Versatile dairy food stars in many recipes

Cheese is among America's favorite foods, and we have devised hundreds of ways to use it.

Here are some favorites:

This hearty breakfast casserole will feed a crowd and is perfect for a Sunday brunch. You can assemble the casserole the night before then pop it in the oven in the morning. Coarsely chopped Portuguese sausage would be a nice substitute for the ground pork sausage.

Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 pounds pork sausage
9 eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
8 slices sourdough bread, cubed
1 cup green onion, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 pound crumbled bacon
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Brown sausage in a frying pan, drain and cool. Beat eggs, milk, salt and garlic powder together. In a 9-by-13-inch pan, place half of the bread. Top with half of the cooked sausage, green onions, mushrooms, bacon and cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with the cheese at the top. Pour in milk mixture.

Cover and chill overnight. Bake at 350 degrees or until eggs are set, and serve. Serves 10.

This vegetable pie is ideal for a light, meatless meal or as a side dish on a buffet. You could add sauteed mushrooms, sweet peppers and fresh herbs to the mix for a livelier dish.

Cheese and Vegetable Pie

1 9-inch pastry crust, pre-baked
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup sliced zucchini
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
6 ounces Swiss cheese (11/2 cups shredded)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup half and half

Prebake pastry crust according to manufacturer's directions. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add onion and zucchini and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in flour and mix well; cool.

Toss mixture with cheese and arrange in bottom of crust. Whisk together eggs and half and half; pour into crust. Bake until pie is browned and set, about 40-45 minutes. Serves 6.

Apple pie and cheddar cheese are an ideal combination. Here, they're baked together in a crustless pie with a crisp topping.

Apple Cheddar Crumble

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tart apples, peeled and cored
Juice of one lemon
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg in a bowl.

Add butter and lightly mix until coarse and crumbly.

Slice or coarsely chop apples. Add lemon and juice and toss to prevent apples from discoloring. Mix in cheddar cheese. Place mixture in a 9-inch pie pan or in six 1-cup oven proof dishes or custard cups. Top with flour mixture. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until topping is browned.

Serves six.