Havarti Results

Well, December proved to be a most challenaging month. On top of all the parties, baking and shopping, I was still suffering from allegeries...and am currently still not well. So sorry it took so long to post my results.

Havarti is now one of my favorite cheeses. I always see people purchasing the cheese and now I can see, or shall I saw taste, why. Sliced it tastes like a cross between munster and colby. It is delightful on crackers or sandwiches and to DIE FOR melted.

December must have been a busy month for a lot of people, because there was only one other person who was able to participate. The ever faithful, Cristine from Cooking with Cristine.
Cristine always amazes me with not only her dishes but ablitetly to find time to do them. Since she lives in Germany she decided to make Spaetzle (German egg noodles/dumplings). I, being part German, was thrilled. This recipe looks very simple and very yummy!

Baked Spaetzle Casserole
Recipe from Recipezaar

Spatzle:
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter

Casserole Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ounces havarti cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

1. For the spatzle, mix eggs, water, salt and nutmeg well. While mixing slowly add flour until it is mixed and smooth.

2. Using a spatzle press or colander press small batches of dough into boiling water when it floats to top mix it once and continue to boil about 5 minutes (or once it floats,keep in very hot but not simmering water in separate pot, while cooking the rest).

3. Remove it from water with long tongs and put it in casserole. Cook the rest of the dough adding to the casserole or hot water. Use butter to keep them from sticking together.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F.

5. Cut bacon into small strips and saute with onion, add garlic for the last few minutes. Drain off fat.

6. In big mixing bowl add cooled spatzle, bacon mixture, shredded Havarti add salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Spray 9x13 casserole with cooking spray and pour spatzle mixture in it.

8. Cook about 30 minutes; just until it begins to brown.

I decided to go with something simple this time since I was so busy. I'm a big fan of fondue and last year my mother gave me a really nice set for Christmas. It almost a year later to find the heating source needed, though. But anyways, I decided to try melting the Havarti cheese with a half cup chicken broth. The problem was even though it melted, it was more like melted mozzarella in texture. We still had a blast scooping bread slices into it. So, Havarti isn't a fondue cheese but it was amazing melted and I will definitely melt it on some turkey or roast beef sandwich.