Cheesy Advents with Primula

Primula Cheese and dips are well known. Fifteen million tubes of Primula cheese are sold in the UK each year, that's a very respectable figure.
"A natural source of calcium and dairy protein, Primula’s spreadable cheese is packed with cheesy goodness.  In fact, Primula contains the highest amount of real cheese of any cheese spread, so you can rest assured that your kids are on their way to getting their daily calcium and protein quota. What’s more, Primula contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and is gluten free.  Plus we use real ham, chives and prawns in the flavoured cheeses. It is suitable for vegetarians (except Ham and Prawn varieties) and is pasteurised, making it suitable for pregnant women. It is also Gluten Free."
Did you know that the recipe for Primula's famous spreadable cheese is a closely guarded secret.
When I told this to my younger son, he asked if it is guarded by the dogs.
Primula was first created in 1924 by Olav Kavli in Bergen, and has been sold in the UK since 1929.

As with many well known products, sometimes you need to look afresh at them to appreciate them more.
The spreads are smooth and go well with crackers, but beyond the crackers and oatcakes and sandwiches, how could you use Primula?

Primula Cheese & Chive spread tube works well in sauces for pasta or as a sauce for meat.
For a quick supper, cook beef with a three-cheese sauce. My original plan was to prepare the steaks with the cheese sauce, but I have started slicing one of the steaks absent-mindedly, and then thought Doh, I'll have to change the plan. So, I cooked a quick stir-fry instead.

Cut the steak into thin strips, heat the oil in the frying pan and add the beef and thinly sliced onion. Season well with sea salt and pepper. Fry for 3 minutes on each side, turning over. Remove the meat, and add the cheese to the onion. I have used a chunk of Stilton (about 80g), half a tube of Primula and grated cheddar (about 2tbsp). Once all the cheese has melted, place the beef back and stir well.
Serve with mashed potatoes or basmati rice and green beans.

Beef in three cheese sauce

Primula can be successfully used as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes.

Treat the family and friends to Primula Santa's Cheese cakes around the fire or wake the family up on Christmas morning with cheesy Breakfast Egg Muffins with Primula’s tasty NEW selection of recipes, featuring every mum’s secret helper; Primula’s scrummy tubes of cheesiness!

My version of Primula Santa's cheese cake

Primula Santa’s Cheese Cakes

Primula Santa Cheese Cakes (photo and recipe courtesy of Primula)

Give the family something to ho ho ho! about with scrumptious bite sized Primula Santa Cheese Cakes – a decadent way of using Primula Original Cheese in your festive baking

Ingredients:

1 tube of Primula Original Cheese
4 ginger biscuits
3 digestive biscuits
12 strawberries
60g icing sugar
200ml double cream
50g butter
3 gelatine leaves
1tsp vanilla extract
12 cupcake liners (5cm in diameter)

Method:

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Put the digestive and ginger biscuits in a sandwich bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they are a crumbly powder.
Mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter until it starts to join together.
Place a spoonful of the biscuit mixture in the base of each cupcake liner and press down firmly to the bottom using a teaspoon until each base is roughly 1cm in thickness. It is easier to pop the liners in a cupcake-baking tray, as they will keep their shape. Place in the fridge to set whilst you make the cheese mix.
Squeeze Primula Original Cheese into a mixing bowl and add the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Mix to a smooth consistency.
In a separate bowl whip up 150ml double cream until it stands in stiff peaks. Fold the cream into the cheese mixture.
Follow the gelatine mix as described on the packaging and stir thoroughly through the cheese.
Take the bases from the fridge and spoon in the cheesecake mix on top (2.5cm thick) and place inside the fridge to set overnight.
Take the cheesecakes out of the fridge and remove the liners. To decorate, cut the tops off 12 strawberries. Place the strawberries upside down on the top to look like a Santa hat.
Whip up the remaining double cream, until it stands in stiff peaks and put into a piping bag. Pipe a tiny decorative silver ball on the top of every strawberry and a ring of balls around the base. This will look like the fur parts of the hat! Serve and enjoy!

For more recipes and product information visit Primula.

You can also follow Primula on Facebook.

Disclosure: I received two tubes of Primula for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.