Cheese, a Versatile Food

Cheese, a milk product from cows, goats and sheep, is delicious and boasts many nutrients and healthy fats. When combined with other foods, cheese adds color, taste and aroma to enhance the overall quality. Here are a few ways you can incorporate cheese into your daily menu.

Cheese as a Sauce

Soft cheese makes an excellent sauce for dipping and dressing. Macaroni, a simple food, when mixed with a creamy cheese sauce, becomes a popular staple for many American families with young children. Cheese fondue, a thick, creamy soup consisting of exotic cheeses such as Swiss, Emmentaler and Gruyere, is a favorite dip for fruits, vegetables, bread and crackers. Blue cheese has become a popular ingredient in commercial salad dressings. You can also easily create your own dressing by blending other soft cheeses such as goat cheese and feta cheese with olive oil, milk, herbs and spices.

Cheese as a Topping

Cheese adds sparkle when sprinkled on hot or cold foods. As a base topping for pizza in Andover MA, grated cheese baked on a dough with other ingredients produces a delectable aroma that whets the appetite. Crumble white feta cheese or goat cheese on top of your salads for that extra color or salty taste. Sprinkle ground parmesan cheese on your favorite soups and pasta to quench your palate for aged cheese. Decorate your burrito, enchilada or taco with shredded cheddar cheese to create that special Mexican tang.

Cheese as a Snack

Available with various fat, sodium and lactose contents, cottage cheese makes a light meal when eaten alone or flavored with fruits, nuts, honey, herbs and spices. Being soft and mushy, cottage cheese is also ideal for older babies on a solid diet as well as the elderly on high calcium intake. String cheese made from mozzarella and cheddar has become a popular snack item for the young and old.

When sliced, hard cheeses can be sandwiched. When blended, soft cheeses can be pureed. When shredded or ground, crumbled cheeses embellish an otherwise boring dish. As a versatile food, cheese has become a breeze to cook with and enjoy.