That's it. Christmas and New Year over for another year. As we set our good intentions for the year ahead, scribbling them down in our notepad, we are thinking about all we can do to help the planet in 2020. On our list is reducing our food waste, making the most out of every scrap in the fridge, cupboard and larder to ensure we throw next to nothing away this year.
As you open the fridge to make your next masterpiece, we'd like you to dig out any uneaten cheese you may have hidden away at the back from Christmas celebrations. It may look a little sad, dried up and at the end of its life, but have faith - we can put all this cheese to good use.
We have a whole catalogue of cheese recipes to help you turn those misshapen, squashed and odd cheese pieces to something much more comforting this January.
Five Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese
What more do you want on a cold, dark January evening than a bowl of steaming gooey pasta and cheese? The ultimate comfort food dish which sends many swooning, tucking in with their fork at the very first chance. What we love about this recipe after the festive period is that you can literally add any cheese you have leftover in your fridge into the sauce - blue cheese, smoked cheese, soft cheese, even the rinds! Melt it all into the sauce for extreme depth of flavour and 10 points from the food waste police. Once pulled out of the oven, pimp your mac 'n' cheese with whatever toppings you fancy. Combinations we love include;
- Fresh chillis, sour cream, fried onions & coriander
- Pesto, sundried tomato, basil & pine nuts
- Crispy bacon, avocado & grilled tomato
- Roasted broccoli & toasted almonds
See how to make our Mac 'n' Cheese recipe here
Cheesy Celeriac & Potato Dauphinois
Another great comfort food of winter: the humble potato. This recipe again can make use of all your cheesy scraps. Layers of potato, nutty celeriac, cream, garlic and rosemary bubble away to create a gooey hug in a dish. This recipe is by the brilliant River Cottage chef, Gill Meller and is bound to brighten up anybody's January.
See how to make our dauphinois recipe here
Campfire Cauliflower Cheese
Now, you don't have to do this one on a campfire on a beautiful beach, obviously. But we do think that getting outside in the blustery winds in January does all sorts of wonder for the mind and body. So if you're feeling mighty, go ahead and light that fire. If not, roasting the cauliflower in the comfort of your own warm kitchen will do just great too.
Again, we've chosen this one for our January cheese leftovers series because you can throw all the cheese you have into it. The different cheeses will add deep colour and flavour and will make it that much more enjoyable knowing you've managed to use up all the cheese in the fridge. Serve on the side of your next roast dinner, our simply devour in your pj's on a Tuesday night.
See how to make our Campfire Cauliflower Cheese here
