Not So Healthy Homemade Parmesan Cheese-its



Confession. I feel a bit odd putting up a recipe that though gluten-free, is not exactly as healthy as it could be. But you know, sometimes you just need a salty, buttery snack and for all those with gluten-free kiddos, I'm telling you this---they are perfection. Salty, sweet, flaky, crunchy, cheesy.... sometimes you just gotta satisfy a craving and truth be told, to date I have not found a good gluten-free cracker that didn't taste "gluten free" until I stumbled upon this gem.

I tweeked the recipe in the post before because to be real cheese-its, they have to be oozing cheese in every little bite. I mean, who doesn't like more cheese?

I also needed an excuse to use the massive amounts of grated parmesan I had left over from yesterday. My husband and I are affectionately calling it "the Great Cheese Debacle of 2011." I had mistakenly sent my culinary miscreant husband to the store to get parmesan cheese. He came back with a non-name aged parmesan that was simply too soft to even grate. A fight ensued and to make things right he bought me entirely too much parmesan reggiano. Gotta love a man who apologizes with cheese right?

So on to the recipe.

You'll need:

2 tablespoons gluten free cornmeal
3/4 cup gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 3/4 cups parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg


Mix the flour, cornmeal, parmesan, and softened butter together with a fork. Add the salt and the egg and continue to stir with a fork until the whole thing sticks together. Place the batter on wax paper with another piece on top and roll out to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut into squares one inch by one inch, dust with salt, and bake on 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 50.

Trust me, these taste exactly like cheese-its. My husband was popping them in his mouth before I could even get them into a container. These are not the healthiest little buggers. Whether you use butter or coconut oil you're getting a huge helping of fat, and not necessarily healthy, but everything in moderation right?

Find other yummy treats here at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and here at Mess Hall to Bistro's Made from Scratch Tuesdays.