Cheese

These hamantaschen are filled with a celebration of seeds set in chewy-soft caramelized honey. While poppy is traditional, we threw in sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin as well for variety and crunch.

The Italian word for the ideal risotto texture is all’onda—literally, “like a wave.” Risotto should spread and move and undulate. If you can stand a spoon up in it, it needs more liquid.

You may not mistake these jammy-crisp, slow-cooked onions for bacon, but they are truly exceptional as a stand-in, giving a huge blast of umami to create a truly satisfying breakfast sandwich.

One bowl and one baking sheet is all you need to achieve sweet, creamy squash, crispy pita chips, and chewy, charred cheese. Fresh mint and a splash of vinegar perk up the final dish.

This may sound like some ancient Alpine classic, but it's rather more modern than you'd expect.

This simple appetizer is a hit every time due in large part to the vast appeal of warm cheesy things.

Nachos can stand an ingredient riff, but to make sure that the cheese is melted throughout and that each bite has the requisite combination of tastes and textures, follow this plan.

Hindus consider cows and all their milky produce—cream, butter, and cheese—sacred. I can’t argue with that. Traditionally, this dish would be made with a few large slabs of golden butter; here I've swapped out that butter for cubes of paneer. 

Here’s a familiar Indian takeout staple—saag paneer—but with the ingenious substitution of large cubes of feta for paneer.

This one-skillet meal is ideal for both chilly evenings and weekend mornings when hot melted cheese and comfort is all you want. Leave a handful of chips undressed to tuck into the skillet at the last minute. Their salsa-free points add the perfect layer of crunch.

The meatballs are tender and juicy, and once covered in a nice cozy blanket of tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, they’re pretty hard to resist.

The Stilton adds another dimension to the bubble and squeak, giving it a wonderfully rich and redolent tang. Served with slices of Christmas ham, this is a dish that would certainly get those Herald angels singing.

Use this rich, creamy Italian white sauce for lasagna, gratins, and mac and cheese.

This holiday-buffet-ready salad has bright Asian pear, salty aged cheese, a dynamic pecan dressing, and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

This pesto variation is built on a combination of toasted nuts, creamy ricotta, salty Parm, and a little kick of raw garlic. You don’t need a food processor or a blender to make it; everything comes together in a single bowl.