parmesan and sesame bites.

A little Christmas gift idea or perhaps as a festive snack for the family, these Parmesan and sesame bites are super easy to make and with only a few simple ingredients too. As part of a Christmas series with Parmigiano Reggiano, I'm embracing one of my favourite cheeses with three festive recipes. 

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, Italian cheese which has a PDO credentials. King of Cheeses, it's one of the world’s oldest and richest cheeses - still produced today as it was nine centuries ago. For hundreds of years, this very special product has only be allowed to be made in particular areas of Italy, with selected dairies and producers. The rules of cheese-making this way mean that it's always a high quality product which has a true ancient origin. The result is fantastic, I'm sure cheese lovers will agree.

winter vegetable stew with comté cheese dumplings.

Could it really be Christmas without cheese? With the festive season approaching, I’m loving homemade one pots, seasonal vegetables and curling up with a bowl of comforting stew. This Winter inspired root vegetable stew features not only Brussels sprouts, but a twist on classic dumplings.

Made better with Comté, the delicious cheesy dumplings are the perfect topping for this Winter warmer. Handcrafted an amazing 365 days a year in France, each Comté cheese wheel has its own unique character. The diverse flavours mean it can work in so many dishes - from risottos to bread and salads to gratins.

Fluffy on the inside with a moreish, crunchy topping, with that extra cheesy treat. The French artisan cheese has a slightly nutty and salty flavour which adds a real extra dimension to the dish.

parmesan, parsnip and brussels sprout gratin.

Add festive side dish to add to your repertoire; a beautifully golden gratin featuring Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, creamy parsnips and Brussels sprouts. Finished with crispy bacon lardons and breadcrumbs, this is a must-have for Christmas spread come December 25th. Parmigiano Reggiano has a striking saltiness that makes it perfect to add a new dimension of flavour and texture to gratins, as well as a natural seasoning. 

Known as the King of Cheeses, it's one of the world’s oldest and richest cheeses - still produced today as it was nine centuries ago. It has an exclusive P.D.O. protection, ensuring it can only be truly made in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the west of the Reno River and Mantua to the east of the Po River. Everyone will be a fan of Brussels sprouts this season once they've tried them with indulgent Parmesan cheese, a crunchy topping and scatterings of smoked lardons. Here's how...

macaroni ham 'n' cheese.

An indulgent twist on the classic macaroni cheese – perfect for the colder nights and rainy weekends. Cosy up with a comforting bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese, featuring the extra treat of slow cooked ham. From Fire & Smoke, their low and slow fired grilled hams are packed with mouthwatering flavours that are delicious as part of a recipe or on their own. Ideal for creating the ultimate American inspired dish, their glazed pork joints are grilled over crackling flames and then wood smoked for extra flavour. Along with a creamy cheese sauce and pasta, this recipe makes for the ultimate comfort food!

mini swedish cheese pies with västerbottensost.

i don't know about you but i hadn't heard of västerbottensost cheese before now. in terms of flavour, it is a tangy and salty cheese almost like parmesan except you could easily eat a massive chunk of it on a cheeseboard. in texture it is like a crumbly but waxy cheddar which almost melts as you grate it. 

an official swedish cheese since 1910, the story goes that dairy maid ulrika eleonora first created västerbottensost by mistake when the cheese over-curdled, allegedly as she was distracted by a lover. cheeky. i love a good romance story, expecially when it involves cheese. it is now a unique trademark of sweden, with the unmistakable w mark on the gold packaging.

salmon and red pepper cannelloni.

having not long ago made a salmon and spinach lasagne and always wanting to try out a cannelloni, i had a brainwave about using lasagne sheets to create the signature pasta rolls. this one is made of red pepper and tomato sauce with grilled salmon but i'm sure lots of combinations would be nice; perhaps lamb and aubergine, chicken and bacon or a combination of cheeses.