Tis the Season Easy Recipes For The Holidays

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Pear, Roast Onion, Hazelnut & Cashel Blue Cheese Salad
Pear, Roast Onion, Hazelnut & Cashel Blue Cheese Salad

If time and money are in short supply, use creativity to turn small splurges into celebrations. Here are holiday recipes that wont break the bank nor leave you exhausted afterwards.

Each recipe features an affordable import butter and cheeses from Ireland, where cows are grass-fed and milk from small farms is used to make prized dairy products.

Pear, Roast Onion, Hazelnut and Cashel Blue Cheese Salad

1 red onion, peeled

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

3 pears (not too ripe)

2 tablespoons Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter

2 ounces hazelnuts, lightly toasted, halved

5 ounces baby greens (watercress, baby spinach and frise)

10 ounces Cashel Blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons hazelnut oil

2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Halve onion and cut it into crescent slices. Put into a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes, or until soft with slightly caramelized tips. Keep warm.

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Halve and core pears, then cut lengthwise into slices slightly thicker than 1/4 inches. Melt butter in a frying pan and quickly saut on each side until golden. Dont overcook they should still hold their shape.

Toss salad greens with nuts, using most of the dressing; divide among 6 plates. Add pear and onion slices to each plate and scatter with cheese. Drizzle each plate with the rest of the dressing. Serves 6.

As featured on BBC Radio 4 Womans Hour.

Potato Chowder with Pancetta and Aged Cheddar

6 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Salt and pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Kerrygold Aged Cheddar

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook pancetta, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1/2 teaspoon fat from pan. Add onion and saut over high heat until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes, celery and broth. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add buttermilk and pancetta and stir until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings; multiply recipe for a crowd.

And for Every Holiday Get-Together, a Cheese Board

A universal favorite of guests and the easiest choice for the host is a cheese board. An assortment of Irish cheeses like Dubliner, Cashel Blue and Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with fresh fruit and chutney make a spectacular presentation.

For more holiday recipes, visit www.kerrygoldusa.com.

(Family Features)

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