These Specialty Cheeses Will Elevate Any Meal

As the days are getting shorter and the temperatures begin to drop, it’s the perfect time to whip up a dinner that is bound to leave you feeling cozy and satisfied—enter Creamy Tuscan Chicken. The secret to this delectable dish is the grated BelGioioso American Grana®, a premium mature Parmesan aged for a minimum of 18 months. Perfect for a chilly evening, this dish’s depth of flavor comes from the complex, layered ingredients, tied together with a creamy cheese sauce that will warm you up from the inside out.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced small

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp. fresh oregano, roughly chopped

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated BelGioioso American Grana®, plus extra for topping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place flour in a shallow wide bowl or rimmed baking sheet, and season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken breasts to coat. Set aside.

In a large ovenproof skillet (such as a cast-iron), melt butter over medium-high heat, add chicken, and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. When chicken is browned on both sides, transfer skillet to oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, on medium heat, sauté onion and garlic until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and oregano, and sauté for 5 minutes, until cherry tomatoes soften and lightly brown.

Add spinach and cook until just wilted.

Stir in heavy cream and American Grana®, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet and nestle in the sauce, cooking until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with extra American Grana® cheese on top.

Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or a nice crusty bread.

Asparagus Pesto Tartine with Stracciatella Burrata Filling

When the weather gets warmer, meals should get simpler and brighter. And that’s exactly what happens when you top asparagus pesto tartine with BelGioioso Stracciatella Burrata Filling for the summertime lunch of your dreams. This effortlessly delicious dish is all about texture play, contrasting delicate stracciatella—the rich, milky filling inside of Burrata—with crunchy toasted bread. Add the complex flavors of asparagus pesto made with freshly grated BelGioioso American Grana®, and you’ve got the perfect lunch, summertime snack, or poolside appetizer that is as unfussy as it is impressive.

Ingredients:

(makes 2 cups pesto)

1 lb asparagus, trimmed

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup basil leaves, packed, plus more for garnish

Zest and juice of half a lemon (about 2 Tbsp. juice)

3/4 cup grated BelGioioso American Grana® or Parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

8 oz. BelGioioso Stracciatella Burrata Filling

Thick-sliced bread, grilled or toasted

Instructions:

Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and garlic, and cook until asparagus is fork-tender, about 3-5 minutes. Immediately transfer asparagus and garlic into ice bath and let cool completely.

In a food processor, combine asparagus, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, basil, lemon juice and zest, American Grana cheese, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until smooth, making sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl once or twice. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Slice bread of choice into 1-inch-thick slices, and lightly brush them with olive oil. Toast or grill until edges are charred.

Spread a thick and even layer of pesto onto toasted or grilled bread slices. Top with a generous dollop of Stracciatella Burrata Filling, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some freshly cracked black pepper, and a few basil leaves. Serve immediately.