Friends Of Elsie

The Big Game is just around the corner, which means tailgating with friends and family. As you huddle up to create your game day menu, don’t get sidelined by forgetting the cheese. It’s versatile and adds fabulous flavor, color and texture to dips, salads or appetizers – even desserts. Or if you’re looking to call simple plays, just pair your favorite cheeses with crackers, breads and fruit.

No matter how you decide to tackle your Big Game fare, including cheese will ensure you score points with your favorite fans and end your season with a win! Try some of Borden’s member family recipes listed below or check out additional dishes at www.FriendsOfElsie.com/recipes.

Chapman Southwest Pepperjack Chicken Quesadillas Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 10-inch tortillas
• 8 slices Borden® Southwest Pepperjack Singles Sensations®
• 4 tablespoons scallions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin
• 1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles, drained
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Directions

Brush tortilla lightly with oil; turn over and top with two slices of Borden Southwest Pepperjack Singles Sensations, being careful not to let cheese hang outside the tortilla. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon scallions, 1 tablespoon cilantro and a quarter of the chicken, followed by 1 tablespoon green chiles. Fold the other half of the tortilla over to form a half moon. Assemble the other quesadillas in the same manner. (Quesadillas may be prepared to this point several hours in advance; individually wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate). Over moderate heat, using a grill pan or outside barbecue grill, cook quesadillas 1 or 2 at a time, turning until cheese is melted. Transfer to cutting board using a large spatula. Cut quesadillas into quarters; serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Otten Family All-American Slammers

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 6 slices Borden® American Singles or Borden Southwest Pepperjack Singles Sensations
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 12 bakery-style mini tea rolls, sliced horizontally, toasted
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cup diced ripe tomatoes

Directions

Shape ground beef into 12 patties (about 2 ounces each). Season burger patties with salt and pepper and pan grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Top each burger with 1/2 slice cheese; heat until cheese melts. Combine mayonnaise and ranch dressing in small bowl; spread on bottom half of each roll. Top each roll evenly with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, 1 mini burger and top half of roll.

As Andy Williams croons, “Iiiiiiiii’m dreaming of a whiiiiite Christmas.”

But unfortunately, the Michigan weather people don't agree. Barring a yuletide miracle, I won’t be watching fluffy white flakes floating down on December 25. Though I’m dreaming of white, it’ll likely be a brown Christmas.

Now, not to be misunderstood, I don’t love snow. After over a year of commuting to the city every day (80 minutes away), I have a strained relationship with the white stuff. While children dream of sledding, hot chocolate and snow angels, I think of icy roads, frozen steering wheels and occasional trips into the ditch. But Christmas is the one day when I welcome snow. Alas, it might not be in the cards this year.

It’s a shame. Our dairy is nestled into a hillside and there is nothing prettier than looking out the window to see rolling hills covered in white.

Snow or no snow, we’re still looking forward to our yuletide celebrations. The dairy man and I did nearly all of our Christmas shopping last week. My feet are still aching. But it’s next to impossible to get a farmer to the mall more than once or twice a year, so you seize a mall day with both hands. (Despite the dairy man’s protests, you cannot buy gifts for everyone in the family at Tractor Supply.)

Now we just hope the dairy will avoid any major disasters during the holidays. Many a Christmas gathering in our family has been broken up by the ringing of a farmer’s cell phone. They’re like firemen, waiting for the call. And the cows still have to be milked, calves still have to be birthed, animals still have to be fed. They don’t take a break for Christmas.

But, really, it’s all worth it. As the dairy man simply loves to remind me, what would Christmas be without dairy? Can you imagine your apple pie without ice cream? Your wine without cheese? Your egg without nog? He’s proud of our products, and I’m proud of him. You know your work ethic is a step above the rest when you have to change a tractor tire before Christmas dinner.

Because this season is ripe with bovine puns, allow me to wish you and your families dairy Merry Christmas!

To read more tales of how I came to find myself in this crazy world of dairy, check out my blog at modernfarmwife.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at @ModernFarmWife!

Jessica Folkema, (the unlikely farm wife) at County Folk Dairy

Now that the 2011 Friends of Elsie® Tour has come to an end, we've been busy focusing on other exciting endeavors – like spreading the word about our new Pizza String Cheese. It combines the great taste of pizza with the convenience of string cheese, and we're hoping you'll enjoy it as much as our newest friends from the North Carolina State Fair, who had the chance to do some taste testing. (“Mmmm… this is goooood!” is what we heard over and over again.)

We really could go on and on about this new and tasty snack, but we would rather have you experience it for yourself. Visit select Walmart® stores to pick up Pizza String Cheese for your family, and don't forget to let us know what you think.