milk
- 80 grams of cheddar cheese
- 187ml white wine
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 187ml red wine
- 150 g tree rice
- 200 g macaroni with dry pasta
- 1.5 tablespoons plain flour
- 400 g canned beans
- 30 g dry panko breadcrumbs
Sausage Casserole with Cheese and Beans
Somewhere between French onion soup and a hearty casserole
(Classified food)
If you like French onion soup, this might be the recipe for you – melted cheese, crunchy breadcrumbs, and a rich sauce await!
It serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pork sausages
2 red onions
2 cloves of garlic
1.5 tablespoons plain flour
187ml red wine
400 g canned beans
1 beef broth cube
80g cheddar cheese
30 g dry panko breadcrumbs
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C; this will be for the casserole later.
2. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large oven-safe skillet and place over medium-high heat.
3. Once the oil begins to shimmer and loosen, pierce 4 sausages with a small knife to prevent them from bursting, then fry them in the oil, turning occasionally for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown all over. Continue with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Halve, peel and slice 2 onions, then peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic.
5. Once the sausages are browned all over, transfer them to a plate and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Fry for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden and sticky.
6. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of flour to the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Deglaze with 187ml of red wine and let it reduce by approximately half. This should take about 1 minute thanks to the flour.
8. Add 1 undrained 400g can of beans, crumble into 1 stock cube and bring to a boil.
9. Remove the pan from the heat, season the stew to taste with salt and place the sausages on top. Grate over 80 g of cheese and spread over 30 g of breadcrumbs.
10. Bake everything in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese and breadcrumbs are golden. Continue washing a little while you wait.
11. Once the stew is ready, take the pan straight to the table… But maybe wait a bit so you don't burn your mouth and then put it in!
One Pot Macaroni and Cheese with Watercress and Crispy Sausage
A great way to incorporate extra vegetables
(Classified food)
Advice: If you can't find watercress, replace it with spinach.
It serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pork sausages
600ml milk
80 g watercress
2 cloves of garlic
200 g macaroni with dry pasta
6 slices of American style cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Method:
1. Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large oven-safe skillet and place over high heat.
2. Once the oil begins to shimmer and loosen, squeeze the meat from the casings of 4 sausages. Fry, breaking everything up occasionally for 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden and crispy. Continue with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
3. Once the sausage meat is ready, transfer it to a plate; We'll need the pan in the next step, so don't wash it!
4. Add 600 ml of milk to the saucepan and make it bubble.
5. Add 80 g of watercress, peel them and finely grate 2 cloves of garlic. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the leaves darken and wilt.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, then blend its contents with a hand blender, until silky smooth and vibrant green.
7. Put the saucepan back on the heat, add 200g of macaroni and let everything boil.
8. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until pasta is soft but still lightly flavored. Continue washing a little while you wait.
9. Preheat grill/broiler to its highest temperature. Once the pasta is ready, remove the pan from the heat, then stir in 6 slices of American cheese and 1 teaspoon of mustard.
10. Spread the crispy sausage from before on top.
11. Place the entire pan under the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden brown.
12. Take the entire pan to the table and put it in!
Bacon and two cheese risotto
A solution for leftover cheese hiding in the refrigerator
(Classified food)
Advice: Try switching cheeses for a quick spin.
It serves: 2
Ingredients:
140 g bacon cut into cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
150 g tree rice
187ml white wine
1 chicken broth cube
50 g hard Italian cheese
4 slices of American style cheese
Method:
1. Fill the kettle with water and bring it to a boil; this will be for the risotto later.
2. Pour 140g of pancetta into a medium saucepan along with 2 tbsp of olive oil, then place the pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Continue with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
3. Peel and then mince 4 cloves of garlic.
4. Once the pancetta is ready, transfer half to a plate ready to serve later. Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté everything for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Add 150g of arborio rice and fry for a further 1-2 minutes to toast the rice a little, but make sure the garlic doesn't burn!
6. Deglaze with 187ml white wine and reduce by ¾, until the rice is sticky and starchy, stirring all the time.
7. Crumble 1 stock cube, add 200ml boiling water from the kettle and reduce by ¾ again until the rice is sticky and starchy, stirring all the time.
8. Add another 500ml of boiling water from the kettle, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the rice is soft but still has a slight flavor and the liquid has thickened to form a starchy sauce that lightly coats the grains. Continue with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
9. Once the risotto is ready, remove the pan from the heat and add the hard cheese and 4 slices of American cheese. Season generously with salt and pepper.
10. Divide the risotto among bowls and top with the reserved pancetta. Eat!
In response to the increase cost of living, we've partnered with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick, and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Learn more about Sorted and their nifty Sidekick meal planning app at sortedfood.com/sidekick.
