Cheese

These classic little Italian dumplings are delicious in a rich creamy three-cheese sauce.

A delicious and flavourful Italian sausage and three-cheese lasagne.

You need 1kg of untrimmed spinach to get the amount of trimmed spinach needed for this recipe. Note

Whip up this light and delicious bruschetta for a quick lunch or appetiser.

It's the mixed spice, a blend of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, coriander and ginger, that makes this carrot cake so heavenly.

These flavour filled little tarts make a great shared platter for a cocktail party, or a starter for a special meal.

This meaty stew is the quintessential winter comfort food. But when you want to take it up a notch, add in these cheesy dumplings packed with the herbaceous warmth of parsley. This one is bound to become a family favourite.

These bite sized olive and cheese fritters and packed full of savoury flavour and crunch - the perfect finger food for a birthday party or event.

Mozzarella or fontina cheese can be substituted for feta cheese, if preferred. Note

Serve slices of this moreish pizza at your next party and watch as they quickly disappear.

The kids will adore these little white chocolate cups with strawberries and fruche. For a more adult version, leave out the fruche and dip the strawberries in white chocolate before arranging them in the cups.

Lasagne is always a satisfying dish. A lovely slosh of red wine and the addition of mushrooms make this recipe particularly hearty. No one will go hungry tonight.

Dolloped with whipped tomato mascarpone and crispy prosciutto, these olive pikelets are fantastic for a party.

These crispy parcels make a delicious vegetarian snack.

Delight both children and adults with these top-quality homemade sausage rolls and pizza spirals.

When the kids get home from school starving, it's a good time to slip something healthy on their plate. We've got four recipes here, muffins, smoothie, fruit dip and quesadillas, that are perfect.

These crispbreads with cheesy carrot and sultana filling make a great sandwich substitute for a healthy lunchbox.

This tasty Spanish egg dish is perfect for the lunchbox or as a light dinner with salad.

Honey cider dressing adds a real splash to this tasty goat's cheese, fig and prosciutto salad. Baby rocket leaves make the perfect peppery base.

Fresh, plump figs stuffed with nuts and cheese and then baked. Finish this gorgeous walnut and ricotta stuffed figs recipe with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce for a luscious dessert.

This classic Italian dish is pure comfort food with layers upon layers of melted cheese, pasta and hearty beef mince.

To add real zing to a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes, there's nothing like adding a handful of freshly-grated parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the mash will be. In a pinch, you can use ready flaked parmesan from a packet, but the ready-grated stuff doesn't really cut the mustard here.

If you're looking for a simple, tasty and appealing platter for a party then marinated baby bocconcini with prosciutto is your friend. Salty meat wrapped around mild, sweet cheese and spiked with basil. Perfect.

Sweet and tart, fruity and creamy, this dessert is a taste sensation that will impress any guest.

Nutty parmesan is the perfect accompaniment to fresh, crisp sliced fennel.

These tiny prosciutto wrapped bocconcini are bound to become a go-to recipe when you need something to pass around at parties, as they're completely adorable as well as delicious.

Bruschetta is one of those classic dishes that's welcome at just about any meal, from a late breakfast to a late night snack. This garlicky goat's cheese version is a creamy, tasty winner.

The slightly astringent flavour of quince is the perfect foil to the sweet creaminess of cheesecake, especially when doused in fresh lemon juice. This quince and vanilla cheesecake has our favourite granita biscuit base. Yum.

These creamy bite-sized blue cheese and garlic tarts are beautiful enjoyed as a finger food for a fancy dinner party or a light weekend snack.

Rich eggplant and tender veal make this parmigiana recipe an enduring classic, fresh sage and bocconcini finish the dish beautifully. This is one of those dishes that quickly become a firm family favourite.

These little cherry tomato and marinated bocconcini skewers pack a whole lot of flavour into each tiny bite-sized piece. They're the perfect vegetarian inclusion on a cocktail party menu.

This chocolate nougat frozen parfait is incredibly simple to make, but is bound to impress. A great way to end a special dinner party.

Serve these divine little blueberry hotcakes with walnuts and lashings of maple syrup for a decadent breakfast or brunch treat.

Slow-roasting the veal breast with a selection of vegetables adds great flavours to the juices left behind in the pan. Serve this tender, tasty meat on soft polenta with a good splash of the cooking juice.

Conchiglioni is the ideal pasta for these ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells, but you can use cannelloni in its place.

Mini pizzas are meal the kids can get involved in cooking too. Whether it be cutting the toppings or helping sprinkle the cheese, this is a good recipe to get the whole family actively involved.

Slices of creamy camembert on pumpernickel topped with pear compote make sophisticated canapes for a cocktail party.

Make a delicious pie base and crust with this parmesan cheese spiked short crust pastry recipe. You can leave the cheese out if you prefer, and even replace it with sugar for a sweet dish.

The raspberry and almond cake can be made a day ahead, then split and fill the cake with mascarpone cream on the day of serving.

Just as yummy as a pumpkin scone, and more useful for breakfast on the go or lunch-boxes. A delicious variation to this rosemary pumpkin bread is to add 100g crumbled soft goat cheese or crumbled soft blue cheese to the pumpkin mixture.

Big pasta shells are perfect for soaking up the delicious, mustardy balsamic vinaigrette on this Greek lamb, feta and eggplant pasta.

An Italian filled and baked bread - perfect for children's snacks, lunches or any time!

Made from a combination of ricotta cheese and whipped cream studded with chocolate and candied peel and topped with chocolate curls, this Sicilian cheesecake recipe is a delight.

There's something seductive about the melting cheese in this Veal Cordon Bleu that makes it timeless and one of our all-time favourites.

Rocket, garlic and chilli add lots of peppery heat to this quick but flavoursome spaghetti dish, while pine nuts and parmesan bring the whole dish together.

Giant shells stuffed with ricotta, spinach and parmesan then drenched in tomato passata and baked, this baked stuffed conchiglioni recipe is perfect winter comfort food.

Just five ingredients make this salami and rocket pizza, making it perfect when you need dinner in a hurry. If you like your pizza spicy, use a salami with chilli in it for extra bite.

You can use feta or any soft, crumbly cheese instead of the goat cheese, and toasted pecan halves make a nice change from walnuts. This roasted capsicum pasta salad makes a great lunch-box meal too.

Ricotta cheese takes the place of bechamel sauce to make this a truly quick and easy lasagne without sacrificing flavour or texture.

A rich beef lasagne with the added flavour of garlic, mushrooms and wilted spinach, this classic family dish is sure to be a hit. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad for the full retro experience.

An exquisite Mediterranean variation of a classic beef steak stuffed with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and bocconcini.

Jalapeño chillies are found in jars, sliced and pickled in brine, in the condiment or Mexican food aisle in most supermarkets. They are quite hot. Note

It’s important that the base of the bowl containing the lemon curd does not touch the simmering water. Plain un-iced sweet biscuits produce the perfect texture for a cheesecake crust, having an almost nut-like crunch. Note

The dough can be shaped into a log, wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator and slice into 1cm rounds, place on an oven tray and bake as above. Note

Place pretzels in a zip-lock plastic bag; crush roughly with a rolling pin. Combine pretzels with butter and cheeses in a medium bowl. You can make the candied bacon a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

Gluten-free bread mixes are available in plain and wholegrain, we used plain in this recipe. Note

These stuffed ricotta flowers bring together the creaminess of ricotta with the fresh tang of mint and heat of chilli for a truly flavourful summer barbecue treat.

Soft fresh goat cheese can be substituted for fetta, if desired. Note

Not suitable to microwave. Note

Pepato is an Italian sheep’s milk cheese, most often pecorino, studded with peppercorns. It is available from some delicatessens and specialty cheese shops. If you can’t find it, use pecorino or parmesan cheese with a good grinding of black pepper. Note

Spinach, capsicum and feta pizza

Each of the topping recipes here makes enough to cover four mini pizza bases. You can buy prepared pizza bases from the supermarket, they can be found in the refrigerated, freezer or bakery sections. Note

Instant polenta, available from supermarkets, comes with cooking times varying from 1-5 minutes, so it’s always best to read the packet directions. To keep polenta warm when serving, place polenta in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. If fresh figs are out of […]

Marinated bocconcini makes a great addition to antipasto platters or fresh green salads, use baby bocconcini, if available. Recipe can be refrigerated for 2 weeks. Note

When cutting cheesecake, dip the knife in hot water to ensure a clean cut. Note

To make cheesy polenta; bring the water to the boil in large saucepan; gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat; cook, stirring, about 10 minutes or until polenta thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Stand 3 minutes before serving. Note

There are some great gluten-free wraps and pizza bases available at supermarkets; to save time use these for the pizza base. Note

Lebanese bread can be substituted for prepared pizza base. Note

Watercress has deep green, clover-shaped leaves that have a peppery, spicy flavour. It is highly perishable and should be used the day it is bought. Note

You can use thinly sliced gluten-free bacon instead of the pancetta, if you like. Note

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches that originated in French cafés and are typically made with gruyère.

Creamy pumpkin and bitey feta make this simple pizza an easy meal with loads of flavour.

Fontina is a smooth, firm Italian cow’s-milk cheese with a creamy, nutty taste and brown or red rind. It is an ideal melting or grilling cheese. You can use swiss, cheddar or gouda cheeses instead. Note

We used a large (25cm diameter) thick-based packaged pizza base for this recipe. Pizza can be prepared and frozen in its unbaked form. Place frozen pizza in hot oven; allow about 10 minutes extra cooking time. Note

Gruyère is a hard-rind Swiss cheese with small holes and a nutty, slightly salty, flavour. It is a popular cheese for soufflés as it melts easily. Like a traditional soufflé, this soufflé omelette should be eaten straight away to prevent it sinking. Note

Cute little mini quiches that pack a huge blue cheese punch.