June Dairy Month 2025

Sometimes, simplicity makes for the sweetest desserts.

That is exactly how Michael Goodin and his family feel about their crème brûlée recipe.

Just cream, eggs, and sugar for their go-to “fancy but secretly easy” dessert for special dinners and celebrations.

This simple and sweet dessert has taken Michael from the old traditions of his childhood and a newlywed into life as a dad, starting new traditions with his daughters.

Michael recalls that, as a child, his family would rarely have a fancy dinner out, but when they did, he and his sisters would excitedly order the crème brûlée. They would use a blowtorch at the table to melt the sugar on top into a hard, crackable and delicious crust.

Since then, it has been Michael’s favorite dessert and a family tradition for special occasions. So much so, that he first tried his hand at making the dish himself for his wife shortly after college.

Even with all the memories crème brulee now holds for Michael, his favorite memory involving this dish is the last time he made it! He and his daughters woke up early Memorial Day to make it for a family BBQ. It takes at least five hours to set in the fridge, so they knew they needed to get to work to wow everyone at dinner. His daughters got straight to work, still in their pajamas, as Dad’s master sous chefs.

They had a lot of questions and a particular curiosity about the vanilla bean and why it cost $22 for a single, straggly bean! Needless to say, they were successful in their mission, and everyone was in fact impressed at their Memorial Day dinner.

Ready to wow someone with the Goodin’s ‘fancy but secretly easy’ dessert? Take the recipe below for a spin for your next big or small celebration!

Crème Brûlée Recipe

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C)
2. Heat the cream and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick.
4. Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl.
6. Divide the custard into 4-6 ramekins and place them in a baking dish.
7. Pour hot water into the dish around the ramekins to reach halfway up their sides.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the centers are set but still slightly jiggly.
9. Remove ramekins from water and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
10. Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top of each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch or under a broiler.

The sweetest summers begin with toes like prunes from swimming and hands sticky from melting homemade ice cream. At least, that’s how it always was for Meagan.

For over thirty years, Meagan’s family has celebrated summer with a generous scoop of Grandma’s homemade strawberry ice cream. It was more than a dessert. It was a core memory generator. While kids giggled and cannonballed into the backyard pool, Meagan’s grandmother would quietly work her magic in the kitchen, churning together strawberries, cream, and a dash of joy. By the time the sun dipped low and towels were wrapped around shoulders, a cold, pink bowl of heaven was ready and waiting.

Now, with a family of her own, Meagan is bringing new life to her grandma’s recipe. As she and her husband choose to nourish their family with homemade foods, Grandma’s strawberry ice cream has found new life as a summertime staple. It’s a sweet echo of the past, served up with a bit of nostalgia and love.

Because this tradition deserves to be a sweet summer staple for many generations to come.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

• 1 ½ cups of fresh strawberries
• ½ cup of local honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla is the BEST)

1. Mix strawberries, honey and lemon juice together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
2. Mash the mixture until there are no longer any large strawberry pieces (we use a blender for this part).
3. Mix in heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract.
4. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker to process or pour into a mold and freeze.

For best results, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes to soften before serving.

We often think of comfort food as the cherished recipes passed down through generations. But how does a dish earn its spot in a family’s tradition? What turns a potluck contribution into a must-make recipe for years to come?

Brian Rosato’s mac n’ cheese is exactly that—a new favorite quickly becoming part of future traditions.

This isn’t a family heirloom recipe. It wasn’t handwritten by a grandmother or tucked away in a weathered cookbook. Instead, it’s become “Brian’s Mac n’ Cheese” thanks to its overwhelming popularity at work events.

Brian joined Dairy.com in 2018. The following year, after moving desks, he found himself seated near a coworker who brought homemade mac n’ cheese to a company potluck. One bite and he was hooked. He immediately asked for the recipe, which she happily handed over—on about eight pages of handwritten spiral notebook paper, front and back.

Brian condensed it to a single page, always ready to share with the next fan.

Since then, Brian has taken up the tradition himself. At every gathering, someone inevitably falls in love with his “killer mac n’ cheese” and asks for the recipe. It may not have come from generations of family cooks, but this dish is being passed down in a new way—through friendships.

Rosato’s Mac n’ Cheese

• 1 ½ lb. elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-quart half & half
• 1-pint heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ sticks butter
• 16 oz triple cheddar
• 8 oz sharp cheddar
• 16 oz mozzarella
• 8 oz Monterey Jack
• 1 container shredded parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C)
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except eggs and butter. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk into milk mixture.
3. Butter a 13×9 baking dish
4. Add a layer of macaroni to the bottom of the dish
5. Next, add a layer of the cheeses, then macaroni, then more cheese, then more macaroni
6. Dot the top of macaroni with pads of remaining butter
7. Top the dish with cheddar and mozzarella and sprinkle with paprika
8. Slowly pour the milk mixture all over

Bake covered with foil for 45 mins. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 mins to lightly brown top.