Cheddar Vegetable Torte Recipes

CHEDDAR-VEGGIE APPETIZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine 1 ⅓ cups of cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle the base with 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese.
• Saute 1 small finely chopped zucchini, ½ a cup of sliced fresh mushrooms, ⅓ cup of finely chopped red onion, ¼ cup of finely chopped sweet yellow pepper in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Spoon the mixture over the cheese.
• Beat 1 tub of cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add 4 eggs and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of crumbled bacon and pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 °F for 30-35 minutes until the center is almost set.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• Carefully slide a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the quiche and remove sides of the pan.
• Serve warm or cold.

CHEDDAR AND VEGETABLE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add milk, salt and pepper sauce. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup cheese until melted.
• Add sauce and vegetables to pasta; toss well. Transfer to a greased medium baking dish or oval casserole. Cover with foil; bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven 15 minutes or until hot. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
• Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
• Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

VEGETABLE TORTES

Steps:

• Cook potatoes:
• Cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch, then simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare mushrooms as potatoes cook:
• Finely chop mushrooms with shallots and thyme in 2 batches in a food processor. Sauté half of mixture in 2 tablespoons butter with salt and pepper to taste in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup wine and simmer, stirring, until wine is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then cook remaining mushroom mixture in same manner. Season as needed.
• Make potato filling:
• Drain potatoes in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, peel. Force warm potatoes through food mill into a large bowl. Stir in hot milk, garlic, scallions, remaining 4 tablespoons butter, peas (do not crush), and salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.
• Broil eggplants:
• Preheat broiler.
• Cut 2 thin lengthwise slices from opposite sides of each eggplant and discard. Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then brush both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange some eggplant slices in 1 layer on rack of a broiler pan and broil in batches 2 to 3 inches from heat, turning once, until just tender and golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Cool cooked eggplant on broiler rack 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Broil remainder in same manner.
• Roast peppers:
• Lay bell peppers on their sides on racks of gas burners and turn flames on high. (Or put peppers on rack of broiler pan about 2 inches from heat.) Roast peppers, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer peppers to a large bowl and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Peel peppers, discarding skins. Slit peppers lengthwise and open them flat, discarding seeds and ribs. Pat peppers dry.
• Make pastry shells:
• Oil springform pans. Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 16- by 10 1/2-inch rectangle. Trim edges and halve pastry lengthwise. Line half of side of 1 pan with 1 pastry half, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang at top and 1 inch of bottom edge on bottom of pan. Gently press pastry into bottom of pan. Repeat with remaining half sheet of dough so that side of pan is completely lined. Gently press together edges of pastry where they meet. Roll out another pastry sheet into a 14-inch square and cut into a 10-inch round using bottom of springform pan as a guide. (Reserve pastry scraps for another use.) Put round in bottom of pan and press edges to seal. Chill pastry-lined pan while repeating procedure with remaining pan and 2 more pastry sheets.
• Assemble tortes:
• Sprinkle bottoms of pastry shells evenly with bread crumbs. Divide filling ingredients between pastry shells in following manner, seasoning each layer with salt and pressing each layer firmly and evenly into pans: potato mixture, 1 cup cheese (1/2 cup each), eggplant, mushroom mixture (press down firmly on mushrooms with paper towels to remove excess moisture and repeat process until towels are almost dry), roasted peppers, and remaining cup cheese.
• Roll out remaining pastry sheet on lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 16- by 12-inch rectangle, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips with a pizza wheel or a sharp knife. Brush pastry overhang with egg and arrange half of strips in a lattice pattern on top of filling in each torte. Trim strips at edge of pan. Gently press ends of strips into pastry on sides of pans, then roll overhang into inside edge of pan. Brush lattice and rolled edges with egg. Chill tortes 45 minutes.
• Bake tortes:
• Position oven rack in bottom third of oven and cover with a large sheet of foil. Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Bake tortes on foil in oven, rotating pans halfway through baking, until well browned, 45 to 50 minutes (if tortes get too brown, tent edges with foil). Transfer tortes in pans to a rack. Run a sharp knife around inside edges of pans and carefully remove sides of pans. Cool tortes at least 1 hour (to serve warm) and up to 3 hours (to serve at room temperature).

HAM AND CHEDDAR TORTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups Bisquick mix, the beans and dressing. Spread in bottom and 2 inches up side of ungreased 9x3-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set.
• Layer ham, broccoli and cheese over crust. In small bowl, stir milk, 2 tablespoons Bisquick mix and the eggs until blended; pour over cheese.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Loosen edge of torta from side of pan; remove side of pan.

VEGETABLE FRITTATA WITH CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in a microwave-safe steamer; add water. Microwave vegetables until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain off water.
• Spray an 9-inch pie pan with nonstick spray. Spread vegetables in the pie pan.
• Beat eggs in a bowl until light and lemon colored. Add Cheddar cheese, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and pour over the vegetables.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggs are set, about 35 minutes.

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.
• In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables.
• Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.
• Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.
• Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

CHEDDAR-VEGGIE APPETIZER TORTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, mushrooms, onion and red pepper in oil until tender. Spoon over cheese. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in bacon. Pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. , Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHEDDAR-VEGGIE APPETIZER TORTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, mushrooms, onion and red pepper in oil until tender. Spoon over cheese. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in bacon. Pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. , Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

ELEGANT CHEESE TORTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Remove 3-1/2 cups to a small bowl; stir in pepper and set aside. Fold olives into the remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; set aside., In another large bowl, beat cheddar cheese, cider and paprika on low speed for 1 minute. Beat on high until almost smooth. Spread half over olive layer. Top with peppered cheese mixture. Top with remaining cheddar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 6 hours or until firm., Place on serving plate and remove sides of pan. Press pecans into top; garnish with additional olives or grapes if desired. Serve with crackers.