1-¾ cups flour

¼ cup oat bran

½ teaspoon dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter

1 egg

½ cup milk

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup finely cubed Cheddar cheese

YIELDS 12 MUFFINS

Whip up these cheesy little muffins for a nice addition to a grilled steak dinner. They're also great for breakfast on the run.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, oat bran, basil, thyme, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Cut in butter until particles are fine. In small bowl combine egg, milk, and ricotta cheese and stir until combined. Stir into flour mixture, then fold in Cheddar cheese.

2. Divide dough among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are light golden brown and firm. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes, then serve.

Substituting Cheeses

Most cheeses can be substituted for each other, as long as you make sure to keep the texture and moisture of the cheeses consistent. For example, any hard grating cheese (Romano, Parmesan, Cotija) can be substituted for another. And semi firm cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, Edam, Gruyère, and fontina) can be substituted for each other.