Gee "Whiz" This One Is Cheesy!

We all have guilty pleasures. I have no shame in admitting that one of mine is Cheese Whiz. There is just something incredibly comforting about that ooey gooey cheese sauce, whether it is oozing out of a sandwich, smothering nachos, or the sound of stirring it into macaroni and cheese. I recently made my own homemade Cheese Whiz and the first dish I used it in was Philly Cheesesteak Sliders.

Homemade Cheese Whiz is very easy to make. I heated one cup evaporated milk just until it was steaming and then I whisked in one cup shredded cheddar, eight ounces Velveeta, and two ounces softened cream cheese.

I also added one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, one half teaspoon dry mustard, and one quarter teaspoon paprika. I tasted for seasoning and added a pinch of salt and black pepper. I let it simmer, but not boil and then I kept it warm while I worked on the sliders.

For the sliders, I heated a drizzle of canola oil over medium high heat.

I added one pound of thinly shaved beef with one thinly sliced onion, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few dashes Worcestershire sauce.

When the steak was almost cooked and the onions softened, I added a teaspoon of minced garlic, tossing to combine.

I toasted my slider buns on a sheet pan in a 375 degree oven for a few minutes before I began to assemble.

I added a full layer of the meat and onion mixture.

The best part was drizzling the homemade Cheese Whiz all over the meat and then adding the slider bun tops.

In a small pot, I melted two tablespoons butter with one minced garlic clove, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. I brushed the butter mixture all over the tops, sprinkled on more salt and pepper, and popped the pan back into the oven until golden and toasty, around 10 minutes.

I topped with pickled jalapeños and they were ready to eat!

And now for even more cheesy goodness in a grown up version of a kid classic! Not only cheesy, but also crispy - Parmesan Panko Fish Sticks with Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese! This just screams comfort food! I cut a pound of cod into sticks and seasoned them generously with salt before letting them sit for an hour. I built a standard breading station consisting of a bowl with seasoned flour (salt and pepper), a bowl with two beaten eggs with a splash of water, and a bowl of Panko bread crumbs combined with Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of lemon zest, and fresh chopped parsley. I dredged the cod in the flour, then the egg, and finally the Panko. I shallow-fried them in a cup of canola oil until golden and crispy, turning every few minutes, approximately 6 minutes total. I placed them on a rack over a sheet pan and sprinkled with salt.

For the mac, I started by melting one half stick of butter in a large dutch oven. Once melted, I whisked in one quarter cup flour until a smooth paste had formed.

I lowered the heat and added two cups whole milk, one cup heavy cream, two teaspoons dried mustard, and one teaspoon salt.

I whisked for several minutes until it had thickened, and then added four cups shredded white cheddar and two ounces white American cheese.

Once all of the cheese had melted, I added one pound of shells that I cooked in heavily salted water until al dente.

To serve, I filled bowls with the mac, topped with the Panko fish sticks, and finished with a lemon wedge and fresh parsley.

Still not enough cheese? Ok then! You have heard of Green Bean Casserole, but have you heard of Green Bean Cobbler? Well now you have. Bubbly creamy green bean casserole base topped with cheesy biscuit dough and then baked. I started on the dough by whisking together one and a half cups flour with two teaspoons baking powder and one teaspoon kosher salt. I cut four tablespoons cold butter into small cubes and using my clean hands, I combined with the flour mixture until crumbly. Finally, I added one and a half cups shredded cheddar and two tablespoons chopped parsley. For the wet component, I added two thirds cup half-and-half and used my Star Wars spatula to combined just until mixed.

For the creamy green bean mixture, I melted one half stick of butter in a large skillet and added one half diced onion, cooking until softened, around 4 minutes. I then added eight ounces sliced cremini mushrooms and cooked for 8 minutes, until the mushrooms had released their liquid and started to brown. I seasoned with salt and pepper.

I next added a handful of fresh thyme sprigs.

I sprinkled five tablespoons flour on the mushroom mixture, stirred until the flour taste had cooked out, and then added two and a half cups each chicken stock and half-and-half, whisking until there were no lumps. I stirred until it had thickened, around 5 minutes.

I removed the thyme sprigs and stirred in one pound of green beans that I cut into one-inch pieces, plus another teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon black pepper, tasting for seasoning. Finally, I broke off walnut-sized pieces of the biscuit dough and scattered all over the top.

I baked at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbly.

The final step was to sprinkle on fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes.

More cheesy and creamy goodness is on the way! Stay tuned!