Is cheese a food group? Like pizza, I think it should be. In my mind, cheese makes everything better. If you agree, here are five delicious ways you can satisfy your cheesy craving.
The ultimate way to eat cheese is in macaroni and cheese. Jane Kear (Edmond, OK) shared her recipe for 8 Cheese Baked Macaroni that’s amazing.
“When we were growing up, Mama used to make the best homemade macaroni and cheese I ever ate,” Jane reminisces. “I really wish I had her recipe, but since I don’t, I made up my own. I take it to all the family dinners and receive rave reviews – but that’s just because they never ate Mama’s!”
Oh my… there are layers of goodness in this macaroni and cheese recipe. The Velveeta and cream cheese mixture is super creamy and sets this apart from other recipes. Layering it in with other cheeses makes this mac and cheese cheesy perfection. This will be eaten in no time!
“Our family loves the ‘feel good’ meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup, but I was looking for something a little more, shall we say, fancy,” explains Teressa Drenth (Kalamazoo, MI). “I came up with this recipe when I had some leftover dip mix still in the refrigerator and thought it might taste good between potato bread and toasted. After a couple of enhancements, the Gourmet Grilled Cheese was born.”
Grilled cheese is comfort food all the way. It’s fun to see how people can take a basic sandwich and make it into something extraordinary! The blend of cheeses (cream cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan) is lovely. I really liked the chives added to the cheese filling. I chose to use Hawaiian bread and it was perfect. Make a batch of the cheese mix to keep in your fridge. Then you’ll have a quick and easy sandwich!
An easy cheesy breakfast option is Judy Wisniewski’s (Pennsauken, NJ) Three Cheese Breakfast Wheels.
“My daughter is in the school play, they practice every Sunday,” reveals Judy. “We loved our Sunday breakfast. So to keep up this tradition, I have been trying to make us breakfast that is quick and easy enough for her to eat and run out.”
These pinwheels are fun. You can customize the filling with what your family likes. But, I really enjoyed the combination of Canadian bacon, cream cheese, Asiago, and cheddar that Judy stuffs these with. It’s delicious and a quick on-the-go breakfast kids and adults will enjoy.
When a craving for cheese hits at snack time, try Michael Hall’s Three Cheese Pepperoncini Spread or Amy Herald’s (Detroit, MI) Garlic-Bacon Cheese Log.
“This is my own take on a Greek Feta spread known as Kopanisti,” shares Michael. “I love the combination and bite from the cheeses and the zing from the peppers and garlic.”
Pepperoncinis are a milder pepper and add a slight bite to the dip, but do not make it spicy. Feta and gorgonzola cheese complement each other wonderfully and add to the punch of flavor. This dip is very rich, thick, and creamy. Fantastic on a slice of toasted bread.
I’ll never turn down a cheese ball and Amy’s is quite tasty.
“I just kinda made this one up, but it sure is tasty and goes over well at parties and holiday gatherings,” says Amy. You can make this into any shape you like such as a cheese ball instead of a log.”
Amy uses Pub Cheese and cream cheese as the base. Those two soft kinds of cheese make the cheese log very creamy. Bits of bacon add a smokiness to the appetizer. I loved the crunch that the nuts added. The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the cheese ball to chill.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time, the cheesier the better in my mind. I didn’t even touch on the epitome of cheesy desserts – cheesecake. Thankfully we have a whole collection of cheesecake recipes that’ll satisfy everyone. Happy Pinching!