# Most versatile cheese...



## Otter (Oct 19, 2004)

What would you consider to be the most versatile cheese - melts easy (as on cheeseburgers), and works well in a variety of other dishes? Or, can you at least narrow it down to a couple - I've got too many cheeses hanging around here - seems like each recipe calls for a different one.


----------



## MJ (Oct 19, 2004)

I use cheddar in many dishes and on burgers. Swiss is a close 2nd.


----------



## mudbug (Oct 19, 2004)

Too bad there's not a universal cheese, Otter.  The harder ones won't melt well, and the softer ones are just too good to ignore.  Can't help ya, bud.  Buy some more ziplic bags.


----------



## mudbug (Oct 19, 2004)

They say that zipl*O*c bags work well too.


----------



## Audeo (Oct 19, 2004)

Badumpum, bug!

As usual, I would like to echo every word uttered by MJ.  

By the way, Otter, I freeze my extra cheese....  Since I'm too cheap and too much of a control freak to buy the shredded stuff, I buy precisely the NY Cheddar I want and shred it in my Cuisinart.  Toss into a HD Ziploc with about 1/2 a teaspoon of flour, seal with air inside, shake like crazy, remove the air and reseal, and straight into the deep freeze.  Works like a charm.  You'd never know it had been frozen.  Works for all hard cheeses, but not the soft ones....


----------



## debthecook (Oct 20, 2004)

Velveeta.


----------



## Otter (Oct 20, 2004)

Ah yes, Velveeta, "the king of cheeses." I do have to admit to having an occasional craving for the stuff.


----------



## middie (Oct 20, 2004)

deb said was i was gonna say


----------



## GB (Oct 20, 2004)

Swiss and Jarlsberg for me. The both melt pretty well (Jarlsberg melts better imo). They can be used in a variety of dishes and are also great on their own. You can eat it in slices or chunks. Both are good on burgers and sandwiches.


----------



## Juliev (Oct 20, 2004)

mudbug said:
			
		

> They say that zipl*O*c bags work well too.



yeah, they work pretty good.. never heard of the ziplic kind.  

As far as cheese.. I love all kinds.. I think I used shredded moz and cheddar the most.


----------



## jennyema (Oct 20, 2004)

Jarlesburg and Gruyere for me

A good aged gouda, too


----------



## PolishedTopaz (Oct 20, 2004)

Brie is my favorite, but not on a burger. A nice peice of havarti sealed inside a burger is pretty darn good. [take a small chunk of havarti wrap meat around it and cook, when you bite into it it's all nice and melty]


----------



## kitchenelf (Oct 20, 2004)

Since we're talking cheese they say the best way to store cheese is in a plastic container with a cube of sugar.  It will keep for months.  Frankly, we can' keep cheese that long - but I do have a piece of "something" left that I will go put in a small plastic container with a piece of sugar tonight - someone remind me in about 2 months, ok?


----------



## luvs (Oct 21, 2004)

i say that if you would buy only one cheese, Hoffman's x-sharp cheddar sliced up from the deli (it comes in blocks, too) would be a good bet. it has a nice sharp flavor, is great on sandwiches, for just snacking on plain, or for a cheeseburger, in a white sauce for a cheese sauce, in macaroni and cheese, added to potatoes, etc. and it's relatively cheap. in retrospect, at least. 
bleu cheeses are good, too. they add a salty tang to lots of things, are good in salads, melted into dishes, great just for snacking, in salad dressings, on lamb chops and burgers and steaks, on and on. Saga makes one that goes for only $5 per wedge and it is so creamy and balanced. i love it. but i use all kinds of varieties of blue cheeses with success. bleu cheese can add a lot to a dish, and if it's melted, even those who proclaim to despise the stuff always seem to love the food. as long as they don't know it's in there. baffling. 
excellent cheese.


----------



## Otter (Oct 21, 2004)

luvs, great minds run in similar channels! My favorite cheese is Hoffman's Smoky Sharp - I just love the stuff! Last time at the store I tried another one that was hickory smoked, and that one was good too, but the smoky is still my favorite.


----------



## Audeo (Oct 21, 2004)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> Since we're talking cheese they say the best way to store cheese is in a plastic container with a cube of sugar.  It will keep for months.  Frankly, we can' keep cheese that long - but I do have a piece of "something" left that I will go put in a small plastic container with a piece of sugar tonight - someone remind me in about 2 months, ok?



That's interesting, Elf!  I wonder what the sugar does here???  Very interesting.


----------



## Alix (Oct 21, 2004)

OK, I want to know why you put flour in Audeo. Just to keep it from sticking? I usually do mine in the food processor and then just smack it around when I take it out of the freezer. I am open to new ideas though.


----------



## mudbug (Oct 21, 2004)

Love your techniques for doing things, Alix.  Sounds like me.


----------



## Alix (Oct 21, 2004)

Thanks mudbug, a higher compliment I cannot imagine.

Oh gad! Sorry about the grammar...I am getting more coffee.


----------



## luvs (Oct 21, 2004)

Otter said:
			
		

> luvs, great minds run in similar channels! My favorite cheese is Hoffman's Smoky Sharp - I just love the stuff! Last time at the store I tried another one that was hickory smoked, and that one was good too, but the smoky is still my favorite.


----------



## Juliev (Oct 22, 2004)

I also thought of a couple more than I like to have around often.. slices of provolone cheese (I get that at my local italian deli), and just American cheese slices.

I love gouda and brie.. but it's not practical for me to buy it all the time, not unless I am making something special.


----------



## buckytom (Oct 22, 2004)

i'm big on vermont and irish cheddars, both from smaller producers, not the big guys like cabot and kerrygold. their cheeses are just ordinary. but vermont and irish cheddars are very creamy, as well as having wonderful ranges of sharpness. 
one of my favorite snacks, that i've mentioned here before, is to put a slice of extra sharp cheddar on a wheat cracker, top it with diced raw onion and brown mustard, yummmm. try it with a cold one, you'll like it.

i don't know about a universal cheese, tho. so many different ones, so many different ways to eat them. some are interchangeable, but not all.


----------



## GB (Oct 22, 2004)

Oh that sounds like a great snack! I love the VT cheddars as well. There is a cheese place in Burlington, VT that I love going to. They have some really tasty cheddar, among other stuff. One of my favorites is a wedge of very sharp cheddar with an apple. MMMMM.


----------



## SierraCook (Oct 22, 2004)

Juliev said:
			
		

> I also thought of a couple more than I like to have around often.. slices of provolone cheese (I get that at my local italian deli), and just American cheese slices.
> 
> I love gouda and brie.. but it's not practical for me to buy it all the time, not unless I am making something special.




juliev, I am surprised at you!!  Not having gouda and brie around all the time.      As you know one of my favorites is smoked gouda.

SC


----------



## jkath (Oct 23, 2004)

My "universal" is Monterey Jack. I love it on everything.
However,
 I love pepper jack! Quite addicting!
I love bleu cheese on most foods, and think brie should be in it's own classification!
Also a good sharp sharp provolone (the kind you get in a really good deli and you can smell down the street)........mmmmmmmmm!


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 23, 2004)

Though my all time favorite is from a Canadian Cheddar Cheese maker, Balderson Heritage Cheddars (especially the 5-year aged cheddar  ), I would have to say that havarti is for me the most versatile cheese.  It has enough flavor to stand on its own, quite admirally in fact, but is not so overpowering to overstep its place in a sandwich.  It has nice texture at most any temperature.

Another favorite is Muenster.  It's creamy flavor, coupled with a texture like a soft mozzarella, makes it a favorite for delli sandwiches, and just plain snacking.

My snacking cheeses are a good colby, and good cheddar.  I can eat them plain, without the need for any adornment.

Other great and versatile cheeses include cottage, ricotta, mazarella, provolone, american, Ghouda, Edam, and feta.

I also live a strong swiss.

I am not fond of the ripened soft cheeses, which is odd, because I normally prefer strong flavors.  I detest camembert and brie.  They taste spoiled to me.  

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## Juliev (Oct 23, 2004)

SierraCook said:
			
		

> Juliev said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'll have to make sure I keep it on hand now


----------



## norgeskog (Oct 29, 2004)

Hey Otter, I like all cheese except the really stinky ones.  If you want the harder ones creamy make a bechamel sauce like for mac and cheese and  melt.  I make bread pudding using fontina, guyere, jarlsberg and they are fine, guyere is a harder cheese.


----------



## mudbug (Oct 29, 2004)

noregeskog, I am a bread pudding wino.  

Please post this delicious-sounding cheese version.


----------



## norgeskog (Oct 29, 2004)

mudbug said:
			
		

> noregeskog, I am a bread pudding wino.
> 
> Please post this delicious-sounding cheese version.



I will, but if you want exact  measurements, it is in my  head.  Make your usual bread pudding but without sugar, and add garlic and a combination of your favorite cheeses, plus I add shallots or scallions, and sometimes mushrooms.  I usually top it with fresh grated parmasean cheese.  You can add ham or bacon for a complete meal with a salad.  Add wine to it if you want to be authentic.  And thanks mudbug, I am flattered.


----------



## Juliev (Oct 30, 2004)

When I get a chance I like to have Velveeta on hand... you can make an easy soup or appetizer!!


----------



## Juliev (Oct 30, 2004)

and it's so great melted on top of broccoli or cauliflower.


----------



## subfuscpersona (Oct 30, 2004)

is there really only _one_ most versatile cheese? It seems to me it depends on whether you want to eat it "out of hand", use for sandwiches or cook with it.

I favor hard cheese with lots of flavor since these are good for "just eating" as well as cooking. 
>An aged xtra-sharp cheddar (not artificially colored to make it yellow or - gasp! - orange)
>parmigiano-reggiano of course, tho I personally like pecorino-romano just as well and it is significantly less expensive
>smoked gouda (not really "hard" - has good melting properties and tastes great)

Sometimes I buy a triple-cream blue cheese from France (sorry, can't remember the name) which is marvelous on whole-grain bread, crackers or with apples (I love cheese with apples or apple pie). If I'm feeling really decadent, I'll have some sherry or port with this.

>fresh mozarella and fresh smoked mozarella - I adore this and we know it's great in cooking but in my house it always gets eaten as soon as it can be unwrapped and put on a plate (especially in summer with fresh  tomato slices and an assortment of olives and pickled mushrooms and artichoke hearts)

>last but not least, I like that processed "port wine-cheddar cheese" stuff from the supermarket with crackers and/or apples


----------

