Cheese Soufflé

We love cheese soufflé.  This recipe from “Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cook Book" is basic but delicious.  Don’t let soufflé scare you, it’s not that hard to make and this recipe doesn’t deflate quickly either, but get folks to the table within 10 minutes after removing from the oven or less.

  Some suggestions for success: set your eggs and cheese out at least ½ hour before making your soufflé so they come to room temperature and make sure your beaters and bowls for beating egg whites are absolutely clean with no grease (I use my electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat my egg yolks with a different hand whisk).  Follow the sequence of this recipe exactly.  I usually stir a little of the egg white into the sauce to lighten the sauce before folding them together.

Use a straight-sided baking dish for maximum height.

I suggest serving this with a green vegetable or a nice salad like yesterday's orange onion salad. 

                              Cheese Soufflé

Cheese 
 1            cup  sharp cheddar cheese -- shredded

  Thick white sauce

     1/4     cup  flour, all-purpose

     1/4     cup  butter

  1            cup  whole milk

     1/2     teaspoon  dry mustard

     1/8     teaspoon  paprika
Remaining ingredients

  4            large  eggs -- separated

     1/4     Teaspoon  Cream of Tartar

1. Set out a 1 1/2 quart straight-sided casserole or individual casseroles.  Do not grease.
2. Prepare hot water and pan for water bath.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.  Shred cheese. 
4. Prepare white sauce; when it is thickened, cool slightly and add the cheese all at one time.  Stir sauce rapidly until cheese is melted.
5. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly spoon sauce into egg yolks, while stirring vigorously.  Cool until lukewarm.
6. Add cream of tartar to egg whites; beat egg whites until stiff.
7. Gently spread sauce over beaten egg whites.  Carefully fold together until just blended.
8. Turn mixture into casserole.  Insert the tip of a spoon 1" deep in casserole, 1/2- 1 " from edge; with spoon run a line around mixture to form a circle.
9. Place in a pan of hot water (1" deep).
10. Bake at 350° about 50-60 minutes, or until a silver knife comes out clean when inserted halfway between edge and center of casserole.

Serve at once (while top heat is at its height).

**Or divide mixture among six 6-8 ounce ungreased individual casseroles.  Bake 25-30 minutes until done.

4 servings

2012 Cost:  $1.58 or 40¢ per serving

Per Serving : 357 Calories; 28g Fat (70.7% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 281mg Cholesterol; 393mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat.