Southern Cheese Ring Recipes

SOUTHERN CHEESE RING

Steps:

• Place cheese, pecans and green onions in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix.
• Add mayonnaise and stir until throughly and evenly mixed. (May wish to use a hard, scoop type spatula.).
• Spray tube or bundt pan lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
• Scoop cheese mixture and place it into the pan, gently pressing mixture evenly around tube.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
• To serve:.
• Invert the ring onto a plate and drizzle raspberry chipotle sauce (I use Fischer Weiser "The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce) evenly over the ring. May add more sauce if needed. Garnish with parsley, fresh raspberries and/or sprigs of mint if desired. Also looks very pretty sitting on a bed of ruffled lettuce.
• NOTE: If the ring does not come out easily, run hot water in the kitchen sink and let the pan sit in water for a couple of minutes. Make sure the water is not too deep or it will run into the cheese ring!

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Using the heaviest mixer paddle attachment, beat until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of the flour with the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 cup unseasoned flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press; you may not need to add all the flour.
• Lightly spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tube and press the dough onto a cookie sheet in long strips that run the length of the pan. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake until straws are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• With your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the long strips into 3-inch lengths. Use a flat, thin spatula or an egg turner to remove the cheese strips from the pan. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, serve or store in a tightly covered container.

CHEESE RING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt until well blended. Coat a ring shaped gelatin mold generously with cooking spray. Spoon the cheese mixture into the mold, cover, and chill for 2 to 3 hours to set.
• Unmold onto a serving plate, and pour raspberry preserves into the center. Arrange wheat crackers around the outside of the ring.

ROSALYNN CARTER'S CHEESE RING

Steps:

• Combine cheese with mayo, chopped nuts and onions.
• Mix in black pepper and cayenne, and blend thoroughly.
• Press into a 3-cup ring mold.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• To serve, dip mold into a pan of hot water for 15-20 seconds before turning out onto a serving platter. Fill center with strawberry preserves. Serve with crackers of your choice.

PECAN-CHEESE RING WITH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients.
• Sprinkle about 1/4 cup pecans in an oiled 7 cup ring mold.
• Press cheese mixture into mold.
• Chill until firm.
• Unmold on platter and pat remaining pecans onto ring.
• Garnish with parsley.
• Put strawberry preserves in middle.
• Serve with crackers.