Cheese

dragon_girl26

Let's talk about one of my favorite foods! :-)
Here in the Midwest, cheese is treated almost like a condiment. I've had to teach myself to break the habit of just mindlessly adding it to everything, especially shredded cheese, to things like salads as it adds little flavor but quickly packs on extra calories. I prefer to find better ways to use it more deliberately, if that makes sense, instead of cutting it out entirely. What do you consider to be the best or most flavorful kind of cheese, and/or what do you like to eat it with?
For instance, I've recently discovered White Stilton with blueberries. A small piece of it is almost like eating cheesecake...

peleroja

Goat cheese. The light stuff is only about 60 calories for 30g and it's delicious and flavourful. My favourite way to eat it is probably with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and balsamic on top of whatever protein I'm eating but it's great in salads too.

AmazonMayan

I eat cheese every day. I mostly use stronger flavored ones to get really good cheesy flavor for less calories because you need less quantity for flavor. Goat cheese, a good bleu cheese, parmesan for sprinkling when you really want cheese taste but have limited calories to spare for it, etc. I buy the little bits of cheese under $5 at whole foods sometimes that way I can find some really tasty ones that are worth the calories. I love brie.....love love love brie but I don't eat it often.

I don't put cheese on or in anything where the flavor disappears - where other flavors in the dish overwhelm the flavor. Then I can have cheese in something else or even nibble on an ounce of sharp cheddar.

I use laughing cow lite swiss when I want the creaminess of a cheese for few calories.

Now I really want some Stilton with blueberries.

finneyjason218

I'm also from the midwest, and I also put cheese on everything. Because it is delicious and always worth the calories. In fact, I think I may have problems reaching my fat requirements without it. I'm on a high protein, high fat diet so cheese fits in very nicely. Maybe try one of those, and you can just eat cheese all day!

juggernaut1974

SoDamnHungry

I thought everyone put cheese all over everything. ...to be fair, I'm also from the Midwest.

PiSquared

Mmmm...cheese...

Someone already mentioned goat cheese. It is delicious! I love it as a spread on roasted veggie sandwiches, and also spinkled on salads. Salad greens, chicken breast (if you're feeling particularly lazy pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket), strawberries, goat cheese, and walnuts are an awesome combination. A nice breakfast is a bagel or toast with goat cheese, sliced apple, and honey.

Brie is one of my favorites. Creamy and buttery, without smelling like old gym socks. Super tasty by itself or on crackers. Super yummy with chicken and peaches in a quesadilla. Brie and strawberries is my all time favorite snack.

I am a huge fan of blue cheeses. I can eat them plain or on crackers as a snack. They're also great on entree salads. Salad greens, thinly sliced flank steak, blue cheese, plums, and pecans are another winning salad combo. Blue cheeses work really well with red meat. Blue cheese on a burger is divine, especially if you go all out and add bacon and a side of sweet potato fries.

Feta is great in anything Greek or Mediterranean. It also works well with fruit. Watermelon, feta, and mint is awesome in the summer time.

Now that I think about it, I just like cheese and fruit!

dragon_girl26

PiSquared wrote: »

Mmmm...cheese...

Someone already mentioned goat cheese. It is delicious! I love it as a spread on roasted veggie sandwiches, and also spinkled on salads. Salad greens, chicken breast (if you're feeling particularly lazy pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket), strawberries, goat cheese, and walnuts are an awesome combination. A nice breakfast is a bagel or toast with goat cheese, sliced apple, and honey.

Brie is one of my favorites. Creamy and buttery, without smelling like old gym socks. Super tasty by itself or on crackers. Super yummy with chicken and peaches in a quesadilla. Brie and strawberries is my all time favorite snack.

I am a huge fan of blue cheeses. I can eat them plain or on crackers as a snack. They're also great on entree salads. Salad greens, thinly sliced flank steak, blue cheese, plums, and pecans are another winning salad combo. Blue cheeses work really well with red meat. Blue cheese on a burger is divine, especially if you go all out and add bacon and a side of sweet potato fries.

Feta is great in anything Greek or Mediterranean. It also works well with fruit. Watermelon, feta, and mint is awesome in the summer time.

Now that I think about it, I just like cheese and fruit!

Those all sound wonderful, especially the feta! I had a recipe somewhere that was for stuffed red sweet peppers with rice, feta,and dill that is really nice. I'll have to dig that up.
Today I keep thinking about grilled cheese, probably because it's all warm and melty, and meanwhile there's snow all over the place here.

dragon_girl26

SoDamnHungry wrote: »

I thought everyone put cheese all over everything. ...to be fair, I'm also from the Midwest.

Of course! That's because everyone does put cheese all over everything..in the Midwest.

ChristinaOrr65

I agree with everyone who said to use a cheese with a strong taste, like goat or something very sharp. This way you can use less and still have the flavor. Cheese is my favorite thing, I know I still eat way more than I should!

malibu927

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Viva cheese!

I've been using blue cheese a lot recently, even though it's a bit more calorie dense. But I always have shredded cheddar/mozzarella and several different sliced cheeses around. Because Midwest.

kmsoucy457

Stronger cheese, for sure!
I buy the sharpest cheddar block I can find, like Old Croc or Kerrygold, and use a superfine grater. Having to grate it myself is such a chore that the task alone makes me use less
Just to chime in: I live in the northeast and cheese toppage is also prevalent, though more so in the colder months.

snowflake930

Eat it. Work it into your calories. Good cheese is worth it. A lot of people here say you should eat only the best chocolate, but I disagree. I have tried them and always go back to my Dove dark chocolate caramel with sea salt promises, I am not a chocolate snob.
However, when it comes to cheese, I am a snob. I have learned to use shaved cheese or a cheese planer to limit the amount of cheese, but quality is the only way for me. Wisconsin is right next door, I live in Minnesota, only about 25 miles from the WI border, and every where you go in WI there is great cheese for sale, that is no exaggeration. Worth the price and the calories.

dragon_girl26

snowflake930 wrote: »

Eat it. Work it into your calories. Good cheese is worth it. A lot of people here say you should eat only the best chocolate, but I disagree. I have tried them and always go back to my Dove dark chocolate caramel with sea salt promises, I am not a chocolate snob.
However, when it comes to cheese, I am a snob. I have learned to use shaved cheese or a cheese planer to limit the amount of cheese, but quality is the only way for me. Wisconsin is right next door, I live in Minnesota, only about 25 miles from the WI border, and every where you go in WI there is great cheese for sale, that is no exaggeration. Worth the price and the calories.

I'm like that with some of my chocolate, too. While I do love certain varieties of "the good chocolate", I also have a thing for mini Mr. Goodbars.

You know, that's a thought. Here along the Indiana/Kentucky border, there are plenty of local dairy farms if you go out far enough. Maybe I need to start looking around for locally made cheese. I'm sure the flavors are much better than the mass produced preshredded stuff. Plus, shredding cheese by hand can be a lot of work! That alone may be enough to limit me on the amount I eat...haha.

20months

I'm from Wisconsin and live 8 miles from a cheese factory. I don't think there is a cheese they make that I don't like. The fresh butter and ice cream are a must as well!

ForeverSunshine09

Cheese all of them but, blue and ricotta cheese really. I live close to an Amish community and they make about a billion types of cheese. I have become obsessed with farmers cheese and Muenster cheese. I pu cheese on a lot of things. I just cut down how much cheese I use per item. Give me cheese or give me death! Haha!

sarahredhaira

I love cheese, but I don't buy it often because I simply can't stop eating it. Blacksticks Blue is my favourite. Then Shropshire blue, blue Stilton, baked Camembert.... Ate loads of all of those on New Year's Eve, but I won't be buying any more until my birthday at the end of next month. In the meantime I eat low fat salad cheese (like feta) and Philadelphia lightest (loads of that), and very occasionally I'll buy a packet of pre-sliced reduced fat mature cheddar. Not often though as I find it hard to stick to one slice.

FitGirl0123

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

This!! Lol. I love pepper jack and sharp cheddar

sarahredhaira

Pepper jack sounds interesting. Not heard of that.

Solarized

I agree with most of the posters above - the stronger the cheese, the less you need to add to get the flavor you are looking for. I prefer the 10 year cheddar (what you find in most stores listed as sharp is aged 9 months so what you get doesn't even compare). That being said, aged cheeses don't melt very well. For that, I will go with goat cheese or a mexican melting cheese.

Parmesan and romano are good cheeses where a little goes a long way as well.

sarahredhaira

Don't think we get sharp cheese here. I was just assuming that it meant mature? Confusing to have different names! Though I am easily confused!

chastity0921

@sarahredhaira are you from UK? I haven't heard of any of the cheeses you described except Camembert. So interesting.

sarahredhaira

Yes I'm in the UK. Sounds like I need to visit wherever you are from to discover new types of cheese! Doubt that I'll ever find one as good as Blacksticks Blue though! :-D

cdudley628

kmsoucy457 wrote: »

Just to chime in: I live in the northeast and cheese toppage is also prevalent, though more so in the colder months.

I'm from NH and love visiting Vermont to go to the Cabot cheese factory and get free samples! I think my whole family uses cheese on pretty much everything. However, when I go to my fiance's family's house, they rarely even have cheese, and his parents are from New York and Mass, but live in NH. We have a whole drawer for cheese in my fridge.

Queenmunchy

Cabot makes that triple sharp cheese once a year "the big e special" and it's my absolute favorite. When my daughter was about 22 months we went and she wanted it. They warned me that it was really sharp and I assured them. She turned and signed to me that she wanted more (my family is deaf). Now that she's 8 she still loves sharp cheeses and strong cheeses like blue, goat, and feta.

dragon_girl26

Queenmunchy wrote: »

Cabot makes that triple sharp cheese once a year "the big e special" and it's my absolute favorite. When my daughter was about 22 months we went and she wanted it. They warned me that it was really sharp and I assured them. She turned and signed to me that she wanted more (my family is deaf). Now that she's 8 she still loves sharp cheeses and strong cheeses like blue, goat, and feta.

Ooh..I've never been to Vermont, but sounds like it would be worth visiting the Cabot cheese factory if I ever make it there. I haven't heard of 'the big e special', though...is it only available at the factory?

nvmomketo

This is where it is nice to be low carb. Cheese is not a condiment but rather a staple to be eaten at most meals.

markrgeary1

My new favorite is Provel, a blend of cheddar, swiss, and provolone. It doesn't taste like any of them, melts very well. Put on a homemade pizza and you're in St. Louis.

earlnabby

20months wrote: »

I'm from Wisconsin and live 8 miles from a cheese factory. I don't think there is a cheese they make that I don't like. The fresh butter and ice cream are a must as well!

I am not that close to a factory, but I have access to a bunch of good local cheese. One good thing about Wisconsin, we keep all the good stuff for ourselves. I love it when I get to my Mom's, I can load up on Carr Valley cheeses. They have a great sheep's milk one.

perhapsormaybe

I love smoked gouda. I eat it with strawberries.

dragon_girl26

markrgeary1 wrote: »

My new favorite is Provel, a blend of cheddar, swiss, and provolone. It doesn't taste like any of them, melts very well. Put on a homemade pizza and you're in St. Louis.

I've seen that brand sold around here. I haven't picked any of it up, though. Sounds like it might be time for me to do that. All I'd need after that is a Cardinals game!