Make-Ahead Cheese and Chile Souffle

* Exported from MasterCook *

Make-Ahead Cheese and Chile Souffle

Recipe By : the California Culinary Academy
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Make-Ahead Dishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
6 ounces cheddar cheese -- shredded
4 tablespoons bottled hot chile salsa -- or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs -- separated

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8-cup souffle dish;
set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour
until mixture is smooth. Whisk in milk.

3. Whisk sauce over medium-high heat until it boils and thickens. Remove
pan from heat.

4. Add cheese, salsa, and salt; stir until cheese melts. Beat in egg yolks.

5. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat egg whites until they hold soft,
moist peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into cheese mixture to lighten it;
fold in remaining whites.

6. Pour mixture into prepared souffle dish and bake in preheated oven 30
to 40 minutes.

* Timesaver Tip: To make ahead: Prepare recipe through step 4. Cover
surface of mixture with wax paper and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Put egg
whites in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. To complete dish, bring cheese
mixture and egg whites to room temperature (this can be done quickly in a
microwave oven at a low setting) and continue with steps 5 and 6.
(Refrigeration is not necessary if recipe is prepared only a few hours in
advance.)

To make ahead and freeze: Prepare recipe through step 5. Wrap
freezer-to-oven souffle dish in aluminum foil. Label, date, and freeze up
to 2 months. To serve, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove foil and put
souffle dish directly into oven from freezer; do not thaw. Bake 50 to 55
minutes. Souffle will be puffy and the top well browned. Serve immediately.

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NOTES : This dish can be partially completed, refrigerated up to 24 hours,
and then finished, or the souffle mixture can be made aheand and frozen,
then baked direct from the freezer. Although the souffle won't rise as
high as usual when it has been frozen, the resulting dish is nonethelss
surprisingly light and delicious.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 1325 0 0