Ricotta Cheese Souffle with Thyme

 I was rifling through my recipes the other day and stumbled not his oldie but goodie.  This recipe was a conglomeration of a few recipes and was purely experimental....before food blogs, the internet, and the Food Network existed.  At the time I shared my house with two other captive food taste testers, and they both agreed that this recipe experiment was the bomb! I was reading it as I was scouring my recipe box for something to try in the gluten free version....and realized it can be gluten free!  So here you go....my experimental Souffle:


Ricotta Cheese Souffle with Thyme

2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 C gluten free all purpose flour mix (I used Better Batter Flour Mix)
1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp dry white wine
3 1/2 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 large eggs separated, plus three large egg whites
1/4 C grated white cheddar or monterey jack

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter/grease a 1 qt. casserole dish and add grated parmesan to coat the dish.

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to melted butter over low heat until blended.  Whisk in milk, wine, and mustard and cooker for about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and add ricotta and 1tsp of the thyme leaves.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in egg yolks.  Scrape mixture into a large bowl and place plastic wrap over the top.  Set aside.

In a large stainless bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.  With a large spatula, fold 1/3 egg whites into the soufflé mixture.  Then fold in the remaining egg whites until a few streaks remain.

Gently scrape mixture into prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with cheddar/jack cheese, the remaining 1/2 tsp thyme, and some salt/pepper.  Bake soufflé for 25 minutes or until risen and golden on top.