Hey Gang - It's Food Friday. Per Grace, it's all about CHEESE.

Cheesy Chicken Florentine

2 pkg. (12 oz. each) STOUFFER’S frozen Spinach Soufflé, defrosted according to package directions
6 (about 1 1/2 lb. total) boneless skinless chicken breast halves, seasoned with salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 cup milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarse, fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

PREHEAT oven to 375º F.

HEAT vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning once, for 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is golden brown.

COMBINE spinach soufflé, rice, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, onion, mustard and salt in large bowl; stir well. Spread onto bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish; place chicken on top of spinach mixture.

COMBINE bread crumbs, butter and remaining cheese in small bowl; sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over casserole. Cover.

BAKE for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until spinach mixture is set and top is golden brown.

Orzo with Chicken and Asiago

1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, basil, or oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine water and broth in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in peas, 1/4 cup cheese, salt, herbs, and pepper. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Garlicky Goat Cheese Potatoes

3 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1/2-cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or new potatoes
Salt
3/4 cup milk, plus extra if needed
4 to 6 ounces (1/2 to 3/4 cup) fresh goat cheese, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small ovenproof container and cover with the olive oil. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until the cloves are tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Remove the garlic cloves and place on a plate to cool. Strain the olive oil and reserve for later use. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins when cool enough to handle. Puree the garlic by chopping and smashing it with the blade and side of a knife, or with a mortar and pestle.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces. (There will be about 8 cups potatoes.) Place them in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-inch. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, place the pan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan with lid placed slightly ajar, and simmer the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

Combine the milk and goat cheese in small saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring until there are no lumps. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them, return them to the pan, and place in the still-warm oven, uncovered to dry out for 10 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them, along with the garlic, through a potato ricer or a food mill fitted with the fine disk. Alternatively, the potatoes can be whipped using an electric mixer. Add the reserved garlic oil and the goat cheese-milk mixture and whip the potatoes with a mixer or by hand, adding additional milk if too dry.

Reheat covered, over very low heat if necessary. Serve hot.

Creamy Cheddar Cheese Soup

4 ounces apple smoked bacon, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup flour
12 ounces of beer, pale ale
1 quart chicken stock
8 ounces Maytag White Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Garnish:
Chopped parsley
1/2 cup small diced toasted croutons

Brown the bacon in the soup pot. Remove excess grease. Add the butter, onions, and celery to the pot with the bacon and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Dust the flour over the vegetables and bacon, cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in the beer, and then the stock.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with chopped parsley and croutons.