Pressroom

SAME-OLD, SAME-OLD TURKEY? NOT THIS THANKSGIVING THANKS TO CHEESE!

Four New and Easy-To-Make Cabot® Creamery Cooperative Thanksgiving Recipes Sure to Wow Your Family

Cabot, VT. (Nov. 6, 2007) Has Thanksgiving Dinner in your house become, well, a turkey? Or is that 30-pound, golden-brown, picture-perfect turkey your Aunt (ahem) Martha turns out every year too much to compete with? Not any more. Get excited about Thanksgiving again! Cabot Creamery Cooperative can make your Thanksgiving meal a hit with family and friends, thanks to four easy-to-make and delicious recipes featuring “the World’s Best Cheddar Cheese.”

“Thanksgiving turkey is one of the great American holiday traditions,” says Cabot Creamery Celebrity Chef Jon Ashton, “and we love the classic Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings. But we also believe there is plenty of room on the dinner table for some unique side dishes and desserts, too. In fact, we’ve developed four recipes that we think will wow your family and friends.”

Each of the four recipes includes Cabot cheese, a delicious (and healthy) way to enhance any holiday meal. Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Harvest Squash and Cheddar Spoonbread, Reduced Fat Stuffing, and Cranberry-Apple Cheddar Dumplings are all guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

“Each of these recipes is deliciously unique and can be served with your traditional turkey dinner,” Ashton says. “The Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Harvest Squash and Cheddar Spoonbread, and the Reduced Fat Stuffing are fantastic side dishes. And the Cranberry-Apple Cheddar Dumplings add a tasty twist for dessert.”

Take that, Aunt Martha!

To see these and other delicious Cabot recipes, visit our web site at:
http://www.cabotcheese.coop/recipes


Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Side dish
Makes 10-12 servings

1 (16-ounce) package frozen** Brussels sprouts, slightly thawed and cut in half lengthwise
Cooking spray
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
8 ounces Cabot Extra-Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place Brussels sprouts, cut sides down, in a large tart pan or casserole dish coated with cooking spray.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over Brussels sprouts, being careful to distribute cheese evenly.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 min or until lightly browned.

**Note: Fresh Brussels sprouts or broccoli florets may also be used. Trim sprouts or florets and lightly steam prior to assembling dish.

Holiday How-to:

Up to 1 day in advance, place Brussels sprouts in a baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover and refrigerate. Combine remaining ingredients (except lemon juice and cheese). Store mixture separately from Brussels sprouts in refrigerator overnight. Just before baking, add lemon juice and cheese to liquid ingredients; pour over Brussels sprouts and cook per instructions above. Serve warm.



Cranberry-Apple Cheddar Dumplings

Dessert
Makes 8 servings

1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
Cooking spray
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 medium oranges)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces Cabot Mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Separate crescent roll dough into individual sections. Working with one piece at a time, flatten dough slightly with hands and wrap around one apple quarter, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and apple quarters; place dumplings in a medium casserole dish, coated with cooking spray.

2. Combine orange juice, sugar, butter, cranberries, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

3. Pour sauce over apple dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Holiday How-to:

Up to 2 days in advance, peel, core and quarter apples; toss with lemon juice. Place in a zip-top bag and refrigerate. (Do not open dough). Prepare orange juice-butter sauce per instructions above; let cool and refrigerate separately from apples.

Up to 2 hours in advance, apples may be wrapped in dough per instructions above. Pour sauce over dumplings and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake dumplings per instructions above while the meal is served. Just before serving top with cheese and finish baking. Serve warm.


Harvest Squash and Cheddar Spoonbread

Side dish
Makes 12-16 servings

2 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground sage
1 (6-ounce) package cornbread mix
8 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

2. Scoop pulp from squash and place in a colander. Allow liquid to drain from cooked squash (about 10 minutes).

3. While squash drains, combine sour cream, eggs, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme and ground sage in a large bowl. Add cooled, drained squash. Mix on medium speed of an electric mixer until combined. Stir in dry cornbread mix and cheese.

4. Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour batter into dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 min or until golden brown.

Holiday How-to:

Up to 3 days in advance, bake squash per instructions above. Drain and refrigerate.

Up to 8 hours in advance, combine squash and remaining ingredients (except cornbread mix and cheese). Just before baking, stir in cornbread mix and cheese. Pour in casserole dish and bake per instructions above. Serve warm.


Reduced Fat Stuffing

Side Dish
Makes 16 servings

3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
1 1/2 cups cubed whole-wheat bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 pound low-fat turkey sausage
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup turkey stock

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread white and whole-wheat bread cubes in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake for about 7 minutes or until nicely toasted. Transfer to large bowl and set aside.
3. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, onions and garlic cook, stirring, for several minutes until onions are golden.
4. Add sausage, breaking up with spoon, and cook until evenly browned. Add celery, sage, rosemary and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
5. Pour sausage mixture over bread cubes. Mix in apple, cranberries, parsley and cheese. Drizzle with turkey stock and toss together lightly. Let cool.
6. Spoon stuffing into turkey, loosely filling cavity. (Alternatively, bake at 375°F in an oiled dish covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 20 minutes longer.)

ABOUT CABOT CHEESE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Best known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” Cabot is owned by
the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast’s premier dairy cooperative. For additional information on Cabot Creamery, visit http://www.cabotcheese.coop