Thursday, December 20, 2012

Cheez-it-ish Crackers

They had us at "Cheez".........

Per Nana ~

About a month ago hubby had a request for one of my old recipes 
called "Atwells's Delight".  It's a Tex-Mex style recipe calling 
for canned cream soups, enchilada sauce, chopped meat, etc.
AND Velveeta cheese.

Unfortunately, I did not look over the recipe before shopping so 
when I saw Velveeta I just picked up the box.  (2 lbs). 
 WAY TOO MUCH!


So far, in addition to the above recipe, I have made cheesy eggs,
 baked macaroni, etc. When this week's recipe came up I decided 
that maybe I could substitute the Velveeta instead of  Dorie's  
suggestions of Gruyere or Emmenthal.
 It might not have been the flavor that she had in mind -
 but they were very, very tasty. The crackers were flaky, like Cheez-its, 
and with the so called cheddar flavor they were  so delicious.


I have to admit that they could have been a little thinner and I
 will attempt to do that the next time I make them.
These will definitely be a repeat in our house.
Per Tricia~
Wow.  We all LOVED this, which should not come as a huge surprise.
 I even closed the book so my guys would not see the title of this recipe.
 They figured it out regardless.  Gastronomy scale aside, we are big fans of 
"Cheez-Its"...with a special affection for the white cheddar variety.  Which, 
thanks to Dorie, I replicated and improved upon in my kitchen this week. 


 Along with her recommendation that cheddar does wonderfully, I christened 
the new Cabot cheddar we got on our last trip to Vermont.


The taste was rich and truly less salty than the version that comes
 in the box. I mentioned to my family, who were gobbling these as fast
 as they could, that the herbed olives I recently made from FFWD would be 
lovely with this and all agreed HEARTILY. Truthfully I think I could have
 gotten them to agree to just about anything at this point but the combo
 is a great one.  And I will have many chances to test it as this recipe 
is so quick and easy that I am planning to make it many, many times. 
 I already have another batch on hand in the freezer. 


 While I played with cutting shapes like a holiday cookie -
 which truly went very quickly and I assure you I am quite lazy....as Dorie 
suggested in the "Bonne Idee"- the simple log cut outs were lovely as well.


The holiday root canal is now behind me and we are playing catch up 
with the "non Dorie" cards and gifts, work, blogs and comments.  Nana is 
busy preparing for the "Feast  of the Seven Fish" and we continue to enjoy
 the gorgeous holiday cards we receive from our fellow Doristas.  
Happiest of holidays and  warm regards to all ~

18 comments:

  1. I loved these too. Merry Christmas to you both.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Tricia, the "holiday root canal" - I know it well (but mine was the "back to school" root canal). Soon I will have the "New year's crown" to go with it. I love your puffy little shapes (yours are the only ones so far that look puffy like mine, so it wasn't just me!) and I need to make mine again with a sharp cheddar. Nana - yours look perfect and I love that you have had such a cheesy time using up all that cheese! Merry Christmas to you both XO

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tricia - glad you are well on your way to recovery. Cheez-its are a staple here as well (I can't eat them, but the peeps love them).
    Nana- Good luck using up all that cheese :-)

    Merry Christmas ladies and enjoy your feast!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think most sharp cheeses work here. They both look great! Have a great Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful crackers from both of you wonderful ladies. Sounds like a winning recipe all around! Merry Christmas to you and your families!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Darling little "flower" crackers you made! We loved these, too, and I'll be making them again. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You both turned out tasty looking crackers! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  8. great ideas...velveeta and cute little cookie cutter shapes! Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I feel your pain, Tricia. While the holiday root canal may be over (and, thank goodness), paying for it probably is not. LOL Nana, I cannot believe you made these with Velveeta cheese. The French would be horrified. My Mother made the best mac and cheese with Velveeta and we always had it in our fridge. Yes, the big, long box. Love your little flowers, Tricia. Although I made my crackerss thin and yours are both thicker than mine, I think I would like yours better. I froze some also, Tricia, as an experiment because Dorie says they don't freeze well. We'll see. Happy Holidays to you both and to your family.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think this recipe is perfect for using whatever cheese you have in the fridge. This is a new favorite for me. I hope you and your families have a wonderful holiday. We go to friends' for the Feast of Seven Fishes. I can't wait, it's so delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm so sorry I missed the Christmas card exchange! We really enjoyed these, too.

    Our poor kitty had bone cancer and we've just been consumed with trying to do the best thing for him - which turned out to be amputation of his rear left leg. It's been really tough for us, but he is such a trooper.

    Wishing you all the blessings of Christmas! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  12. I bet this helped with your abundance of Velveeta, Nana! Tricia, I love the flower shape! I went with the slice and bake version, myself, but all the stars and trees and now flowers are making me wish I'd rolled out the dough.

    I so loved receiving both your cards! The photo of the two of you is so nice. Enjoy the Feast of Seven Fishes and the rest of the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  13. So glad to know that any kind of cheese will bring terrific results! Merry Christmas to you both!!!! xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tricia and Nana: both your versions of these crackers look wonderful and delightfully !"heesy"! They have a great color - I love the color that cheese imparts to baked goods and your Crackers (Velveeta and non-Velveeta version) all look fabulous - I also really like the flower-shaped Crackers, make for a very pretty change! I would like to take the opportunity to thank both of you for your wonderful and lovingly prepared Christmas cards - proudly on display in our living room! It is a real joy being part of this wonderful and dedicated group of bakers and cooks and I am looking forward to the coming year! Wishing both your families very Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Both of your versions of the crackers look delicious! I will try these again since I didn't have the success that everyone else had. Also I will use a moister cheese such as cheddar or velvet. My gruyere was somewhat dry. Hope your holidays are continuing to be fun!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy Holidays to you both! Thank you so much for your beautiful cards! @Nana - I LOVE that you used Velveeta cheese! That is a cheese from my childhood and I have not had it in years. :) @Tricia Your cut outs are so pretty. I am going to try cheddar and maybe even Velveeta at some point with this recipe as I will be making these often.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Both versions of these crackers look great…I haven’t gotten them made yet! Looking forward to giving them a try. I would have never thought to use Velveeta…one of my favorites from my childhood and the cheese of choice when my children were young! They loved mac and cheese made with Velveeta! I actually thought of using cheddar…which I always have in my fridge! Both very lovely, ladies!

    ReplyDelete