It’s happened to even the best of us.  After a long day of work, you come home exhausted and don’t feel like cooking. What you do feel like doing is putting your feet up and relaxing with a glass of wine. And maybe a little cheese and crackers. And another glass of wine.

That’s where I come in. I am an unapologetic lover of all things cheese (bacon as well, but that’s for another post…). Melted, cubed, sliced, you name it– I’ll eat it.  I love going to restaurants and ordering a cheese plate to share; it provides a wonderful opportunity to try out new cheese selections and often a fruit or nut pairing that works really well.  The downside is that those delicious looking plates often come with a hefty price tag and a microscopic wedge.  Here’s my budget solution to a gourmet cheese display that takes maybe 10 minutes max to put together pulling things you probably already have in your pantry and your fridge!

From L to R: jalapeno jack, pepperoni, colby jack, strawberries, fig jam, salami, olives, gorgonzola crumbles, berries, brie log

Let’s break the plate down into a few categories: meat, cheese, bread, fruit/veggies, and spreads.  While you don’t have to have everything on your plate, it’s the combination of them that really elevates a fairly lazy dinner.

Start with the cheese you can find in the fridge. Think about what you’d naturally pair with it. Got swiss cheese? How about add a few cut up slices of deli ham? Cheddar? Pull out that salami or pepperoni and add a bit.  For both of those, pickles would go really well– giving a nice, salty bite. Add a few gherkins from the jar, or better yet– call them cornichons and you’re already getting fancy! Look at you!

Next– the crackers or bread. I like to keep a big variety of crackers on hand, for just such occasions.  You could even add a few slices of crusty bread if you’ve got it on hand.

One “must have” for a cheese plate in my home is fruit. Slice up an apple and serve with colby, cheddar, or muenster. Gouda is fantastic with dried apricots. Blue cheese? Use some dried cranberries, or any fresh berry in season. Grapes are an easy go-to as well. Brie pairs well with pretty much any fruit.

Spreads– this is where your display really goes above and beyond the standard. I’ve seen and enjoyed many a cheese plate that came with a bit of honey comb, but who keeps that around? Add a tiny bit of honey to a prep bowl, add a spreading knife, and it’s pretty much the same thing. Similar with figs– I love them, but I never (emphasize NEVER) have fresh figs on hand. What I do keep in my fridge is fig jam.  Not only does it keep much longer, it goes amazingly well with brie and it’ll make a spread for the best turkey sandwich you’ve ever had! A bit of spicy mustard is also an always-welcome addition for that cheddar and salami.

Finally, the extras. I usually pile a few olives and mixed nuts into the fray just for snacking.  Put everything on to a big cutting board that you used to slice the cheese, and voila! No dishes! Depending on your wine/beer leanings, pair the whole deal with a glass of sparkling Italian wine (prosecco) or a lambic-style beer; a decent bottle of either will run you no more than $10. A final note on cheese– the biggest problem with the delectable dairy product is cost. I have never failed to find an amazing selection of affordable cheese at my local Trader Joe’s.  While I’ve found plenty of bargains, quality double-creme brie for less than $4 is something of value.

Now go out there and rummage through your pantry for your own wine and cheese night! Let us know about your favorite cheese and fruit/snack pairings!

Quick and easy comfort food does not have to be plain! This isn’t much of a recipe, but it’s a fun twist on classic grilled cheese. My friend Carolyn served this to me once during a mid-week lunch date, and I was hooked!

Grab your favorite hearty bread (Arnold’s Oatnut or 9 Grain are staples in my household) and apply butter to one side and slather pesto to the other. Sandwich a hearty slice of mozzarella between the two slices, grill on the stove and serve.

I made my first quiche last November based upon this recipe for Easy Broccoli Quiche. Since I first made the quiche, I have changed the filling a bit and eliminated the crust.

I’m not a huge fan of pie crust, and removing the crust cut the calorie count in half. The filling in this new version is puffier, thanks to an additional egg and more milk. I probably add more than 1 cup of chopped broccoli, as broccoli, eggs and cheese has become one of my new favorite food combination. While it may sound fancy and indulgent, this is a healthy, filling meal.

We frequently have breakfast for dinner. Served with a slice of whole grain toast and some fruit, this quiche makes a delicious, filling meal. It also reheats well – perfect for a quick, mess-free breakfast or dinner leftovers the following night.

Crustless Broccoli Quiche

Yields 4 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 cup shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup skim milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If using frozen broccoli, thaw before chopping.
3. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
5. Whisk together beaten eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in vegetable mixture and cheese.
6. Spray 9-inch pie pan lightly with cooking spray.
7. Pour egg mixture into pie pan, and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until center has set.

I made my first quiche on Sunday! Not only was it remarkably easy to make, but it got rave reviews from our company.

I first perused my cookbook collection, but was disappointed that the recipes called for large amounts of cream or milk. Since I have an intolerance to milk, I try to limit the amount that I use when cooking. Convinced that I could find a tasty recipe that had far less milk, I hit up allrecipes.com.

I settled on a heavily modified version of Easy Broccoli Quiche. While reviewers loved the general idea of the recipe, most said that the mix was too wet. My changes are detailed in the recipe below. As a time-saver, I used a refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust and frozen baby broccoli florets. If you’re looking to save even more time, frozen chopped onion could be used in a pinch.

I will likely add another egg next time, as the egg mixture didn’t rise to completely fill the crust. Aside from that minor criticism, I have no complaints. The egg mixture baked up nicely and was quite flavorful.

I took this photo right before everyone went back for seconds – there were no leftovers!

Broccoli Quiche

Yields 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If using frozen broccoli, thaw before chopping.
3. Melt butter in large saute pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
5. Whisk together beaten eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in vegetable mixture and cheese.
6. Place unbaked pie crust in pie pan.
7. Pour egg mixture into crust, and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

My husband and I live one mile from Panera Bread. Having quick, delicious take-out easily accessible is both a good and a bad thing. On cool fall and winter evenings, a tasty sandwich and piping hot bowl of soup really hits the spot. Since broccoli cheese soup is a favorite of ours, I figured we could save some money by occasionally making it at home.

This simple Cooking Light brocolli cheese soup recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal mid-week dinner. Served on its own or with crusty bread, it?s warm comfort-food at its best.

The original recipe calls for 2 ? cups of milk and 3 cups of chicken broth. I altered the recipe to use less milk and more broth. I also use skim milk, as opposed to 2%, because that is the kind that we keep in the house. The original recipe also recommends pureeing part of the soup to make it thicker, but I have never done this.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yields 6 1 1/3 cup servings

cooking spray or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

1) Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender.
2) Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
3) Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
4) Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
5) Stir in pepper.
6) Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.