Best Cheesy Stars Recipes

SAUSAGE WONTON STARS

Steps:

• Lightly press wonton wrappers onto the bottoms and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 350° until edges are browned, about 5 minutes., In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in the cheese, peppers, onions and salad dressing. Spoon a rounded tablespoon into each wonton cup. Bake until heated through, 6-7 minutes.

SAUSAGE-FILLED STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line each cup a mini-muffin pan with a wonton wrapper, carefully pressing each into the shape of a cup. Take care to not tear the wrapper as they will tear easily.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer 'cups' to a baking sheet; repeat until remaining wontons are all baked.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned completely, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Set sausage aside to cool.
• Stir cooled sausage, Colby cheese, green onions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and ranch salad dressing together in a bowl; spoon into the wonton cups.
• Bake in oven until cheese has melted and is beginning to bubble, 15 to 20 minutes.

CHEESE STARS

Steps:

• Unroll the pastry and sprinkle most of the cheese over one half of the sheet. Fold the pastry in half to cover the cheese and seal it in.
• Dust your rolling pin and work surface with a little flour and put your pastry sheet on it. Roll it out until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Using cookie cutters, cut the pastry into shapes and put them on the prepared baking sheets. (Put the cutters on the dough close together so that less pastry is wasted. You can fold the trimmings back on themselves and re-roll to cut out more shapes.)
• Brush the shapes with milk and add a pinch of cheese and a sprinkling of your chosen topping, if using.
• Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins or until risen and golden, then transfer to a serving plate. Will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

PET TREAT: CHOW CHOW CHEDDAR STARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the powdered cheddar, honey, applesauce and egg in a large bowl. Add the rice flour and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out stars with a 3-inch cookie cutter.
• Arrange the stars on the baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the stars to a rack and let cool completely.

CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all of the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy.
• Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time. Serve immediately.

FLUFFY CHEDDAR BISCUITS

Steps:

• Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and paprika to combine. Add the 1/2 cup cubed butter and toss until each piece is coated completely in flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour, continuing to work the mixture until the butter is almost fully blended into the dough. There can still be a few larger pieces of butter, but none should be larger than a pea. If the butter feels soft or melty at any point, refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for 15 minutes before continuing.
• Stir in 1 1/2 cups/170 grams of the cheese into the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup or in a small bowl with a spout, whisk the buttermilk and egg until well combined. Pour the mixture into the medium bowl and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture is combined. Near the end, you may have to fold it over itself a few times in the bowl to make sure it's uniformly combined. (Resist the urge to use your hands so that the mixture doesn't get too soft or compressed.)
• Scoop the dough into 12 even portions (about 1/2 cup/80 grams each) onto the prepared sheet pan. Stagger the biscuits on the baking sheets. (You should have 6 biscuits per sheet pan.)
• Brush each biscuit with the melted butter (you won't use it all) and divide the remaining shredded cheese among the tops of the biscuits (about 2 teaspoons per biscuit).
• Transfer to the oven and bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, then brush each biscuit with butter again, and rotate the pans between the oven racks. Continue to bake until the biscuits are light golden and the cheese on top is deeply golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. The biscuits should spring back gently when touched in the center.
• Brush the finished biscuits generously with the remaining butter. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving warm (or cool completely and serve at room temperature).