THE GREEN ACRE

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Heat an oven-safe skillet over high heat. Add olive oil, red pepper, and onions. Sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté additional 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place skillet in oven and roast 15-20 minutes.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter, a splash of water, spinach, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook just until spinach is wilted. Reserve.

For béchamel sauce: Heat saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and minced shallot or onion. Season with salt and pepper; stir for about 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add flour and stir to coat. Stir in the milk, a little at a time to avoid lumping. Add nutmeg and cayenne and bring to a low simmer, stirring often to keep from sticking. Cook at least 10 minutes; stir in mustard and let stand off heat.

Heat skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Butter one side of each bread slice or roll and place 4 slices, butter-side down, in pan. Top with slice of Gouda, 2 tablespoons spinach, and 1/2 cup of peppers-onions-mushrooms. Top with 2 tablespoons of the béchamel sauce, another slice of Gouda, and a slice of rye, butter-side up. Grill to melt the cheese and toast the bread to golden brown, flipping sandwiches once.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced about 1/8” thick
• 1 red onion, sliced about 1/8” thick
• 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced about 1/8” thick
• Salt and pepper
• 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, divided
• 8 ounces fresh spinach leaves
• 1 shallot or small yellow onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 slices rye bread or 4 seeded rye rolls, split
• 8 slices Wisconsin Gouda cheese
• Roasted peppers, optional

THE ATHENA

Cooking Directions

Make tzatziki sauce: Grate cucumber on large holes of box grater; place in bowl. Add 1 clove minced garlic, Greek yogurt, honey, cayenne, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and refrigerate until serving time.

Make olive tapenade: Process olives, capers, parsley, remaining clove minced garlic, and anchovy fillet in food processor bowl with 4 tablespoons olive oil; process until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

Slice eggplant(s) into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat outdoor grill or stovetop griddle and grill eggplant slices for about 2 minutes a side. Set aside. Keep grill or griddle hot.

Cut flatbread pieces in half and place about 1 tablespoon of olive tapenade on each of 4 halves. Top with 1 ounce Feta, some tomato slices, onion slices, eggplant slices, another ounce of Feta, and flatbread half. Drizzle sandwich tops with a little olive oil and place, oil-side down, on hot grill. Grill about 3 minutes, then drizzle with a little more olive oil and flip. Grill until flatbread browns and cheese is heated through. Serve with tzatziki sauce on the side.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 cups Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups kalamata olives, drained
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1-2 tablespoons flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, rinsed and well dried
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1-2 large eggplants
• 4 pieces flatbread
• 1 cup (6-8 ounces) Wisconsin Feta cheese, crumbled
• 1-2 heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

THE DOMINIQUE

Cooking Directions

Make pesto: Place walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, and arugula in beaker of food processor or blender; pulse to chop. Drizzle in olive oil with machine running. Season with salt and pepper. (Pesto can be refrigerated for a day, or frozen.)

Heat grill over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes per side. Reserve on plate.

Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Butter one side of each ciabatta slice. Place 4 slices, butter-side down in pan and top each with 1 tablespoon pesto, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chicken breast, and 2 ounces Gorgonzola. Top each with another tablespoon of pesto and ciabatta slice, butter-side up. Grill to golden on both sides, turning sandwiches once.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 1 cup walnut halves or pieces, toasted
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup Wisconsin Parmesan cheese, grated
• 8 ounces arugula
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 8 slices of ciabatta bread
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 8 ounces Wisconsin Gorgonzola cheese

THE FRANCESCA

Cooking Directions

Mix 6 tablespoons butter with the garlic until light and smooth.

Heat sauté pan over high heat; add olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and mushrooms. Season with pinch of salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.

Spread cut sides of rolls with garlic butter. Heat large skillet or sauté pan. Place roll bottoms in pan, butter-side down. Grill until golden brown. Flip roll bottoms. Layer on each bottom 4 slices Fresh Mozzarella, 4 slices pepperoni, some black olive slices, 3-4 pepperoncini halves, some sautéed mushrooms, 1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, and 4 more slices Fresh Mozzarella. Place roll tops over. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is crisp and golden, turning sandwiches over once during grilling.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 7 tablespoons butter at room temperature, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 focaccia-style rolls, split
• 4 Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella ovaline-size balls, each cut into 8 slices
• 16 slices pepperoni
• 1/2 cup ripe black olive slices
• 6-8 pepperoncini, halved
• 4 ounces marinated sun-dried tomatoes, dried and thinly sliced

THE LISA MARIE

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place bacon slices on baking sheet pan with sides (jelly roll pan) and bake until lightly browned and starting to crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Brush hot bacon slices with mixture, using a pastry brush. Return to oven for another 5-6 minutes, turning once and being careful not to burn sugar. Remove to cooling rack and let cool.

Heat griddle or sauté pan over medium heat. Butter one side of bread slices. Spread other side with peanut butter. Top each slice, peanut butter-side up, with 1 Butterkäse slice and some banana slices. Place butter-side down on griddle and grill until sandwich bread bottoms are light golden brown. Meanwhile, heat chocolate sauce until warm. Dip each slice of bacon into warm chocolate to cover half of strip and place over bananas. To serve, drizzle sandwiches with additional chocolate sauce.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 8 slices bacon
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 4 thick slices firm white bread
• 8 tablespoons peanut butter
• 4 1½-ounce slices Wisconsin Butterkäse cheese
• 2-3 bananas, sliced or chunked
• 1 cup hot fudge or chocolate sauce

THE BENEDICT

Cooking Directions

Heat 3-4 quarts water to just below boiling point. Add vinegar and pinch of salt. Gently stir the water. Lower heat so water is simmering. Crack eggs into the water one at a time and poach gently for 4-5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; fry Canadian bacon until lightly browned. Remove from griddle; set bacon aside. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Spread each bottom half of English muffins with 1 tablespoon Sharp Cheddar cheese spread. Place in heated skillet. Top each bottom in pan with 1 slice Gouda, about 1 ounce spinach, 2 slices Canadian bacon, and 1 slice tomato. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted. Remove to a plate and top each with a poached egg. Serve open-faced with remaining muffin halves, toasted and buttered, on the side.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices Canadian bacon
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 English muffins, split
• 4 tablespoons Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar cheese spread, at room temperature
• 4 slices Wisconsin Gouda cheese
• 4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced

THE DAGWOOD

Cooking Directions

Heat sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter; melt and add onion slices. Add a pinch of salt and pepper; cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove to plate; reserve. Butter one side of each bread slice. Heat sauté pan over medium heat. Add 4 bread slices, butter-side down. Layer on each slice of bread: 1 slice American cheese, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 ounces ham, about 1 tablespoon sautéed onions, 2 slices tomato, and an additional slice of American cheese. Top sandwiches with remaining 4 slices bread, butter-side up. Sauté sandwiches for 3 minutes: turn carefully, and grill until golden brown and the cheeses are melted.

 

Ingredients

No. of Servings: 4

• 9 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 red onion, sliced 1/8" thick
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices classic white bread
• 8 slices Wisconsin American cheese
• 4 slices Wisconsin Sliced Swiss
• 8 ounces smoked ham, sliced
• 2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick (8 slices)