Make Your Holiday Gatherings #EasyCheesy With Stella®- Baked Pepper Romano Crisps Recipe

Momma Told Me: Who has time for that?

Growing up my mother's most popular recipes often involved 4 ingredients or less.

I recall, one holiday season, walking into my classroom's holiday play banquet- card tables lined up with Crock Pots and foiled platters. And, at the end of the line, on the dessert table, there was a beautiful tray of hand iced homemade sugar cookies with each child's name and silhouette on them. They looked as though they'd taken forever to make. Momma, however, was quick to comment under her breath how the mother who'd brought them should have put more time into how they tasted- not how they looked. But, truthfully, great holiday treats can do both- taste and look delicious, and you really only need one key secret ingredient- cheese.

Every year I attend countless holiday pot lucks, house warmings, family affairs, and seasonal affairs where I am expected to bring something tasty. There's always that pretense of  'it's the thought that counts' and bringing something is 'better than nothing' but as Pinterest inspires more than Martha Stewart ever dreamed to reach, expectations are definitely felt. I can't just slap some deli meat and cheese on a platter and call it festive- so I take a few extra minutes to layer my platter to look like a tree- with a few sprigs of fresh thyme in between. It never ceases to WOW everyone who walks by.

If your crowd isn't quite the finger food, platter type- perhaps you have an affair with some delicious wine involved? Making a delicious cheese ball out of your favorite soft cheese is the perfect way to seem pretentious when all you did was roll balls of cheese in colorful toppings. Cheese balls have been gaining in popularity over the past few years and can really become the centerpiece of a spread whether you go small with variety, or big with decor. In fact, I saw a cheese ball decorated with almonds to look like a pine-cone I intend on trying next Fall.

For those who like to feel like they've done a little more than take something delicious and slap it on a plate with fancy presentation, a delicious fondue-style cheese dip does wonders to elevate your culinary standing. Goat Cheese or Gorgonzola, for example, melts beautifully with fresh blueberries, and browns in the most delicious of bubbly ways. The purple color of the cooked blueberries is almost as delightful as the tart flavors mixed with the slightly sweet pungent cheeses. Serve with some sourdough crisps for a delicious pairing.

Of course my personal favorite way to serve cheese for a holiday gathering requires only one ingredient, and relies on truly delicious cheese, as it is the one and only star. I always keep an eye out for Stella® brand cheese, a brand with rich Italian heritage dating back to 1923. Their portfolio of fine cheeses includes everything from Blue Cheese and Feta or Fontina to Ricotta, Provolone, and Swiss. I find them locally in the deli cheese (that's craft and specialty cheese) cases at my favorite Ralphs or Vons, but you can find your nearest retailer here.

On my most recent shopping trip I happened across a few specialty varieties of Stella® Romano, including Black Pepper Romano, with the most inviting cracked peppercorn rind. I don't often bring hard cheeses to seasonal events- it's something I'll typically pair with wine, or use to highlight a recipe. However, when I tasted this particular variation I new it would be the perfect excuse to make 1-Ingredient Baked Pepper Romano Cheese Crisps.

Are you ready for my top secret recipe?

Grab your Stella® Black Pepper Romano cheese and grate it fine- about half  an 8oz wedge will yield 1 cup of loosely packed fine shredded cheese, and will make about 15 1.5" baked cheese crisps. Preheat your oven to 315F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (preferred, foil may be used but will cause cheese to continue cooking after removal and could cause issues with sticking.) Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of fine shredded Stella® Black Pepper Romano approximately 1" apart on your lined baking sheet. Don't heap your cheese, an even circle will bake most uniform.

Once your cheese begins to flatten and bubble, as to create pockets in the cheese, your crisps are about done. This typically takes about 3-4 minutes, but will vary depending on your cooking surface and style of sprinkling. If the cheese begins to turn 3-4 shades darker then you are ready to take them out and transfer them to cool- do not let your cheese brown or it will become bitter.

These single ingredient Stella® Black Pepper Baked Romano Cheese crisps make a delicious snack at any party, or can be crumbled on a variety of seasonal dishes, or even salads. Unfortunately, they never last very long though- nobody can ever eat just 1 or 2!

If you're as passionate as I am about fine cheese being a champion ingredient then head on over to Stella® Cheeses and enter to win a trip for 2 to Napa Valley, California!

What Daughter Says: Delicious doesn't have to be complicated during the holidays.