The Secret Savory Ingredient Valerie Bertinelli Adds To Homemade Lemon Bars

There are very few recipes or scenarios that can't be vastly improved by the addition of a little cheese. Sandwiches, pasta, eggs, soup, chili, and burgers can all benefit from a bit of cheddar, parmesan, or Swiss. However, you might not have tried adding cheese to your lemon bars.

Cheese isn't entirely a stranger to the dessert course. Cheese is an effective digestif following a meal, as the bacteria in some cheeses can improve gut health. Plus, the pairing of sweet and savory makes for an irresistible duo. A cheese plate decorated with fruits is a routine after-dinner treat in France. A melted slice of cheddar cheese has long found a place in apple pie recipes alongside nutmeg and brown sugar. Seadas, deep-fried pastries encasing melted pecorino cheese and coated in honey, are a classic dessert in Sardinia. And actress Valerie Bertinelli adds nearly a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to her lemon bar recipe for sweet and salty flavor.

Traditionally, a recipe for lemon bars involves a layer of gooey lemon curd poured over a simple shortbread crust. While its bright yellow filling might almost resemble a single square of American cheese, typically, lemon bars don't involve any actual cheese.

In a recipe shared by the Food Network, Bertinelli begins her zesty lemon bar recipe with a pretty standard shortbread base. She pulses ingredients together in a food processor for a sweet, crumbly crust. This is when the not-so-secret ingredient makes its appearance. Bertinelli adds ¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to all-purpose flour and confectioners sugar. She then blends in melted butter until fully incorporated.

After par-baking, Bertinelli tops the browned crust with a classic lemon curd, then chills the bars until firm. Bertinelli claims the cheese is a subtle, but necessary addition. Its nutty, salty flavor offsets the bright, citrusy lemon curd.