The 12 Days of Cheesemas (Recipes!)

‘Tis the season to be cheesy … because nothing makes holiday entertaining easier than cheese!

From appetizers to entrees to desserts, cheese makes the Yuletide better—which is why, this season, Tre Stelle has brought together 12 cheese-loving Canadians to create the ultimate holiday menu, called The 12 Days of Cheesemas. Each dish was tasted and approved by top chef Kendall Collingridge (Founder Bar, Toronto) and Montreal’s culinary luminary, Bob Le Chef, who, finally, chose two winners. The best part? We’ve listed the winning recipes below, so you can recreate them at home!

Chees-on’s Greetings! —Vita Daily

It’s the Most Wonderful Pie With Paneer: Puff Pastry Samosas by Tiffany (@TiffanyInToronto)

Stuffed with paneer and traditional Indian spices and served with a fresh pepper raita, these crispy golden puff pastries are destined to be the star dish of your holiday buffet. They certainly were for chef Kendall, who gave these light and crispy samosas top marks.

6 large potatoes
1 large onion
1 small bulb of garlic
Two boxes of pre-rolled puff pastry
350g (one package) Tre Stelle Paneer Cheese 1 cup frozen green peas
2 tbsp Curry powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp melted butter

Dice potatoes into small pieces and par boil in salted water for approx 10 minutes or until soft. Mince 1 large onion and 1 small bulb garlic, add 2 tbsp butter to pan on med heat and sauté onions and garlic for approx 5 mins until translucent and soft. Add Garam masala, curry powder and cumin seeds. Add in the potatoes and fold together softly as to not mash potatoes. Cut paneer cheese into small pieces add a pinch of salt and curry powder to cheese, fold into potato mixture and set aside. Unroll puff pastry and cut into 3 x 3 inch squares. Add a tsp of potato filling to each square, fold into triangles and pinch and seal edges. Brush with melted butter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and put into oven for 12-15 mins on 375 F until puffed and golden brown.

Feta La La La La La La La Spread: Savoury Feta Spread by Nancy Bordeleau (@nancybordeleau)

Deck the halls with boughs and wows! This show-stopping addition to your cheese board is festively adorned with sprigs of rosemary, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds—a feast for the eyes and a treat for the tummy! Bob Le Chef spread some love and gave this the Star Dish award.

1 1/2 cup Tre Stelle feta cheese
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup of natural greek yogurt
2 tablespoon of rosemary, chopped finely 1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon chive, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate—the leftovers will also be delicious with crudités, grilled pitas.

For the other 10 recipes, click here! trestelle.ca