[recipes] Perfect Italiano Cheese - Weekend Brunch Ideas

We love brunch and I am sure you love it too. So why not starts your weekend right with some fuss free homemade cafe-style brunch in your comfort zone. You can choose between the usual egg and toast, pasta or even new ideas like Nacho Pizza which requires minimal ingredients and preparation steps which enable you to have more time to enjoy the meal with your loved ones.

Above are three different types of Perfect Italiano cheese used in the recipes featured in this post. Starting from top, we have:

- Perfect Bakes (450g) is a new full flavoured cheddar blend with a little Mozzarella for stretch and Parmesan for bite. It is a great choice for baking pasta or veggie bakes which does not go oily leaving it a beautiful golden brown top.

- Grated Mozzarella (250g or 450g) has a mild flavour and melts beautifully when baked whereas Grated Parmesan (125g or 250g) has a bold flavour which often use as sprinkle for added bite, toss in salads or as a garnish.

Therefore remember to pick up a pack or two of the cheese at your nearest supermarkets if you are keen in trying out any of these dishes. For more recipes ideas you can also check out Perfect Italiano website @ www.perfectitaliano.com.sg\recipes

CORNCOB AND SWEET POTATO WITH CHEESY BACON BITS

[Weekend Brunch] Corncobs and Sweet Potato with cheesy bacon bits

We love sweet corn in various ways such as corn on the cob; ground to polenta, corn bread or soup as well as the simple boiled/steamed corn serves with dab of butter. For this hearty Corncob and Sweet Potato bake we use two types of corns and sweet potato for colour contract, texture and taste.

Besides that the savoury taste of melted cheese and crunch of bacon bits on the soft sweet potato would also put you in surprised too. Oh not to forget the the plump pearl corn (珍珠玉米) that comes with a mixture of white, cream and yellow kernels which are sweeter than the usual ones.

Ingredients for corncobs and sweet potato with cheesy bacon bits.

(Yield: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Baking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Large Corncobs, husks and silks removed
2 Medium Sweet Potato, half lengthwise
2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Low-salt Bacon Rashers, finely chopping
1/3 Cup Perfect Italiano Grated Parmesan
1/2 Cup Perfect Italiano Grated Mozzarella
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
Some Chopped Spring Onion

Method:
1. Trim and cut each corn cob into half, cook them in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Alternately steamed corn cobs together with sweet potato on medium heat for 8 minutes.

Steps on preparing the bacon bits.

2. Meanwhile sauté bacon in a frying pan with oil over medium low heat until crisp, remove and set aside. Using the same pan sauté minced garlic and spring onion for 30 seconds; toss in bacon, give it a few stirs remove and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F). Combine two types of cheese together in a bowl and toss well.

4. Place corn cobs and sweet potato in a greased casserole dish, scatter cheese and bacon mixture on top. Season with pepper and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melted and turn golden.

[Weekend Brunch] Corncobs and Sweet Potato with Cheesy Bacon Bits.

5. Remove and stand for 2 minutes before serving.

HOLE IN BREAD EGG

[Weekend Brunch] Hole in bread egg

Hole In Bread Egg is an all-time favourite dish that works perfectly for a weekend family brunch. Depends on your family preference you can easily prepare it with different style of bread such as thick toast, brioche, sourdough and etc. On top of that you can add on some sides like baked beans, bacon, sausage, hashbrown or salad greens.

(Yield: 4 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
4 Slices of Sourdough Bread
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
A Knob of Butter
4 Farm Fresh Eggs
Handful of Cherry Tomato, halved
1/4 Cup of Perfect Italiano Grated Parmesan Cheese

Steps in preparing hole in bread egg

Method:
1. Using an egg ring or shaped cutter to cut a shape out from the centre of the bread.

2. Lightly brush both side of the bread with olive oil.

3. Heat up a skillet or frying pan over medium low heat with butter and remaining oil, add in bread and cook for 2 minutes until golden.

4. Turn the bread over and carefully crack an egg into the holes, add some cherry tomato on the side. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the egg white has set.

5. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese on the toast and serve immediately with a spoonful of tomato pasta sauce, some salad greens or baked corncobs shown above. 

NACHO PIZZA

[Weekend Brunch] Nacho Pizza. Perfect for movie night or quick weekend brunch.

We love to munch on popcorns or Nacho chips especially the cheesy flavour ones while watching movies. So here for a hearty brunch ideas we are going to turn these addictive chips into an incredibly delicious Nacho Pizza that is loaded with a new pizza toppings using ground meat, baked beans and avocado. Trust us, this new way of making pizza is so yummy that everything will be gone within minutes. Just imagine each bite is filled with crisp nacho chip that top with meat, beans and avocado in melted cheese. Gosh! You would love this!

Ingredients for nacho pizza.

(Yield: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Baking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
120g Corn Chips (nacho)
150g Ground Meat
1 Can (200g) Baked Beans In Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Cup Perfect Italiano Perfect Bake Cheese
1 Tablespoon Perfect Italiano Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Avocado, diced
6 Cherry Tomato, halved
Some Sweet Paprika / Chilli Flakes, optional

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a rectangle baking tray with parchment paper then scatter corn chips on it and set aside.

2. Preheat frying pan with 1/2 Tablespoon cooking oil on medium low heat, toss in minced garlic and sauté for 10 seconds till fragrant.

3. Next add in ground meat and cook by stirring to break up lumps for 3 minutes or until cooked before adding in baked beans and continue to cook for another 2 minutes till sauce is absorbed and beans are heated.

Cooking Tips:
~ You can skip the cooking steps above, by using roast chicken (shredded) or pull pork instead of ground meat.

~ Drain the tomato sauce in the baked beans before adding it onto the nacho chips so that the chips won't get too soggy.

Steps on preparing nacho pizza.

4. Spoon meat mixture evenly over corn chips and top with 1/2 cup of Perfect Bake Cheese.

5. Next scatter avocado, tomato and remaining cheese over it and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and brown in colour.

Nacho Pizza serves with lemon fizzy drink.

6. Remove, sprinkle with some chilli flakes and grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

CHEESY BAKED SALMON PENNE

Cheesy baked salmon penne.

Everyone loves fuss free cooking especially busy mum who aims to prepare health and yet quick meals preferably done in one pot/dish. This super easy bake pasta dish allows you to customize with add-on like ground meat, sautéed mushroom, sausage or seafood of your choice. Best of all with only FOUR simple ingredients you would be able to enjoy a bubbling casserole together with the family in 30 minutes. So why not try this Baked Salmon Penne tonight with your favourite pasta (macaroni, penne or fusilli), meat or veggie plus a good amount of Perfect Bakes cheese to enhance the taste.

Ingredients for baked salmon penne.

(Yield: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Baking: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:
1.5 Cup Uncooked Penne
200g Salmon Fillet, sliced
1 Cup Tomato Base Pasta Sauce
1.5 Cup Perfect Italiano Perfect Bake Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. In a pot of boiling salted water cook penne according to packet instructions or until al dente. Rinse, drain well and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F). Lightly grease an oval casserole dish (26cm or 10") with cooking spray or butter.

Steps on preparing baked salmon penne

3. Next add in pasta sauce, follow by cooked penne and toss well with 1 cup of Perfect Bake Cheese.

4. Arrange salmon on top, scatter with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and cover it lightly with aluminium foil making sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and browned in colour.

6. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking Tips:
~ Instead of salmon, sautéed mushrooms or ground meat will go well with this dish too.

~ To prevent the pasta from oven baked and become too soft, reduce the cooking time 2 - 3 minutes in step 1 mentioned above.

FREE PERFECT ITALIANO COOKING KIT
(redeem with every purchase of S$30 Perfect Italiano products)

From 15 May - 15 July 2015, with every purchase of SG$30.00 (accumulated receipt are allowed) worth Perfect Italiano products, you can redeem a limited set of FREE Perfect Italiano Cooking Kit which includes 1 cutting board, 1 cheese shaker, 1 spaghetti scooper, 1 pizza cutter and 1 recipe booklet.

photo credit: Perfect Italiano SG website

Promotion only limited to 700 sets on a first-come, first-served basis. More detail available at http://perfectitaliano.com.sg/promotions.

Lastly hope these fuss-free brunch ideas will help to boost your confident in preparing some delicious homecook meal over the weekend. Furthermore some of the recipes like nacho pizza or baked penne are quite kids' friendly in a way that mum only needs to give a little help or supervision on using the stove and oven. So mum and kid(s), why not work together to prepare a hearty brunch for dad on this coming Father's Day to reward him for his love and contributions to the family.


Disclaimer: This post is brought to you in partnership with Nuffnang and Perfect Italiano.