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recipes

You can help fight hunger by purchasing Tillamook Cheese throughout the Food Drive. Here are some creative ways to use Tillamook Products in your everyday cooking!

Beer Cheddar Soup
This hearty take on the familiar favorite boasts a thick, luscious texture and an irresistible mingling of rich flavors thanks to the dark beer and milk. Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar enlarges the taste by adding its signature full-bodied profile to the mix. Enjoy it as a tasty lunch or as part of a multi-course dinner.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Tillamook® butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup dark beer
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red chilies, choppped
2 cups Tillamook® Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Heat butter in sauté pan. Add flour and cook on low heat. Stir mixture until it starts to bubble. Do not allow to brown. Pull off fire and set aside.
Heat milk in sauce pan until it is just ready to boil. Add garlic, salt and pepper and crushed red chilies. Stir mixture until just before boiling.
Add half of flour/butter mixture (Roux) and stir with wire whisk until at a low simmer. Additional Roux may be added to thicken. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
Turn down heat and add Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese and beer. Stir to allow cheese to melt. Texture should be smooth to the touch. May be reheated on low temp.
(Do not boil.)

Herbed Tomato Cheese Toasts
These convenient toasts deliver a winning combination of creamy and crunchy. Perfect as an appetizer or snack.

Ingredients:
For each toast:
10 (1-inch) slices Italian bread
20 ounces (5 cups) shredded Tillamook® Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
10 slices plum tomato or 5 slices ripe tomato, halved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh thyme, basil, dill or Italian parsley, minced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place bread slices on baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of cheese; place tomato slices on cheese. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with minced herbs. Top evenly with remaining cheese. Bake until edges of toast appear toasted and cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 10 toasts.

Southwest Chili Burger
Spiced up with chili powder, cilantro and our Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, this version of America’s favorite sandwich delivers a flavorful zing that both comforts and invigorates.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
4 teaspoons ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound sliced Tillamook® Pepper Jack Cheese
8 hamburger buns

Instructions:
Garnishes: Guacamole or sliced avocado, tomato and onion; lettuce; pickled jalapeno slices or pepperocinis.

Combine meat, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Form 8 equal patties, about 3/4-inch thick.

Broil, grill or pan-fry burgers until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Arrange cheese slices evenly over burgers during final minute of cooking time. Serve in buns with desired garnishes. Makes 8 servings.

Tillamook Dessert Pears
The robust Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and mellow Monterey Jack beautifully frame the juicy, sweet flavor of the Bartlett pears. Your guests will never forget this one!

Ingredients:
2 fresh Bartlett Pears, halved, cored & dipped in lemon juice
6 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup shredded Tillamook® Sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Tillamook® Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack (if you like it spicy)

Instructions:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add Grand Marnier and bring to a low boil. Add heavy cream and sugar, blending with a wire whisk.
Stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken and caramelize. Remove from heat. Spoon mixture over pears and top with cheeses. Broil pears until cheese is bubbly.

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