Parmesan & Thyme Crackers

These parmesan and thyme crackers are buttery, cheesy, and ideal for a cocktail hour nibble. They pair so well with a glass of bubbly, dry white wine, or an apéritif. 

Are you planning a dinner party? These would be wonderful. Imagine a shortbread cookie... only it's not a cookie, it's a perfectly crumbly savory herb butter cracker. 

Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

These scalloped potatoes with caramelized onions are a lightened up version of one of my favorite comfort foods, potatoes gratin. 

Instead of cream, this dish calls for broth and caramelized onions to add flavor. The result? An amazingly tasty and light potato dish that goes perfectly with roast beef, ham, or lamb chops.

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives, an easy, tasty, and scaleable recipe for preparing eggs for a crowd, or just one. 

Baked eggs, why haven't I ever tried them before now? These are so easy to prepare, delicious, and pretty foolproof too. 

Grilled Eggplant with Garlic and Parmesan

This grilled eggplant with garlic and parmesan is so easy to make, and the grilled eggplant contrasted with the crispy Parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumb topping will turn you into an eggplant fan, even if you weren't one before.









I had never been much of an eggplant fan, but this Italian style grilled eggplant changed my entire perspective about the vegetable.

Homemade Parmesan Potato Chips

Homemade potato chips with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of sea salt. What else can I say? They are so good! 

You'll love these homemade potato chips fresh from the fryer and sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese and sea salt. 

Creamed Spinach Gratin

This spinach gratin recipe is comprised of an already tasty creamed spinach topped with Gruyere and Parmesan, and then baked. The top is crispy and cheesy, and the inside is creamy and seriously flavorful.

 

 I have made this spinach many times, especially on holidays to accompany roast beef. It kind of reminds me of the side dishes, e.g. creamed corn and Yorkshire pudding, that would be served in the old traditional prime rib restaurants.

Roasted Pear, Parmesan, and Spiced Pecan Salad

This roasted pear, Parmesan, and spiced pecan salad is so refreshing, and it was the perfect dinner this weekend when I wanted something light. It's a tasty combination of sweet pears, salty cheese, peppery arugula, and spicy pecans.

I found some huge Asian pears in my local grocery store. They may be a bit pricey, but they were perfect for roasting, and just burst with juice when we sliced into them. In addition, I found some authentic Parmigiano Reggiano yesterday that I couldn't resist.

Zucchini Tomato Gratin

This Zucchini Tomato Gratin is one of my favorite summer dishes. It is really easy to make, and is a great way to use up all of your summer squash bounty. 

My sister first introduced me to a version of this zucchini gratin. If I remember correctly (and I've been "known" to not remember correctly), we were both new moms just trying to come up with stuff to make for dinner. 

Sweet Onion Galette with Parmesan and Mascarpone

This sweet onion galette is filled with two and a half pound of onions that have been slowly caramelized for 40 minutes (or more) to bring out their sweet flavor. 

While you can't see it, underneath the caramelized onions is a bed of Parmesan and mascarpone cream. The Parmesan cream adds such a nice richness to the filling.

Mini Quiche Lorraine

These mini quiche Lorraine, made with bacon, onions, and Gruyère cheese in a tiny pie crust, are an easy and tasty appetizer or brunch dish.

I served these little quiches as an appetizer on Christmas Eve. It was my turn to host the annual family fête, and with 26 of my most favorite people coming for dinner, I needed appetizers that would pair well with bubbly.

Jalapeño Cheddar Mini Muffin Appetizers

Jalapeño Cheddar Mini Muffins - fabulous as an easy appetizer, and delicious with a salad or a bowl of soup or chili for lunch or dinner.

These jalapeño cheddar mini muffins almost have the texture of gougères, those delicious little French poppable cheese puffs served at cocktail parties.

Lasagna for Two {or Three}

When you want classic lasagna for dinner, but do not want to make a full casserole of this hearty dish, make this lasagna for two.

This lasagna for two is wonderful for folks living alone, newlyweds and empty nesters, as well as families with small children. It would also be a wonderful treat to deliver to couples who are bringing home a new baby.

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon. Roasted asparagus. Bacon. In the world of vegetables, this recipe is pretty spectacular.

Spring is the season for asparagus. While you can get asparagus year round, the best, and freshest asparagus from local sources comes in the spring.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with Brie

Shaved asparagus pizza topped with Brie, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nearly a pound of asparagus that you have thinly shredded with a vegetable peeler.

This pizza is topped with a lot of asparagus, to the point where you will question whether there is just too much. You'll discover that the shaved asparagus shrinks down and becomes sweet and crispy after roasting until it's "just right."

Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

These Rosemary Parmesan Crackers are so thin and crispy, and full of flavor. They are perfect for hostess gifts during the holidays, if you can bring yourself to give them away.

These Rosemary Parmesan Crackers are really hard to put down once you get started. This recipe makes about 4 dozen crackers, and I'm pretty sure I ate about half of them.

Pasta Carbonara Torte

This Pasta Carbonara Torte with Tomatoes and Sage is unapologetically rich. To illustrate, the noodles are tossed in freshly fried bacon, some of the bacon fat, along with three kinds of rich and delicious cheese.

This Pasta Carbonara Torte, as its name implies, takes what is a traditional spaghetti dish, and turns it into a pasta you can slice and serve.

Zucchini Parmesan Salad

This Zucchini Parmesan Salad is an wonderful combination of raw zucchini topped with shaved Parmesan and candied pecans, and dressed with a bright lemon dressing.

The raw zucchini for this salad is cut into ribbons. I used a Y-peeler to make the ribbons, which worked perfectly. No special tool required!

Pepperoni Pizza Spinach Squares

These Pepperoni Pizza Spinach Squares are the perfect appetizer or vegetable side dish.

These pepperoni pizza spinach squares are so rich and cheesy. As a friend described them, they are "the perfect spinach delivery vehicle."

Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

These Rosemary Parmesan Cookies are the perfect combination of savory and sweet. They are the perfect appetizer for a cocktail party.

These Rosemary Parmesan Cookies are the perfect nibble for tea or with a glass of champagne or dry white wine. They have an amazing crumbly texture.

Cheesy Scalloped Zucchini

This Cheesy Scalloped Zucchini is so easy to make and is the perfect side dish for a summer barbecue. 

This Cheesy Scalloped Zucchini side dish is baked in a creamy sauce loaded with Parmesan cheese and topped with panko bread crumbs. The dish takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make from start to finish, and is also a great make-ahead side.