Hors d'Oeuvres for Game Day

Whether you're watching a game or are otherwise enjoying a leisurely evening with friends and family, these three hors d'oeuvres featuring Cato Corner Cheese are sure to liven up the party. They are balanced, simple comfort food recipes brought to life with the flavor and provenance of raw-milk cheese. You can thank our cheesemaker, Chris, for the passion and attention he put into crafting these offerings! Click here to download the recipes as a printable PDF.

Bloomsday Pimento Cheese

 

  • 8 oz. grated Bloomsday cheese
  • 2 oz. cream cheese
  • ½ cup roasted red peppers, diced
  • ¼ cup diced pickles
  • 3 tablespoons mayo
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce
  1. Add ingredients to a food processor and mix until a coarse puree is formed. Chill and serve with bread, crackers or crudité.

Dairyere Gougeres 

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 oz. finely grated Dairyere cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a saucepan combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then add flour and stir well with a spoon until a smooth dough forms. The mixture will become drier and pull away from the sides of the pan.
  2. Remove dough to a bowl. Beat eggs into mix one at a time, until well incorporated. Add cheese, reserving ½ oz. for later, as well as the pepper and nutmeg.
  3. Transfer to a pastry bag with a ½ inch tip. Alternatively, a Ziploc bag with a ½ inch hole cut in one corner can be used. Pipe tablespoon sized mounds onto the sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of each gougere and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve as is or split and fill with prosciutto, arugula and peppadew peppers.

Black Ledge Blue and Bacon Potato Skins

  • 8 medium sized russet potatoes
  • 4 oz. crumbled Black Ledge Blue Cheese
  • 6 slices cooked and chopped bacon
  • 2 quarts vegetable oil (For Deep-Fry Method: See step 3)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (For Broil Method: See step 4)
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven 400. Prick each potato several times with a fork and bake on a sheet pan until tender, about 45 minutes.
  2. Allow potatoes to cool briefly, then cut each in half horizontally. Scoop out flesh, leaving about ¼ inch. Reserve for another use. At this point the potato pieces can be either deep-fried or broiled.
  3. To fry, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot to 350. Cook the potato skins in two batches, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. 
  4. To broil instead, preheat the broiler setting and brush each potato skin all over with the melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and broil until each side is well browned but not burned, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. To finish, top the potatoes with the cheese and bacon and broil until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.