Best Cheddar Crust Recipes

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE CRUST

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor and give it a quick pulse to blend the ingredients. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbly sand. Add the cheese and pulse again until combined and cheese is worked into the mixture and cut into small chunks. Turn the mixture out into a bowl, drizzle in 6 tablespoons cold water, and mix in with a rubber spatula until the flour is moistened. Add another tablespoon of water, only if needed. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball and flatten to a disc. Rest the dough to relax the gluten, 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the Granny Smith apples, Braeburn apples, sugar, flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and toss to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust the baking racks to the center of the oven.
• Roll out 1 disc of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Add the apples in an even layer and dot with the butter. Lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Roll out the next dough round, slightly smaller than the first. Cover the top of the apples with the second pie dough, pressing the edges to seal the crust. Trim the crust so you are left with a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the crust underneath itself so it's flush with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges decoratively. Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Make 5 air slits in the center of the pie. Place the pie on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours, before slicing.

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each to a 13-inch circle.
• Fit one circle into a 10-inch pie plate; transfer plate to a baking sheet. Put other circle on another baking sheet. Refrigerate dough until cold, at least 30 minutes.
• Stir together apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Spoon into bottom pie crust. Dot filling with butter. Cover with top crust. Fold edges over; crimp decoratively to seal. Cut a steam vent. Chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Brush with egg. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Tent with foil; bake until juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes more. Let cool at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling and bake pie:
• Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round.
• Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.
• Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Place flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles fine meal. Add cheese; mix in using 4 on/off turns. Transfer dry ingredients to large bowl. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons water over. Using fork, toss until moist clumps form, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Shape each half into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix sugar and cornstarch in large bowl. Mix in apples, lemon juice, and salt.
• Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish; brush overhang with water. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish; dot with butter. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Place dough atop filling. Press overhang of bottom and top dough pieces together to seal. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang under; crimp decoratively, forming high-standing rim. Cut several small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake pie until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cover crust edge with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling bubbles thickly in center, about 30 minutes. Cool pie on rack 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BROWNED BUTTER APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Place flours and salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Add cheese; pulse 1-2 times. Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add ice water to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight., Preheat oven to 400°. For filling, in a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly., Stir in apples and sugars; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 6-8 minutes or until apples are almost tender. Uncover; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl; refrigerate until cool., On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to fit a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Transfer crust to pie plate; trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate. Refrigerate 30 minutes., Add filling to crust. Roll remaining dough to a 12-in. circle; cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. In a small bowl, whisk egg with water; brush over crust., Bake 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BÉCHAMEL SAUCE AND CHEDDAR FRENCH FRIED ONION CRUST RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray a 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick spray. To make the Béchamel Sauce, melt the TWISTED Bacon, Dijon Mustard & Green Onion Butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly add the heated milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, parmesan and Tabasco. Stir until the cheese in melted. Cover and set aside. Cook the bacon until just crispy and set aside to cool. Boil a large pot of water; add 1 tsp salt and the macaroni. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until the macaroni is very al dente. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. Immediately add the butter, garlic and Béchamel Sauce. Toss well. Place 1/3 of the macaroni in the baking dish. Evenly top with 1/3 of the shredded cheddar, 1/3 of the Velveeta and 3 slices of bacon broken into small pieces. Repeat until all noodles, bacon and cheese are in the pan. Top with the crushed French fried onions. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving

TURKEY POTPIE WITH CHEDDAR BISCUIT CRUST

Steps:

• Make stock:
• Separate parts of carcass and put, along with skin, in an 8-quart pot. Cover bones with water and simmer until liquid is reduced by one third, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Set aside 3 1/2 cups stock (reserve remainder for another use).
• Make filling:
• Cook onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock (3 1/2 cups), scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust.
• Make biscuit crust and bake pie:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Drop biscuit dough onto filling in 8 large mounds, leaving spaces between biscuits.
• Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

APPLE GREEN-CHILE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor or mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour and salt. Add butter one piece at a time, while pulsing or mixing at low speed, until mixture is fine and crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl and toss well with the cheese. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fingers just until dough holds together. To test, pinch a small amount of dough. If it is crumbly, add more ice water. Form dough into a ball, wrap loosely in plastic, then roll into a disk. Refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 3 days, before rolling. (Dough can be frozen for up to a month.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle at least 11 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass. Turn edges under to make a thick rim; flute rim by pinching into a zigzag pattern. Refrigerate until ready to bake, at least an hour.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss apples, green chilies and lemon juice together. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to apples and chilies, tossing until thoroughly coated.
• Make the topping: In a small bowl, mix flour, walnuts and brown sugar. Add melted butter and toss together until crumbly.
• Bake the pie: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, scoop filling into chilled crust, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of juice from bottom of bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until filling bubbles at edge and crust is brown. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

ROASTED TOMATO AND CORN PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Make the Cheddar crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt until well combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. There will be visible pieces of butter, but they should be quite small. (You can also do this in a medium bowl with your fingers or a pastry cutter.) Add the shredded cheese and pulse to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the ice water. Toss the mixture with your hands to distribute the water throughout the flour. Once the mixture becomes very fine crumbs, knead it a few times until it comes together. If there are portions of the dough that are more hydrated, use your hands to break them up, then incorporate the drier portions of the dough. The dough should not be totally smooth, or overly wet. If needed, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together easily in a ball.
• Form the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
• Make the filling: Heat the oven to 400 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. On a baking sheet, combine the tomatoes, melted butter and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the top rack of the oven and roast until the tomatoes have become wrinkly, the skins have browned slightly and they've collapsed, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely. (You can complete this step in advance and refrigerate for up to 5 days.)
• When the tomatoes have cooled completely, gently transfer them to a medium bowl. If they've released a lot of liquid, drain the tomatoes in a colander before placing in the bowl. Stir the corn kernels and scallions into the tomatoes; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a round about 1/4-inch thick and about 17 inches wide. Roll up the dough onto the rolling pin, wrapping it around the pin, and gently transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet; unroll. (It will be larger than the baking sheet in the some places; just allow the excess to drape over the edge of the pan.)
• Gently transfer the cooled tomato and corn mixture to the center of the dough and spread into an even layer, leaving the outside 2 inches uncovered. Working a little bit at a time, fold the outside edges over the filling, pleating the edges as you work.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon water together to combine. Brush the egg wash around the outside edge of the crust.
• Transfer the pie to the lower rack of the oven and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve directly on the baking sheet, or use the parchment paper to slide it onto a cutting board, then slide the parchment away to slice and serve. Serve warm or at room temperature, and garnish with basil just before serving.

TWISTED BUTTER’S BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BÉCHAMEL SAUCE AND CHEDDAR FRENCH FRIED ONION CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray a 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish with a non-stick spray. To make the Béchamel Sauce, melt the TWISTED Bacon, Dijon Mustard & Green Onion Butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly add the heated milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, parmesan and Tabasco. Stir until the cheese in melted. Cover and set aside. Cook the bacon until just crispy and set aside to cool. Boil a large pot of water; add 1 tsp salt and the macaroni. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until the macaroni is very al dente. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. Immediately add the butter, garlic and Béchamel Sauce. Toss well. Place 1/3 of the macaroni in the baking dish. Evenly top with 1/3 of the shredded cheddar, 1/3 of the Velveeta and 3 slices of bacon broken into small pieces. Repeat until all noodles, bacon and cheese are in the pan. Top with the crushed French fried onions. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

KING RANCH CHICKEN POT PIE WITH CHEDDAR-CORNMEAL BISCUIT CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 4-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook poblano chiles, onion and bell pepper in butter 8 to 10 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and 3 tablespoons flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, taco seasoning mix, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in broth and half-and-half; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until thickened. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups cheese. When cheese has melted, fold in sour cream and chicken. Transfer to baking dish.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, the cornmeal, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and the milk just until moistened. Drop dough by 12 large spoonfuls (about 1/3 cup each) on top of hot filling. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH HERB AND CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Remove pie crusts from pouches; unroll 1 crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom of plate.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour on work surface; unroll second crust on surface. Sprinkle cheese and thyme evenly over crust, pressing into crust with hands, then with rolling pin so most of the cheese gets pressed into the dough.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup flour until well blended. Gradually add broth and milk, stirring until thickened. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables; heat until hot. Remove from heat.
• Spoon hot chicken mixture into crust-lined plate. Place herb and cheese crust, cheese side up, over filling; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BORSCHT CUPCAKES, APPLE PIE FILLING, CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND CHEDDAR CHEESE PIE CRUST MOON

Steps:

• For the cheddar cheese pie crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt until well combined. Add the butter and cheese and pulse until small pea-size balls form. Gradually add the ice water, up to 3 tablespoons. Remove the dough from the food processor bowl, fold the dough, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Dust the work space with flour. Roll out the pie dough and cut desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Place the shapes on a baking sheet, brush with water, dust with cinnamon-sugar and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pans with 24 muffin liners. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, add the carrots, beets, oil and granulated sugar and whisk on medium for 1 minute until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix for about a minute until well combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture just until combined. Then remove from the mixer and scrape by hand. Fill the prepared muffin pans three-quarters full with batter and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 24 minutes.
• For the frosting: Whip the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until fully incorporated. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Finally, add the cinnamon and mix until fully incorporated.
• For the apple filling: In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, sugar and 1/8 cup water. Bring to a boil and stir until the water has evaporated and the apples are soft. Add the cinnamon and refrigerate until cool.
• To assemble: Use a knife to make a hole out of the center of the cupcakes. Fill with apple pie filling, and then frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Top with a Cheddar cheese shape.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Place the chicken into a pot with the water, add salt, and simmer over medium heat until meat is falling off of the bones, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool. Remove chicken from broth, reserving broth. Remove the meat from the chicken, cutting large pieces into chunks. Discard skin and bones.
• Meanwhile, place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over, and cook 8 minutes. Add the celery, and cook 2 minutes more. Drain, and place into a large bowl.
• Bring a second pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrots and onion, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Mix with the potatoes and celery. Stir in the chicken.
• To make the sauce, melt 7 tablespoons of butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk 6 tablespoons of flour into the butter, and cook until light brown and paste-like, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the cream and 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the cream sauce over the vegetables and chicken mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• To make the Cheddar crust, cut 4 tablespoons butter into 2 cups of flour until the mixture is pea-sized. Stir in the Cheddar cheese and sprinkle the ice water over the mixture, gathering the dough into a soft ball. Knead gently until smooth and elastic. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until large enough to cover the entire baking dish. Place over the chicken mixture in the baking dish, tucking in edges to fit. Brush with the beaten egg yolk. Pierce top in a few places with a fork or knife to vent steam.
• Bake in preheated oven until top is golden; 30 to 35 minutes.

PORK AND APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR-SAGE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. First make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sage, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture and use your fingers to work them in (you want to rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do so). Do this until the mixture looks like cornmeal with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Stir in the cheese with a fork until evenly distributed. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over the mixture and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add an additional tablespoon or two of ice water (you shouldn't need much more). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide into two portions, making one slightly bigger than the other. Press each portion down into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. Make the filling: In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the apples without any oil, stirring gently, until they just begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Add oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the onion, pork, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let the meat mixture cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor. Add the breadcrumbs and pulse five times until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand. Set aside.
• 3. Prepare the crust: Unwrap the larger disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top piece of parchment and transfer the dough to a pie plate, peeled side down. Peel off the remaining parchment and press the crust into the sides of the pie plate, draping any excess over the edge. Unwrap the smaller disk of dough and put it in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from the center, to an 11-inch circle. Set aside.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a rack to the second-to-bottom position. Fill the pie: Pour the meat mixture into the bottom crust and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the cooked apple slices over the meat, pressing down to make the whole construction as smooth and neat as possible. Peel the top sheet of parchment off the top crust. Transfer, peeled side down, to the pie, then peel off the remaining parchment. Using a sharp knife, make two 3-inch slashes in the crust to allow steam to escape. Fold the edges of the bottom crust up over the top crust and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the crust with the egg wash and decorate with sage leaves, if desired. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake until the crust is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool 25 minutes before serving.

DEEP-DISH APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour and salt in processor. Add shortening and butter and cut in using several on/off turns. Add cheese and cut in until shortening and butter resemble small peas. With machine running, gradually blend in enough water until soft moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• For fruit:
• Mix apples, raisins, brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar, flour, lemon juice and spices in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand 15 minutes. Spoon fruit and any accumulated juices into 13x9-inch oval baking dish. Dot fruit with 3 tablespoons butter.
• Roll out dough on floured surface to oval about 1/2 inch larger than baking dish. Fold in 1/2 inch of edge to form double-thick border; crimp. Cut out 1-inch-wide hole from center of crust. Using tart pan bottom as aid, lift dough and place atop fruit. Tuck in dough around edges.
• Bake pie 15 minutes. Brush crust with egg glaze. Top with 2 teaspoons sugar. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pastry until golden, about 35 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Serve warm.

TAMALE PIE WITH CHEDDAR & CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Grease 13x9x2 baking dish.
• In a large skillet heat oil add the peppers and onions saute for 5 minutes.
• Add beef to pan mixing to crumble cooking about about 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients plus 1/4 cup beer.
• Put into prepared pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stir to mix well.
• In an other bowl, whisk yogurt,eggs,and oil to blend.
• Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, scallions and jalapeño.
• Pour yogurt mixture over the cornmeal mixture and stir just till blended.
• Top the filling with crust mixture.
• Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

TURKEY POT PIE WITH CHEDDAR BISCUIT CRUST

Steps:

• Filling:.
• Cook onion, carrots, celery, parsnip and thyme in butter with salt and pepper in a 3 - 4 quart oven proof shallow pot. Stir occasionally, cook until almost tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender, 5 - 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
• Stir in stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a hard simmer while stirring. This should thicken in about 3 minutes.
• Stir in turkey, peas, salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat while making biscuits.
• Biscuit crust:.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss around to cover cheese with flour mixture.
• Add cold butter and work into cheese/flour mixture until it is the consistency of a coarse meal.
• Stir in buttermilk. Stir only until a dough forms.
• Assembly:.
• Return pan with filling to heat. Bring up to a hard simmer again and drop biscuit mix onto filling.
• Place in oven and bake for around 40 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust has puffed up and is golden brown.
• Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

CHEDDAR DOUBLE-PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and cheddar; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide dough (one portion should be slightly larger than the other). Shape each portion into a disk. Wrap each disk separately in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.)

APPLE CROSTATA WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Make the crust: Roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Make the filling: Toss together apples, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread filling over dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold edges in to form a crust; brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until edges are firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake crostata until apples are tender and crust is golden, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Brush apples with apricot preserves.