Best Sage And Pancetta Biscuits With Fontina Cheese Recipes

MINI SAGE-AND-FONTINA GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle with salt. Pour half of butter into small bowl and reserve. Add chopped sage to remaining melted butter in saucepan; stir over medium heat 30 seconds.
• Arrange 8 bread slices on work surface. Brush top side with all of melted sage butter. Divide Fontina cheese among bread slices; sprinkle Parmesan over each, dividing equally. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Top with remaining 8 bread slices, pressing to adhere. Brush top side of sandwiches with some of reserved plain melted butter. Press 4 whole sage leaves atop each sandwich to adhere.
• Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Place 4 sandwiches, sage-leaf side down, in each skillet and cook until golden brown on bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush top of sandwiches with remaining plain melted butter; turn sandwiches over and cook until golden brown on bottom and cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Transfer sandwiches, sage-leaf side up, to cutting board. Cut each sandwich into 4 pieces (each mini sandwich should contain 1 whole sage leaf). Transfer to platter and serve.

PANCETTA, GRUYERE, PARMESAN AND FONTINA MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Add the shells and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions. You want the pasta to be al dente. Drain, then set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the olive oil and pancetta into a large heavy-bottomed pot and turn on the heat to low. Cook the pancetta to slowly render the fat, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is crispy and most of the fat has rendered out, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve the pancetta fat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux with the pancetta fat and butter. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add in the milk, Dijon mustard and hot sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce immediately to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the fontina cheese, Gruyere and 1 cup of the Parmesan. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the cooked shells and crispy pancetta and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, you can add a little more milk. Season to taste with kosher salt.
• Transfer the mac and cheese into individual ramekins or a large baking dish. Top evenly with the panko and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan and place into the oven until the breadcrumbs are browned, about 5 minutes.

SAGE AND PANCETTA BISCUITS WITH FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F
• Sauté pancetta in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.
• Remove pancetta from the heat and cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flower mixture until a coarse meal forms.
• Stir in the Fontina cheese and the sage, making sure that the cheese does not clump together.
• Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and the pancetta, along with the yummy pan drippings, and stir until moist clumps form.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead just until the dough holds together. This should take about 4 to 6 turns.
• Flatten the dough to a 3/4-inch thickness and cut out biscuits. (A 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter will yield about a dozen biscuits.) Re-roll the dough and cut out more rounds until all dough is used.
• Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between biscuits. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
• Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 14 minutes. Serve warm.

PANCETTA BISCUITS

Steps:

• To make the biscuits: In a saute pan, heat the pancetta over medium-high heat and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, make the biscuits according to the box instructions, using buttermilk instead of the suggested liquid. Gently stir in the pancetta and the cheese.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the biscuit mixture onto the baking sheet and bake according to box instructions. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the Cinnamon-sugar Butter: Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Stir in the butter until well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve the biscuits on a platter with the Cinnamon-sugar Butter alongside.

SAGE AND PANCETTA BISCUITS WITH FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Sauté pancetta in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Rub in butter with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Stir in Fontina and sage, separating strands of cheese. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and pancetta with any pan drippings and stir until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead just until dough holds together, about 4 to 6 turns. Flatten dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Using 2 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Re-roll dough and cut out more rounds until all dough is used.
• Transfer biscuits to large rimmed ungreased baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 14 minutes. Serve warm.

BAKED POLENTA WITH FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• Butter 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine 2 1/4 cups water, broth, shallots and marjoram in heavy large Dutch oven; bring to boil. Mix 2 1/2 cups cold water and cornmeal in bowl. Gradually mix cornmeal mixture into broth mixture. Return to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until polenta is very thick, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Immediately spread 2 cups polenta in prepared dish. Top with 1 3/4 cups cheese. Drizzle with 1/4 cup cream. Repeat layering, using 2 cups polenta, 1 3/4 cups cheese and 1/4 cup cream. Top with remaining polenta. Spread remaining cheese over. Cover with foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake covered polenta until hot in center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Uncover; continue baking until polenta bubbles at edges and top begins to brown, about 10 minutes.