Never sure how to entertain all those drop-in guests during the holidays? Just three ingredients will have you covered.
It sounds obvious, but if you stock up on bread, wine and cheese, you’ll never again be at a loss.
Start with the wine. Serving food with so few ingredients means each one has to stand up and be noticed. So go with a face-slappingly bold red wine.
For the bread, opt for seeded or whole-grain loaves, perhaps a baguette or a peasant loaf. Many grocers will sell these partially baked from their in-store bakery. Keep these in the freezer for near-instant freshly baked bread.
Alternatively, pick up a couple of loaves of cocktail bread (those mini sliced loaves used for canapes). Rye and pumpernickel are common varieties. These breads also freeze well and thaw quickly.
Use these breads to make tiny grilled cheese sandwiches with Gruyere cheese. For oomph, top the cheese with thin slices of hot pepper or salami, fresh basil leaves or a dollop of fig jam.
If you want to set out a block of cheese, it’s hard to go wrong with blues and feta.
If you’re willing to put in slightly more effort, it’s simple to turn logs of soft goat cheese into amazing spreads. Simply mash a variety of seasonings or ingredients into the cheese. If you have time, refrigerate them for an hour to let the flavors blend.
Here are three almost effortless goat cheese spreads that love crusty bread and bold wines.
Prosciutto goat cheese spread
4 slices prosciutto
1 4-ounce log goat cheese
2 large fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Place the prosciutto in the skillet and cook until just lightly browned and crisp on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to a cutting board and cut into small pieces.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the goat cheese. Add remaining ingredients, including the prosciutto, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl or ramekin. If desired, chill for 1 hour. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 1 cup.
Sun-dried tomato and goat cheese spread
1 4-ounce log goat cheese
6 sun-dried tomato halves (dry-packed, not oil-packed)
1/4 cup green olives (any variety, such as jalapeno-stuffed)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until chunky smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the bowl several times during processing.
Transfer to a serving bowl or ramekin. If desired, chill for 1 hour. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 1 cup.
Peppered salami goat cheese spread
1 4-ounce log goat cheese
4 ounces peppered salami, cut into small chunks (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until chunky smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the bowl several times during processing.
Transfer to a serving bowl or ramekin. If desired, chill for 1 hour. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 2 cups.
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