All posts by Emily King

The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Entertaining with Cheese

The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Entertaining with Cheese: Which cheeses to buy, how much cheese to buy, how to serve cheese, ways to use cheese, and festive recipe ideas for holiday entertaining.

Whether I’m entertaining a crowd or serving my family a simple holiday meal, you know cheese is going to be involved. Cheese is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use ingredients available. It can be served on its own, shredded, melted, whipped… cheese can do anything!

If you are new to cooking or entertaining, you probably have some questions about cheese. Consider this your go-to cheese resource for the holidays.

How to Buy Cheese //

Ask yourself, what are you buying cheese for? Are you going to be cooking with it? Is it going to be melted or crumbled on top of something? Is it for snacking or a cheeseboard? Knowing what the intended purpose is will guide you in choosing the right varieties.

How many people are you feeding this cheese to? Is it for a recipe? If so, you need to buy enough for the quantity listed in the recipe. Is it for a cheeseboard? Then 1 to 2 ounces per person is enough.

What do you like to eat? Do you like soft cheeses or brine-y cheeses? Hard cheeses? Cheeses made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk? Try buying a few different ones and see what you like about them. If you like Monterey Jack, for example, try Havarti. They are similar in texture, but you might find the flavor of Havarti is more buttery and smooth.

Try something new. Try buying a new variety of cheese each week or month. Buy a small portion and give it a go! Keep a list in the Notes app of your phone of brands and/or varieties you have liked. I do this when I eat a cheese in a restaurant I haven’t tried before and like. (Same with wines.)

Make friends with the person behind the cheese counter. Whether it is a dedicated cheese shop or the person behind the specialty cheese counter, they are a wealth of information and knowledge about cheese. I often go to them for advice. Often they will let you sample before you buy. They are great for pairing ideas as well — like what to pair on a cheeseboard or what wine to drink with the cheese you selected.

Read the package. Every package of Roth cheese lists tasting notes and/or pairing ideas. For instance, for Grand Cru®, it tells me it is an excellent melting cheese and pairs well with fig jam and riesling wine. It also tells me it is creamy, nutty, and has been aged 4+ months. That’s super helpful!

Just buy a little bit. If you are entertaining, buy a lot of cheese — everyone loves it! But if it is just for snacking at home by yourself, buy small quantities at a time. This way it stays fresh.

Quality over quantity. Cheese can be expensive, but a little high-quality cheese goes a long way. If you are able to, buy what you can afford. And take advantage of the off-cuts bin, where you can often find small pieces of Roth cheese for less.

Ways to Serve Cheese //

The possibilities of how to serve cheese are endless. Cheese is incredibly versatile. You can slice it, shave it, shred it, grate it, crumble it, melt it, whip it, fry it, or just eat it straight out of the package.

Need some more ideas? I’ve got you.

Morning cheese. Add shredded or crumbled cheese to biscuits, muffins, egg dishes, even savory pancakes or waffles. How good does an apple and Grand Cru® waffle sound?

Add to sandwiches. Either a nice slice on a turkey sammie or in a grilled cheese… or even better, IN A BURGER!

Add to salads. Crumble goat cheese, blue cheese, or Aged Gouda into your salad. These cheeses boast big flavor, so a little goes a long way. Even the non-salad eaters have a hard time saying no to a salad with cheese in it.

Casseroles. Is there anything sexier than a bubbly, cheesy, golden top on a comfy casserole? One of my favorite things on Earth is the burnt crispy cheese that falls off the side of a casserole. It’s really hard to beat. Havarti or Gouda are great choices for this.

Make a cheese sauce. Melt shredded cheese into a white Béchamel sauce and pour over roasted vegetables. Or stir it into pasta to create a decadent mac and cheese. Or make homemade queso for nachos.

Crisps. Mound grated hard or semi-hard cheeses like Grand Cru®, or Canela on a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet. Melt in a hot oven until golden, then let cool for at least 5 minutes to crisp up.

Crumble. Crumble fresh Chèvre over a taco. Or Buttermilk Blue® cheese over some sautéed green beans!

Make a cheeseboard! Meats and cheeses and jams and nuts all on the same plate? Yes please.

Use it in desserts… or as dessert! Yes, you read that right. Goat cheese cheesecake, baked into pies (we love Gouda & pecan pie), a small cheese plate after dinner, or a plated cheese course. (We had a plated cheese course at our wedding, and it was my favorite detail of the entire meal.)

How to Serve Cheese //

Now that we know how we can use cheese (I didn’t even scratch the surface!), let’s talk about how to serve cheese.

Serve at room temperature. Cheese for eating is best served at room temperature. Take it out at least 30 minutes before you are planning on serving it.

Arrange on a cheeseboard. Obviously a personal favorite. Check out this guide for helpful holiday cheeseboard tips!

Serving a crowd? Make a grazing table. People will ooh and ahh to find an oversized spread like that at your event. Or make a few different boards and place them around the room so people can mingle and everyone won’t stand in the same place.

Having kids over? Make a kid’s cheeseboard. It’s funny, I used to do this when my children were little and the adults would eat the Goldfish crackers and kids’ snacks, and hover over the kid’s plate. So now I just add the same stuff to the “adult’s” board.

How much cheese per person? You can assume someone will eat 1 to 2 ounces of cheese on a cheeseboard. If you’re expecting a gathering of crazy cheese lovers, double that amount.

How to store leftover cheese? Take the cheese out of its original packaging and wrap it in cheese paper or parchment paper. Put the wrapped cheese in a large zip-top bag, squeeze out the excess air, and keep it in the fridge until next time. Here are more tips for storing cheese.

Label. When you put out cheese for guests, label it! You can buy cheese tags or just stick a small card with the name of the cheese into the board. They might even put a note about their favorite cheese on their phone.

Vary the way you serve cheese. Keep some wedges whole, slice some into triangles, cut some into smaller wedges, and/or crumble hard cheeses into chunks. More tips on cutting here.

Try a one cheese tasting board. Like blue cheese? Buy a few varieties. A mellow blue like Buttermilk Blue® is interesting to compare side-by-side with Moody Blue, a smoked blue cheese, and a Gorgonzola. Taste them all to see how they are similar and different.

Limit to 5. It’s a fun idea to put 10 kinds of cheese on a board, but it will be a) expensive and b) overwhelming. Serve different varieties with different flavors, textures, and kinds of milk, but keep it to five, tops.

Shredding cheese? The bagged stuff is great in a pinch, but shredding and grating your own cheese is a game-changer. You will be able to use quality cheese without any additives. Freeze your cheese for 15 minutes before shredding, then use a food processor or mixer attachment.

Utensils. Give each cheese its own utensil. You don’t want someone to cut into the Garlic Herb Chèvre, then use the same knife to cut Jalapeño Havarti. Each variety should have its own utensil, so flavors don’t get crossed

Hint: A set of cheese knives makes a great hostess gift.

Pair it with something delicious to drink. Wine and cheese are the most obvious pairing. But hard ciders are so good with alpine-style cheeses like Grand Cru® or a cocktail made with fall fruits (try our favorite seasonal pairings here. Not sure what to drink with your cheese? Ask the person behind the cheese counter!

As you can see, cheese is one of the most versatile and adaptable foods around. If you have cheese, you have a meal at the ready all throughout the holiday season.

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Pairings

Holiday Pie & Roth Cheese Pairings

It’s always fun to delight guests with a touch of the unexpected during the holidays. Pairing cheese with pie is a perfect way to do just that. Adding slices of cheese (and other small, sweet treats) to a pie-laden plate elevates dessert into an interactive mini tasting.

Cheese and pie may seem like an unlikely duo, but cheese adds a special, savory bite that keeps pie from being too sweet. Here are four of our favorite pairings — perfect for Thanksgiving and all through the holiday season.

Grand Cru® & Apple Pie

Everyone’s heard of cheddar and apple pie, but swapping in our alpine-style Grand Cru® is a must. It adds a mild, nutty flavor that contrasts perfectly with the tart, sweet apples and flaky, buttery crust.

Cranberry Cinnamon Chèvre & Pumpkin Pie

Our seasonal Cranberry Cinnamon Chèvre (at Walmart Supercenters nationwide) is pumpkin pie’s perfect pair. The cranberries add a welcome jolt of acidity, while the cinnamon in both foods ensure a festive-tasting bite.

Original or Smoked Gouda & Pecan Pie

Our Gouda is sweet and creamy, while pecan pie is caramel-y and nutty — the two together are simply meant to be. If you want to up the ante, try our Smoked Gouda with the pie for a uniquely savory-sweet pairing.

Cinnamon Chèvre & Lemon Tart

A lemon tart is a classic, year-round dessert that requires a festive touch for the holidays. Enter in: Cranberry Chèvre goat cheese (available at Imperfect Foods). Together, lemon and cranberry are tart-sweet, and a few slices of our seasonal Chèvre add a needed earthy, savory balance.

Cheeseboards, Guides, Pairings

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Holiday Cheeseboard Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—the HOLIDAY SEASON is here! And no matter how or who you’re decking the halls with, a cheeseboard is one of the easiest ways to impress your loved ones and eat your way through the holidays.

Here’s our step-by-step guide for how to make a holiday cheeseboard that will surprise and delight:

1. Choose Your Cheese

We recommend picking 3 to 5 kinds of cheese for a cheeseboard. Too many can get expensive and overwhelming, while too few lacks variety. Aim for cheeses that vary in texture, color, and taste for a well-rounded spread. We love the mix of a soft, boldly-flavored cheese (like Blue or Chèvre), a mild semi-soft cheese (like Havarti or Gouda), and a flavored or aged cheese (like Jalapeño Havarti or Grand Cru®).

2. Calculate How Much Cheese You’ll Need

A good rule of thumb is 1 to 2 ounces of each cheese per person if you’re serving the board as an appetizer or dessert course. If your cheeseboard is starring as the festive centerpiece of the big holiday meal, double that amount to 2 to 4 ounces of each cheese per person.

3. Prep Your Cheese Ahead of Time

Did you know you can put together your cheeseboard ahead of time, giving you more time to celebrate with your loved ones? While cheese can be cut in advance of being served, different styles are best cut at different temperatures:

Hard Cheeses: Hard cheeses like Grand Cru® are easier to slice at room temperature. Remove these cheeses from the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before slicing.
Soft & Semi-Soft Cheeses: Soft and semi-soft cheeses hold their shape better and are easier to cut when cold. Try putting softer cheeses like Blue and goat cheese in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes for easier slicing.

4. How to Cut Your Cheese

One of our most frequently asked questions! With a variety of cheeses on your holiday board, it’s helpful to cut them in different shapes for distinction and to make an aesthetically pleasing spread. Varying shapes—like tiles and triangles—create striking patterns, and we find it best to let the natural shape of the cheese be your guide when determining the best shape for cutting.

Blocks: Havarti is one of many semi-soft cheeses made in blocks, and it can easily be cut into rectangles, squares, triangles or cubes.
Wedges: Wedge-shaped cheeses like our alpine-style Grand Cru® and Gouda should be sliced into smaller wedges or triangles.
Soft: Soft cheeses like Buttermilk Blue® and Chèvre goat cheese can either be sliced with a wire cutter or simply crumbled and placed on the cheeseboard in chunks.

For more tips on how to cut cheese, check out this helpful post.

5. Pick Your Pairings

This is the perfect step to amp up the joy and merriment! Pick festive accompaniments that balance the board in both color and taste. Hint, hint: you may want to lean toward the colors red and green for extra holiday cheer.

RED Accompaniments

Dried or fresh cranberries
Jam (raspberry or strawberry)
Pomegranate arils
Red grapes
Strawberries
Raspberries

GREEN Accompaniments

Fresh herbs (like rosemary & thyme)
Green apple
Green grapes
Green pear
Olives
Pickles

Ensure there are crunchy snacks and a sauce for dipping on your board. We love nuts, like candied pecans or pistachios, and dips like caramel sauce, honey, mustards, and tapenades (olive, sundried tomato, etc.). The last addition is piling on meats, crackers, and other hearty bases to fill in the remainder of the board (and bellies!).

6. Add in a Beverage (or Two!)

Tis’ the season for imbibing, and wine, beer, and spirits are all mandatory for washing down your cheeseboard. The general rule for pairings is to not let either overpower the other. Spicy cheeses deserve a nice beer to balance their flavor, blues can stand up to liquor like gin, and alpine-style cheeses go really well with white wine:

Alpine-style cheeses (like Grand Cru®) & Riesling or a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
Blue cheeses (like Buttermilk Blue®) & Gin and Tonic
Chèvre & White Wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc or bubbly Champagne)
Havarti & Eggnog
Spicy cheeses (like Jalapeño Havarti or Sriracha Gouda) & Lager or Bold Hard Cider

If you’re looking for non-alcoholic options, we love bubbly sodas like Dry Soda, switchel (a refreshing apple cider vinegar & ginger drink), and kombucha. Garnish your drinks with fresh cranberries and herbs for a Christmas-y touch.

7. Arrange Your Cheeseboard

When arranging your board, start with the cheese. Draw attention to each cheese by arranging slices in varying shapes.

Next, add your accompaniments! These fill in the space between each cheese, and add depth and texture to the board. Begin by adding items according to the amount of space they take up—biggest to smallest. If possible, place cheeses by their best pairings, so it’s easy for guests to know which foods go together. For example, slice your Grand Cru®, then tuck next to apples, figs, pickles, and almonds so you can easily try pairings together. Make the board pop by placing contrasting colored cheeses and accompaniments next to one other.

Finally, garnish with herbs like rosemary or thyme, or even clip spruce sprigs off your Christmas tree. Cranberries and winter flowers also beautiful seasonal garnishes. When you’re finished arranging your board, place it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap or a towel until you’re ready to eat.

8. Take Cheese Out 30 Minutes Before Serving

Do NOT—we repeat—DO NOT serve cheese right out of the refrigerator. Cheese has the best taste and texture at room temperature, so let it sit on your countertop for at least 20 to 30 minutes before digging in.

Food, Recipes

Four Perfect Summer Salad Ideas

Whether you’re looking for ways to spice up your midday lunch routine or just a light dinner — these summer salad recipes are exactly what you need to keep up the energy to get out and enjoy the rest of summer!

Summer Cobb Salad serving

Summer Cobb Salad with Homemade Jalapeño Ranch

This delicious Summer Cobb Salad tops our list as an all-around favorite for lunch or dinner. Featuring our Roth Dill Havarti and Buttermilk Blue® cheeses, this salad screams summer. Top with homemade Jalapeño Ranch dressing for an extra kick!

Wild Rice Kale Salad on plate

Wild Rice Kale Salad

This Wild Rice Kale Salad is the perfect mid-season salad. With kale, apples, grapes, and our Roth Prairie Sunset cheese, this salad combines tasty aspects of late spring, summer, and early fall for what’s surely to become a mealtime favorite.

Close-up of salad on a plate

Tomato and Melon Salad

A perfect side salad or for a quick refreshing lunch, this Tomato and Melon Salad bursts with flavor. Featuring our Roth GranQueso® cheese, this salad is sure to please everyone from kids to adults!

Salad on a plate

Green Bean and Buttermilk Blue Salad

Summer favorite Roth Buttermilk Blue® combines with green beans to create this easy Green Bean and Buttermilk Blue Salad. Perfect for summer cookouts, or a night in.

Recipes

SIX Simple, Comforting Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and we’re celebrating with — what else?? — the MOST DELICIOUS grilled cheese sandwiches. We’ve rounded up six of the simplest, most satisfying recipes from our food blogger friends for those days when we need a bit of extra comfort in sandwich form.

Simplicity is the star of this Garden Pesto Grilled Cheese from Elizabeth of the College Housewife. Bread, our creamy Havarti cheese, store-bought pesto and butter — that’s all you need! It’s exactly the lunch or dinner you’re craving when you’re low on both time and ingredients.

There is nothing simpler or more comforting than a bowl of tomato soup with an ooey gooey grilled cheese. Our friend Yumna of Feel Good Foodie created these finger-friendly Grilled Cheese Dippers made with our creamy Havarti cheese for extra easy dunking.

When you cross jalapeño poppers with grilled cheese, you get this spicy, garlicky and supremely delicious sandwich. Our friend Katie Workman crafted this Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese with a double dose of cheese: our Jalapeño Havarti AND Organic Sharp Cheddar.

Pantry staples are great inspiration for grilled cheese sammies. This Chipotle Pimento Grilled Cheese from our pal Bev Cooks uses pimentos, pickles, peppers, mayo and our smoky Chipotle Havarti to create the meltiest grilled cheese of all time. Bonus: your pantry gets a clean out, too.

The Californian Grilled Cheese from Meggan of Culinary Hill is a West coast-inspired delight. Seedy bread, chicken, avocado and our spicy Sriracha Gouda meld together to create a nutty, savory and creamy sandwich with the right amount of kick.

We’re always trying to eat more veggies, and a grilled cheese is the ideal vessel for sneaking in your five-a-day. Fill this Roasted Vegetable Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Jeanine of Love and Lemons with whatever veg you have on-hand, add our Dill Havarti and Gouda cheeses, and eat up.

Recipes

Five Cheese Sauce Recipes for Mega Flavor

A good cheese sauce recipe can add MEGA flavor to any dish. Because it’s the base ingredient, using high-quality Roth cheese is a must for the best flavor.

The classic base method for making cheese sauce is melted butter + flour (for thickening) + milk + shredded cheese. For this style of sauce, our creamy Havarti, Gouda and Grand Cru® cheeses are the best choice for their superior meltability. Cheeses like our tangy Buttermilk Blue^® work better in more dressing-style sauces.

Ready to drizzle cheese sauce on EVERYTHING?! Here’s a few of our favorite recipes:

Everyone needs a go-to cheese sauce recipe in their arsenal, and this Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce is an excellent choice. Just 8 ingredients and 10 minutes of time results in a silky smooth, slightly smoky sauce for drizzling or dipping. We love it over our Easy Sheetpan Kielbasa & Veggies weeknight dinner.

This Organic Cheddar Cheese Sauce is a quick weeknight lifesaver. Infused with garlic and the buttery tang of our aged Organic Cheddar, it’s super versatile for using on anything — atop roasted veggies and potato skins, or mixed with pasta for an easy mac n’ cheese.

A creamy white sauce with pasta always feels extra luxurious and decadent for dinner. This Rosemary Grand Cru® Cream Sauce is rich, nutty and herby. Keep it easy with plain pasta or try our Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Bake for the ultimate comforting meal. A glass of red wine optional, but always delicious.

Queso might be our favorite cheese sauce (shhhh… don’t tell the others!), and this Roasted Jalapeño Queso made in the Instant Pot is always a hit. Our Jalapeño Havarti cheese adds just the right kick of heat. And it’s not just for chips! Drizzle this queso over nachos, chili and tacos, or make a spicy mac & cheese from it.

Making your own blue cheese dressing is simpler than you think with this 4-ingredient Buttermilk Blue® Dressing recipe. Our Buttermilk Blue® crumbles are tangy yet mellow, blending seamlessly into the dressing. Use it on this Grilled Buffalo Shrimp Sandwich or Buffalo Chicken Sandwich for a classic combination.

Cheeseboards, Pairings

“Empty the Fridge” Cheeseboard

At Roth Cheese, we believe that enjoying cheese should be easy, fun and not cost a fortune. That’s why we’ve created our favorite cheeseboards for just $20 using a few clever tips and a lot of creativity.

This board is THE secret to being the hostess with the mostess (on a budget!). Do not cook, do not turn on the oven, and do not labor at the stove — just whip up this simple, cost-friendly board using Grand Cru®, Buttermilk Blue®, Crumbled Chévre, and extra food in your refrigerator!

That’s right, we bought almost nothing to make this cheeseboard, and instead, used up all those end-of-week bits remaining in the fridge. Entertaining at it’s easiest.

Here’s what we used:
1 (6-oz) wedge Roth Grand Cru® = $4.62
1 (4-oz) container Roth Crumbled Chévre = $3.93
1 (4-oz) wedge Roth Buttermilk Blue® = $3.79
1 small bag Rainier cherries = $6.72
Leftover pantry/fridge ingredients* = 1/2 container berries, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 package turkey slices, crackers, dried fruit, mixed nuts, pickles + Pirouette cookies
=
$19.06**

*Leftover ingredients are for inspiration only. Use up what’s hanging out in your own fridge!
**Prices vary by store. See our product locator to find Roth cheeses near you.

Recipes

SIX Spicy Dip Recipes for Game Day

No game day watching is complete without a spread of snacks & eats to keep you fueled through the halftime show up until the very last drive. These six spicy, cheese dips will do just that!

This Roasted Jalapeño Queso comes with an added bonus — it’s made entirely in the Instant Pot in just 20 minutes! A charred roasted jalapeño pepper and Roth Jalapeño Havarti cheese bring the heat to everyone’s favorite Mexican-inspired dip. Serve with tortilla chips and veggies for maximum deliciousness.

Spicy chorizo sausage, beer and cheese are three of our favorite football-watching ingredients. Add two more foods — mushrooms & cornstarch — and you’ve got this loaded Spicy Chorizo Beer Dip. The easiest, 30-minute and 5-ingredient dip for Super Bowl snacking!

Turn on the crockpot and let this Slow Cooker Hot Pimento Cheese Dip cook while you’re keeping score of the game. With a double dose of cheese — Original Havarti and our fan-favorite Grand Cru^® — Sriracha hot sauce adds as much (or as little!) heat to the dip as your tastebuds prefer.

Everybody loves hummus, and this Spicy Buffalo Hummus topped with Buttermilk Blue® crumbles makes it even better. The hummus is creamy, our blue cheese is tangy, and buffalo wing sauce brings that sweet-hot flavor. Serve with pita chips, pretzels or cut-up veggies for dipping.

Chips are a Super Bowl staple, and this 5-minute Loaded Potato Chip Dip is made for dipping. It starts with a base of plain Greek yogurt. Scallions, bacon, hot sauce and two cheeses — our creamy Original Havarti and nutty Grand Cru^® — are then mixed in for the easiest, tastiest dip ever.

This beer cheese dip gets its spicy flavor from our 3 Chile Pepper Gouda, and the result is touchdown-worthy. Cream cheese, rich Worcestershire sauce, paprika and garlic powder round things out. Do you need to add this 3 Chile Pepper Gouda Beer Cheese Dip to your Super Bowl menu? ABSOLUTELY.

Recipes

Easy Last-Minute Holiday Appetizers

The holiday season always feels like a mad rush through the New Year, no matter how far in advance we start preparing. From gift giving to decorating to party hosting, there seems to be a never-ending list of things to do. That’s why we’ve got a few simple and festive recipes for the last-minute holiday entertainer in all of us.

Crackers, cheese and chutney are a classic three-ingredient combo for holiday entertaining. This homemade Cranberry Jalapeño Chutney adds a sweet and spicy kick, mixing perfectly with the nutty, mellow flavor of our Grand Cru®. Even better, it all comes together in a quick 15 minutes!

Put your guests to work with these Roll-Your-Own Chèvre Balls, an interactive, FUN party appetizer using our fresh Plain Chèvre goat cheese. Roll the balls in whatever sounds tasty: spicy chili flakes, crushed candied nuts, hot cocoa mix, cinnamon, your choice! Then enjoy smeared on crackers with champagne for toasting.

A party isn’t a party without Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is the one dip that is a guaranteed crowdpleaser, no matter where or who you’re celebrating with. The addition of our award-winning Original Grand Cru® makes it extra special. Plus, it takes just 30 minutes from start to finish!

Speaking of crowdpleasers: Mac and Cheese Bites. These make for the most family-friendly appetizer, combining two of everyone’s favorite foods: carbs and our Original Grand Cru® cheese. Keep things simple by making them in a mini muffin tin for perfectly poppable bites.

You can never have too many party dips. They’re what everyone wants to snack on before the big Christmas dinner, and this Buttermilk Blue® & Walnut Cheese Spread is no exception. Crumbles of Buttermilk Blue® add a sharp, earthy tang while a touch of honey adds sweetness. Spread on sturdy, seedy crackers for maximum deliciousness.

Cinnamon is the spice of the season, and these Cinnamon Baked Apples with Creamy Chèvre toasts are fancy-feeling yet require little effort. Apple slices are baked with seasonal spices, then piled high atop toasted bread and a thick schmear of whipped Plain Chèvre goat cheese. Sweet, tangy, warm, cool, and satisfying.

Who doesn’t love a cheese ball? If you’re in the mood for something spicy this holiday, our Easy Jalapeño Cheese Ball should do the trick. Made with our creamy Jalapeño Havarti, it takes seven ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make.

Recipes

Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Recipes

Even though Thanksgiving is later this year than most, our favorite food holiday seems to have snuck up on us — and we’re not ready!

Luckily, our Internet partners in cheese (a.k.a. our favorite bloggers!) are here to help with a few simple and festive recipes for the last-minute planner in all of us. From starters to side dishes to mains, they’ve got each part of the Turkey Day meal covered and of course, lots of cheese is involved.

Cheeseboards, platters and trays are the easiest way to entertain. This 15-Minute Cheeseboard from Feel Good Foodie is centered around our nutty Grand Cru® and cheddar-like Prairie Sunset® cheeses, and keeps hungry bellies at bay before sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner.

Starter salads don’t have to be boring, and this Celery, Fennel, Pear and Buttermilk Blue® Salad from Edible Living is a stunner. Textures and flavors abound with the creamy tang of our Buttermilk Blue® mixed with the crunch of celery and walnuts, and the fragrant pear and fennel.

If a tart and a pie had a pastry baby, it would be the galette. This savory Mushroom, Kale and Grand Cru® Galette from Bev Cooks comes together with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. It works as a hearty appetizer, vegetarian-friendly main dish or even better devoured the next day as leftovers.

Every Thanksgiving table needs something extra cheesy, ooey gooey and ridiculously indulgent for the holiday, and Grilled Cheese Social‘s Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese with Bacon is just that dish. This is a Food Network award-winning recipe (!!!) that trust us, you’re gonna want on your menu.

We put so much time into planning the big meal that we often forget about Thanksgiving morning (or morning after) breakfast. Enter in: Figgy Braided Danish by The Faux Martha. This easy, five-ingredient pastry is filled with nutty Grand Cru®, sweet fig jam and salty prosciutto (optional), and is extra good topped with a dollop of honey yogurt.

Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

30-minute Flatbreads

Some of the easiest recipes to make involve flatbreads. They are great for an occasion and can dub as a snack, lunch, or fun dinner. The recipes in this list are the ones our fans rave about the most. Let us know which is your favorite!

Whiskey Mushroom Moody Blue® Flatbread: This flatbread is great to enjoy with a drink on the back patio as you grill your main course. The Moody Blue® cheese featured is smoked over fruit wood to create smoky undertones, which pairs with fire roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. Featuring: Moody Blue® and Butterkäse

Alpine Asparagus Flatbread: Do you like only veggies on your flatbreads? This flatbread may be the one of your dreams with asparagus, red onions, and garlic. Featuring: Grand Cru®

Chicken Avocado Flatbread: Avocados are still trending this year, so why not put them on your flatbread? Sprinkle some bacon and chicken on top with some cheese and you have the perfect meal. Featuring: Ultimate Mac & Cheese Shred Blend

Gin-Spiked Buttermilk Blue^® Flatbread: Try something new by adding blue cheese to your meals. This gin infused flatbread holds rosemary, onions, and fig & black tea jam on top to make a delicious combination to share at your next party. Featuring: Buttermilk Blue^®

Italian Prosciutto Flatbread: A classic Italian-style flatbread rounds out this list of delicious meals. Sliced prosciutto, basil leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts meld together to form an unforgettable flatbread. Featuring: Original Van Gogh® Gouda

Guides, Pairings

Beer & Cheese Pairing Guide

Us Wisconsinites pride ourselves on two things: CHEESE and BEER.

Our state’s cheesemakers craft the world’s best cheeses. In fact, our Grand Cru^® Surchoix was named World Champion at the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest. In addition to our ubiquitous cheesemongering, Wisconsin brews some pretty dang good beer. We named our pro baseball team the Brewers, after all!

What could be more appropriate than a beer and cheese pairing guide to supplement all that consumption? Wisconsinite or not, beer and cheese are a classic duo. Here’s our guide for enjoying beer and Roth Cheese in the best way:

Much like wine, we need to start by considering the body of the beer versus the body of the cheese. For the ultimate match, the body of the cheese should match the body of the beer. For instance, a rich, creamy beer will pair nicely with a rich, creamy cheese — we suggest our Buttermilk Blue® paired with a dark porter or a stout.

But pairing isn’t always about being matchy-matchy. There are also contrasting pairs…opposites attract, right? Let’s say we have a spicy cheese. Adding a second strong flavor will overwhelm the heat. Instead, we want to balance it with a beer that will cool the palate without taking away from that wonderful spice. We suggest our Jalapeño Havarti with a mild lager or pilsner.

Finally, we need to consider the nuances of flavor. Beer and cheese come with diverse flavor profiles, so we suggest making a tasting game of it. Taste test different combinations to find specific notes in the cheese that match those specific notes in a beer. Our Grand Cru^® has lovely, light floral notes with a mellow and nutty finish which compliment the earthy, bitter hops of an IPA.

Most importantly, make it fun! The only way to find your favorites is to try different pairs. You’ll probably find some you don’t like along with some killer ones you’ll eat again and again. Those unsuspecting gems are what make it all worth it in the end.

What’s your favorite beer and cheese pairing?

Uncategorized

Five Special Weekend Brunch Ideas

Oh brunch, how we love thee! While a plate of bacon and eggs is classic, sometimes the weekend requires something special. Check out these five unique recipes for stepping up your brunch game with our award-winning variety of cheeses.

Cheesy Egg-Topped Acorn Squash Breakfast Bowl: Eat up the last bits of your winter squash haul with this sweet and salty bowl. Tater tots, chopped ham, eggs and our nutty Grand Cru® ensures brunch will be your most delicious meal of the day. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Cheesy Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Potatoes & Pesto: Have you tried SAVORY oatmeal yet? It’s the ultimate power breakfast — fully loaded with a cheesy oatmeal base, garlicky potatoes, a spoonful of pesto and gorgeous soft-boiled eggs. Featuring: Van Gogh® Gouda

Lazy Lady Strata: Whip-up this light and fluffy strata in just 40 minutes from start to finish! Our 3 Chile Pepper Gouda is the secret ingredient here, adding a rich, smoky, spicy flavor. Featuring: 3 Chile Pepper Gouda

Hash Brown Breakfast Pizza with Asparagus: Pizza for breakfast? Yes please. Low carb? Give it to me. Full of flavor…ummm are you for real? This hash brown, Grand Cru®-topped breakfast is what we call a crowdpleaser. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Brunch Board: There really is a cheeseboard for every occasion. Pick your favorite Roth cheeses and breakfast foods — think bacon, potatoes, avocado and berries — for the most enjoyable start to the day. Featuring: Buttermilk Blue^® & Dill Havarti (but have fun changing it up!)

Cheeseboards, Guides

How to Make a Kid’s Snack Board

When it comes to snack time, we’re always brainstorming new ways to get our little ones eating healthy foods. A canvas of cheese, fruits, veggies, crackers and dips can be the perfect way to keep the kiddos satisfied after school, during lunchtime, at family gatherings, weekend playdates or birthday parties.. Check out this simple kid’s snack board, including a variety of healthy (nut and soy-free) options.

This board includes 3 of our favorite kid-friendly cheeses: Original Gouda, Original Havarti and Prairie Sunset. Our cheeses are always made with fresh, rBST-free milk from local family farms within 60 miles of our creameries, so we feel good about giving it to our kids, and we hope you do, too.

We threw these cheeses together with some typical crowd-pleasers like sliced turkey, baby carrots, fresh green beans, strawberries, clementines, pepitas, graham crackers, cheddar puffs, and gummy fruit snacks. (Pro tip: Fruit snacks are so tasty with Havarti!)

When it comes to prepping an easy kid-friendly board, don’t get overwhelmed by what to include. If anything, just choose your kid’s favorite fruit, veggie, protein and cracker – it’s that simple!

To complete the spread, we added savory hummus and sweet yogurt dips, because kids just love to dip their foods, and they add an extra healthy kick.

To re-create this exact board at home, here’s a handy shopping list:

Roth Original Havarti cheese
Roth Original Gouda cheese
Roth Prairie Sunset cheese
Sliced deli turkey or ham
Baby carrots or carrot slices
Fresh green beans
Strawberries, or your favorite berry
Clementines or apple slices
Pepitas or sunflower seeds
Graham crackers
Cheddar puffs
Fruit snacks

Have you made a kids snack board? Tell us what snacks you used!

Recipes

Five Fresh Springtime Recipes

For us Midwesterners it may be hard to believe, but spring is finally here! Time to bask in the extra hour of sunlight, clean out that dirty closet and take advantage of fresh new herbs and veggies. Here are five spring-time recipes that will breathe new life into your diet.

Asparagus and Pea Pesto Flatbread: Fresh, herby, pea pesto on crisp, naan bread, topped with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, basil and Dill Havarti…HELLOOO spring. Eliminate the guilt in grabbing that second or third slice with this low-cal flatbread.

30-minute Spring Pasta: Packed with fresh veggies, prosciutto, and
Original Grand Cru®. This elevated pasta comes together in only 30-minutes. Get out and enjoy the first warm days of the year with all that saved time.

Green Bean Buttermilk Blue Salad: Add some green to your diet with this super-fresh, green bean salad. Green beans, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, oregano and our Buttermilk Blue^® – tossed together for a refreshing and healthy treat!

Havarti Veggie Lovers Sandwich: Make this ultra-satisfying veggie sandwich your go-to on meatless-Monday. Or any day for that matter. Featuring: Dill Havarti

Alpine Asparagus Finger Rolls: Although asparagus may be available all year round, it’s at its peak in April, making this recipe the perfect, savory, finger-food for springtime gatherings. Featuring: Grand Cru^® Reserve

Guides

A Guide to Roth Cheese

We may call the rolling hills of Southern Wisconsin home, but our roots date back to 1863 in one of the finest cheesemaking regions outside of the United States: Switzerland. Today, our team of more than a dozen licensed cheesemakers utilizes traditional techniques to craft a melting pot of award-winning cheeses, including our signature Grand Cru®, Dutch-style Gouda, Havarti and a few of our very own American Originals.

Here’s a handy guide to deepen your know-how of our Roth Cheese varieties and help you discover the perfect cheese for your palate:

SEMI-FIRM: Our Havarti and Gouda cheeses are creamy semi-firm cheeses. They are both perfect on a cheeseboard and are also very popular cooking cheeses. Use Creamy Havarti and Original Gouda as your go-to cooking cheese and use the other flavors when you want to add a bold, smoky, or spicy twist to your dish.

SEMI-HARD: The majority of our cheeses fall under the semi-hard category, including Grand Cru®, Butterkäse, and Fontina. Slightly aged, these cheeses are firm but moist, and tend to be crowd pleasers — approachable, creamy and sometimes nutty. We’ve found these mild cheeses also provide the ideal backdrop for supporting an extra flavor kick. In both our Goudas and Havartis, you’ll find spicy, bold flavor additions like horseradish, jalapeño, and chile peppers.

HARD: Skillful aging by our licensed cheesemakers (and their supporting crew) gives hard cheeses a firm texture and coaxes out complex flavors like caramel, fruit, nuts and/or earthiness. You’ll find just that in our Grand Cru® Surchoix, Aged Gouda, Prairie Sunset® and Canela. These cheeses are culinary favorites and grace restaurant menus in entrées or as tasty additions to a cheeseboard. One of our beloved favorites is Grand Cru® Surchoix, which earned the top title of World Champion at the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest.

BLUE: Inoculated with a culture of mold called penicillum roqueforti, blue cheeses — including our Blue and Gorgonzola varieties — display beautiful blue-green veins and an addictively sharp flavor. Plus, our blues offer a little something for everyone. Maybe you’re not so sure about mold in your cheese? If so, our creamy and mild Buttermilk Blue® may just be your stepping stone. Maybe you’re someone with a more adventurous appetite? Our assertively piquant Gorgonzola will keep you on your toes and isn’t for the faint of palates.

WASHED RIND: Never heard this term before? “Washed rind” simply refers to the process of smearing moisture to the exterior of a cheese. This extra source of moisture comes in the form of brine (salted water),
often (though not always) including b. linens. This classic cheesemaking process helps encourage (good!) bacteria growth, which ultimately adds depth of flavor and gives us that addictive umami taste we love so much. The textures of washed rind cheeses vary based on cultures or bacteria added to the wash and the time the cheese ages. For example, our Grand Cru® Surchoix is a hard washed rind cheese.

ORGANIC: We’ve taken a few of our Roth favorites and created a line of Organics made with locally-sourced organic milk. All four varieties are GMO-free, vegetarian and certified organic.

Food, Recipes

Sweet & Cheesy Treats You’ll Crave

Who said cheese is just for savory recipes? Adding cheese to dessert-like dishes offers a heightened level of flavor and an undeniable richness that lends itself beautifully to sweet treats of all kinds. If you’re a sweet and salty kind of person, then you’re in the right place.

Apple Cranberry Gouda Muffins: Apples and Gouda are a perfect snack pairing for both kids and adults. These muffins are great as a quick, grab-and-go breakfast or just what you need to satisfy a morning sweet tooth craving. Featuring: Original Gouda

Cranberry Sriracha Brownies: Say what!? An unexpected flavor combo that is delightfully cheesy and chocolatey. Add this sweet & spicy dessert to your recipe repertoire to impress guests with a feisty little kick. Featuring: Original Grand Cru

Apple Berry Crisp: There’s nothing quite like a piping hot fruit crisp fresh from the oven to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Our sweet, approachable Prairie Sunset is laced with the fruit for an extra creamy filling. It’s almost like it was made for this. Featuring: Prairie Sunset

Fig Flatbread En Croute: Step your flatbread game up a notch with easy-to-use puff pastry dough for twisty, flaky, goodness oozing with our award-winning nutty Grand Cru and sweet figs. Featuring: Grand Cru Reserve

Recipes

Our Most Comforting Pasta and Mac & Cheese Recipes

Get ready for some ultra-comforting, ooey gooey and cheesy recipes, because we’ve got PASTA on the brain. Whether you make it for dinner, reheat as leftovers for lunch or devour it for breakfast (no judgment here), these recipes will be there for you whenever you need them.

Roasted Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: Let’s start this out on a healthy note. This “pasta” recipe uses cauliflower in place of pasta and almond meal as an alternative to breadcrumbs — making it 100% gluten free. Whether you have celiac disease or are looking to reduce your carbs, this one’s for you. Featuring: Original Havarti and Original Grand Cru

Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Melt: Whether they’re laced in a soup, baked in a pasta or stuffed inside a baked potato, broccoli and cheddar are an undeniably perfect flavor combo. For those picky eaters, this pasta melt is also an easy AND cheesy way to sneak in extra veggies. Featuring: Organic Sharp Cheddar

Firehouse Mac and Cheese: Let’s kick our pasta-eating up a few notches to SPICY. This Firehouse Mac and Cheese will have your tastebuds tingling with fiery red peppers, poblano chilies, chorizo sausage and our smoky 3 Chile Pepper Gouda. Whew! Sound the alarm! Featuring: 3 Chile Pepper Gouda

Four-Havarti Instant Pot Mac and Cheese: We know you’re loving your Instant Pot right now and we’re here for it. Let this be yet another reason to never take it off the countertop. This savory mac and cheese is exploding with flavor AND it only takes 25 minutes…YES PLEASE. Featuring: Original, Jalapeño, Horseradish and Chipotle Havarti.

Million Dollar Mac and Cheese: We’re going out with a bang with this million-dollar mac. Not sure it gets more comforting than this creamy, buttery, breadcrumb-topped concoction that boasts not one, but THREE cheeses. We’re not messing around when we say mac and CHEESE. Featuring: Butterkäse, Original Havarti and Prairie Sunset.

Cheeseboards

How to Build a Sugar & Spice Cheeseboard

Tis’ the season for festive holiday parties, impromptu get-togethers and celebrating with our family and friends. Whether you’re on hosting duty or heading over to Great Aunt Mildred’s house, impress everyone with this unique yet simple Sugar & Spice Cheeseboard.

Here’s how to pull it together:

Start with two crowd-pleasing cheeses: slightly sweet Prairie Sunset® and our award-winning alpine-style Grand Cru®. Layer in warmly-spiced holiday treats like spiced pecans and gingersnap cookies, then add sweetness with fresh fruit (we chose juicy plums and grapes) or fig jam and crackers. Simple as that! It’s sophisticated, easy, and a delicious board to bring to any holiday gathering or provide as a hostess gift.

Guides, Recipes

Stay Warm With These Four Wintry Soup Recipes

Winters in Wisconsin can be brutal. A bowl of piping hot soup is one of our greatest antidotes for combating the freezing temps and snow-pocalypse storms that barrel through the Midwest come December. We promise, these four soup recipes will keep bellies warm, appetites satisfied and cheese cravings met.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Cheddar Soup: The perfect soup to make on weeknights, serve at a holiday party or heat up for leftovers. Creamy, delicious and vegetarian — this soup checks every box (don’t forget the croutons!). Featuring: Organic Cheddar Cheese

Steakhouse Onion Soup

Steakhouse Onion Soup with Grand Cru: Rich, savory and comforting — this French onion-inspired soup is best topped with a melty layer of our award-winning Grand Cru® Surchoix and served with a loaf of crusty bread. Featuring: Grand Cru® Surchoix

Chorizo Chili

Spicy Chorizo Chili: Everyone claims that THEIR chili recipe is the best…but have you tried this one? Loaded with chorizo, three kinds of beans and our Sriracha hot sauce-laced Gouda cheese for extra kick. Featuring: Sriracha Gouda

Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup

Classic Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup: Name a better pair than silky smooth tomato soup and an ooey gooey grilled cheese. We’ll wait. Featuring: Prairie Sunset

Guides, Recipes

Operation Side Dish: Potato Edition

Between food allergies, preferences and conflicting tastes; coming up with a tasty holiday menu that will satisfy all your guests can be a daunting task. Luckily, there’s one humble ingredient everyone seems to agree on: POTATOES.

There is so much you can do with a good spud. And what makes a good spud an even better spud? CHEESE!

Easy Loaded Hasselback Potatoes: A potato chip + baked potato hybrid, these crispy Hasselback potatoes are as easy as it gets. Simply slice up your potatoes, brush with butter, and pop in the oven. For the last five minutes, add Grand Cru® for melty, cheesy goodness, then top with green onions, bacon, sour cream and ENJOY.

Cheesy Skillet Potatoes: The more cheese, the merrier! There’s a double dose of cheese melted into these layered skillet potatoes. Robust Grand Cru® and our extra creamy Havarti give these spuds that extra flair.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: A downright classic, mashed potatoes may just be THE ultimate comfort food. Try our extra cheesy version with smooth and creamy Fontina and nutty Grand Cru®.

Twice Baked Potatoes: Bake em’ twice, they’re double as nice! Twice-baked potatoes are a dish the whole family can pitch in on. Kids can scoop out the centers and fill with Prairie Sunset, broccoli and hot sauce (optional). This can be a fun, interactive dinner for the kids while lightening the load for you!

Mashed Potato Latkes: A take on your grandma’s traditional shredded potato latkes. Grab the applesauce and be warned: these Grand Cru®-laden mashed potato rendition could give grandma’s classic a run for her money.

Swiss Anna Potatoes

Swiss Ana Potatoes: Want a side of potatoes with your cheese? These thinly-sliced taters have been doused with mellow, nutty Grand Cru® and that’s not a bad thing. Little ramekins make these single-sized portions perfect to serve guests over Christmas.

Roasted Potatoes With GranQueso®: Simple and satisfying, this recipe goes with just about anything. Quarter your potatoes, toss with GranQueso® and roast for 45 minutes until golden and crispy.

Guides, Recipes

Four Leftover Turkey Recipes

Cooking a big Thanksgiving meal is an all-day endeavor with much of it spent on the main event: the turkey! Hours of roasting, basting and finally, slicing the giant bird takes both patience and hard work. Guests will stuff themselves (much like the bird itself) into a turkey-induced nap but still, there are always leftovers.

Instead of reheating the same turkey dinner day after day, try these easy — and of course, cheesy — recipes that will keep your leftovers from becoming anything but boring.

Turkey Pot Pie: The perfect way to repurpose not only turkey but mashed potatoes, gravy AND veggies. This homestyle dish can be thrown together in 20 minutes from start to finish – including baking! Bonus: no grocery store stop and little-to-no ingredient prep. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Turkey & Smoked Gouda Panini: Turkey and Smoked Gouda? Talk about a satisfying flavor and texture combo. With sliced apple and a raspberry vinaigrette, this pressed panini is a sweet and savory twist on the usual post-Thanksgiving turkey sando. Featuring: Natural Smoked Van Gogh® Gouda

BBQ Turkey Sliders with Spicy Sprout Slaw: Dry turkey? No problem. These saucy sliders will bring the driest of turkey scraps back to life. Save any leftover Brussels sprouts to put to use in the hot Brussels slaw made with our beloved Grand Cru. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Ultimate Turkey Tenders: We’re not sure it gets much easier or kid-friendly than this! Slice your leftover turkey into small strips, prepare the tangy Dijon dressing, roll in herbs and viola! You’ve made the tastiest of finger foods the whole family will enjoy. Featuring: Original Van Gogh® Gouda

Cheeseboards, Guides

Fall Fruit Cheeseboard

Fall is upon us and while we love pumpkin everything as much as the next person, we couldn’t let the season pass without taking advantage of the beautiful fruit available this time of year.

Fresh fruit like grapes, apples and pears, complement the flavors and colors of the cheese. Here we chose Grand Cru®, Buttermilk Blue® and stunning Prairie Sunset®. Dried fruit adds some additional sweetness, while spiced and plain nuts give the cheeseboard some texture.

To really elevate the fall flavors, try making this easy dried fruit mostarda.

Dried Fruit Mostarda

Ingredients:
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:
Combine apricots, cherries, shallot, wine, vinegar, water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until liquid is absorbed and fruit softens, about 10 minutes. Stir in mustard and butter; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is jam-like, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Cheeseboards, Guides

How to Create a Cheeseboard for Your Game Day Party

We’re in the midst of an action-packed football season. And that means plenty of tailgating and game day parties. We’re showing you how to put together a cheeseboard that will win any game day gathering.

Step One: Pick Your Cheese

The cheese is obviously the star of the board, so grab your favorites. We like a range of flavors, from bold & spicy 3 Chile Pepper Gouda to mild and buttery Butterkäse to slightly sweet GranQueso®.

Step Two: Add Your Charcuterie

Every game day needs some charcuterie meats. We chose Landjäger sausage and black pepper salami to add a bit of a kick.

Step Three: Fill Out Your Board

Pick out accompaniments to balance out the board. Some suggestions: Dijon mustard and pretzels for dipping, crackers, pickles and olives.

Step Four: Grab a Beverage & Cheer on Your Team

When it’s time for kick-off, grab your favorite beverage (here in Wisconsin we usually go for a beer), sit back and cheer your team to victory!

Recipes

5 Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love This Fall

It’s hard to envision a fall without all things pumpkin. It’s an ingredient that can be used in more than just festive desserts or your favorite fall latte. We’ve gathered our favorite recipes featuring — you guessed it — PUMPKIN!

pumpkin biscuits

Pumpkin Fontina Biscuits: Oozing with creamy Fontina cheese, these biscuits do not disappoint. Put them on the table as the perfect side for all your holiday feasts.

Pumpkin, Kale and Bacon Mac

Pumpkin, Kale & Bacon Mac: Enrich your favorite comfort food with a little pumpkin, kale and bacon. The pumpkin adds a tasty contrast between sweet and savory. A perfect weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy. Featuring: Gouda and Grand Cru® or Grand Cru® Reserve

pumpkin tacos

Cheesy Pumpkin Taquitos: Pumpkin taquitos, what!? That’s right. Pumpkin is a delicious additive for just about anything. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Grand Cru Pumpkin Flatbread: Alfredo and marinara, step aside. Its pumpkin’s time to shine. Leftover turkey or pumpkin puree? Spend a fun night in crafting this flatbread with pumpkin as the base. Featuring: Original Grand Cru®

Pumpkin Gouda Pasta: Creamy, cheesy, and it only takes 30 minutes to make. What else do you need? Featuring: Original Gouda

Cheeseboards, Pairings

Halloween Candy & Cheese Pairings

Candy and cheese pairings

The only thing better than indulging on Halloween candy this time of year is adding in some cheese, too! Plus, you can feel better about all that candy consumption when you’re also getting your daily serving of dairy, right? This sweet/savory combo isn’t always considered, but when you pair the two, you’ll be glad you took the chance. Here are a few of our favorite combos:

Caramel corn

Roth 3 Chile Pepper Gouda & Caramel Corn: You’ll be pairing these two all year round when you try this sweet/spicy combo.

candy corn

Roth Havarti & Candy Corn: Some love it, some hate it, but we can’t ignore this iconic candy this time of year. Creamy Roth Havarti balances out the sugar with a mild milky texture and flavor.

Roth Butterkäse & Chocolate: A classic cheese pairing, milk chocolate goes perfectly with creamy Wisconsin Butterkäse.

peanut butter cups

Roth Grand Cru® & Peanut Butter Cups: Nutty notes in our alpine-style Grand Cru® cheese are brought out by peanut butter, and these seasonal pumpkin-shaped peanut butter cups are perfect for Halloween festivities.

Cheeseboards

How to Make a Fun Halloween Cheese Board

Halloween Cheese Board

With all the festivities around this time of year, make snacking easy with a fun, kid-friendly Halloween cheese board. All you need are a few wedges of crowd-pleasing cheeses, seasonal fruits, orange-hued snacks and plenty of candy. For this seasonal snack plate, we used:

Roth Gouda®
Roth Grand Cru®
Roth Havarti®
Roth Snack Cheese
Cheesy Butternut Squash Hummus
Apple slices
Candy corn
Caramel corn
Cookies
Dried cranberries
Mango orange juice
Marshmallow ghosts
Root vegetable chips
Pecan shortbread biscuits/crackers

Add your favorite treats and have fun. There’s really no wrong way to do it!

Halloween Cheese Board

Cheeseboards, Food, Pairings

Easy Hard Cider & Cheese Pairings

Cider season is cheese’s best friend. Cider is much like wine in that it’s made with fermented juice and varies widely in style — from sparkling to still, dry or sweet, tart or fruity. Consequently, cheese pairing tactics for cider mirror the strategies that also work with wine.

We (very willingly!) put this strategy to the test by eating and drinking through our favorite ciders and Roth cheese in order to suggest the best pairings for fall. Here are our favorites:

Roth 3 Chile Pepper Gouda & Restoration Cider Co. Driftless Apple

This semi-dry apple cider is made with apples from the Driftless region of southwestern Wisconsin. It’s sweetened with fresh apple juice after fermentation, giving it just the right amount of sweetness to balance our spicy 3 Chile Pepper Gouda. Pair with honey and chocolate for an extra sweet and spicy flavor combination.

Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar & Island Orchard Brut Apple Cider

This unpretentious and simple cider has a medium body and light astringency. It’s dry with a balance of fruit and tartness and a prickly carbonation that can cut through creamy, sharp cheeses, like Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar.

Roth Original Havarti & Restoration Cider Co. Normandy Pear

This semi-dry cider is made with Wisconsin apples and lightly sweetened with highly tannic heritage perry pear (Poire de Gris and Poire D’Epine) juice imported from Normandy. It’s light and sweet, and ideal for pairing with mild, creamy cheeses, like Roth Havarti.

Roth Prairie Sunset & Seattle Cider Company Tangerine Turmeric

This cider comes from a line of truly unique ciders from Seattle Cider Company. Fermented with tangerine peel and fresh turmeric root, it’s aromatic and complex, offering notes of ginger, cedar, and orange zest. Roth Prairie Sunset is equally unique. This Wisconsin original cheese with cheddar & gouda flavors welcome the tart ginger and orange flavors. Plus, we found our new love: canned cider.

Cheeseboards, Events, Food, Guides

How to Make a Tailgating Cheeseboard

There’s nothing quite like gathering with friends to cheer on your favorite team. The excitement of any sports event can be hard work! This is why no tailgate is complete without an infinite spread of snacks and finger foods all arranged on a cheeseboard.

Step 1: Choose a few easy-going cheeses to pair with classic tailgating munchies. Tailgating is a casual event, so offering a variety of things that are simple and approachable is key. Our favorites:

Prairie Sunset: This easy-going, sweet cheese compliments the casual game day feel. It pairs well with most things, especially almonds, fruit, beef sticks and Pilsner beers.
Chipotle Havarti: The kick of spice and smoke in this cheese pairs especially well with olives, beef sticks, corn chips and IPA beers.
Grand Cru® Reserve: A bold, savory cheese for a bold, savory board. It pairs especially well with beef sticks, almonds bock beers and IPAs.
Buttermilk Blue® + wings = a match made in heaven.
Sriracha Gouda: This hot and fiery cheese is perfect with a Bloody Mary (also great with honey and ciders!).

You can mix things up by adding a spicy cheeseball to your spread as well. This Spicy Buffalo Cheese Ball made with our Jalapeño Havarti cheese is super easy and a crowd-pleaser for game day.

Step 2: Choose your favorite tailgating accompaniments. Salty and savory tend to be the flavor profile of choice, but it never hurts to throw in a few refreshing fruits and veggies as well:

Almonds
Beef sticks
Berries
Broccoli
Buffalo chicken wings
Cherry tomatoes
Corn chips
Crackers
Garlic-stuffed olives
Popcorn
Potato chips
Soft pretzels
Snack mix
Celery
Grapes
BBQ chips
Pickles
Italian salami

Step 3: Mix up that Bloody Mary, swig down a beer, sit back and watch your team dominate the field!

Cheeseboards, Guides, Uncategorized

How to Cut Cheese Like a Pro

No gathering is complete without the right cheeseboard to spice up the party. But, how do you cut cheese so it looks like this?

We’re here to tell you how. And, it’s really quite easy!

First, go to your local grocer or cheese shop with an idea of how much cheese you’ll need. A good rule of thumb is to account for 3 to 4 ounces of cheese per guest if it is not being served as the main course. Each wedge of cheese will vary in size, but most are 4 to 8 ounces. Choose a variety of types and flavors. Ok, now let’s get started making that cheeseboard…

Cheese in Wedges

May of our cheeses, such as our Grand Cru^® line and Sriracha Gouda come in wedges. A wedge of cheese may seem difficult to cut, but it’s one of the easiest. Lay the wedge on its flat side and begin slicing from top to bottom in thin slices. You will end up with beautiful triangles of cheese, which are also great for dipping into mustards or jams.

Cheese in Blocks

Cheeses such as our Havarti and Organic Sharp Cheddar come in rectangular blocks. Lay the cheese with it’s largest surface down and slice thinly into small rectangles. These small rectangles are perfect by themselves, on a cracker, or with a piece of fruit.

If you have many blocks of cheese on your board, try cutting half of them in a different way to create some visual appeal. What we like to do is take the rectangular slice you made above and cut it diagonally through the center, creating two triangles of cheese.

Next, arrange your cheese on your cheeseboard and add crackers, jam, fruits, nuts, veggies or more around them to make the perfect board!

Cheeseboards, Guides

3 Cheese Knives You Need In Your Kitchen

We’ve all been there. You’re at a friend’s dinner party, and the cheese board with those odd looking knives comes out. Not wanting to commit a social faux pas, you shy away from it, or just stick to the knives you know. We’ll take a look at the most common cheese knives you’ll encounter at your next dinner party. Including what they’re for, and how to use them, so you can be fearless next time you approach the cheese board!

Cheese Plane

This is the triangle shaped knife with a slot in the middle. It’s called a cheese plane, and is meant for cutting hard and semi-hard cheese, like our Grand Cru®, into thin slices.

Parmesan Knife

A small knife with a wide base and skinny tip, the Parmesan Knife is a modest, but durable knife for cutting chunks of hard cheeses, like our GranQueso®.

The Classic Cheese Knife

This is the most common cheese knife you’ll encounter. As the name implies, it can be used on most soft to semi-hard cheeses (think most cheeses from Havarti to Grand Cru®). Often this knife will have a duller blade and a forked tip to assist in cutting and picking up the cheese for transfer to your plate.

Now you’ll be ready to emerge fearless next time you encounter these knives at a dinner party or even start putting together your own cheese plates!

Cheeseboards, Events, Guides, Uncategorized

How To Create The Perfect Cheeseboard

Whether you’re just getting into creating your own cheese boards or are a self-proclaimed expert, we could all use some brushing up on the best practices to cut and prepare cheese for your next party.

Cheese Prep

When both buying and cutting cheese, a good rule of thumb is to account for one to two ounces of cheese per guest. Additionally, it is always easiest to cut cheese cold—so be sure to keep it in your refrigerator until just before you are ready to begin prep. Once you’re ready, grab your cheese and unwrap it on the cutting surface. Be sure not to leave it unwrapped for too long because the cheese will eventually dry out before you and your guests have a chance to properly enjoy it.

The Knife

Whether you’re planning to let your guests cut their own cheese from a wedge or cut it in advance for them, a good knife is essential to the process. We outline the best cheese knifes for different cheeses in our other blog post here. However, if you’re going to serve cheese pre-cut for your guests, a chef’s knife is a reliable choice. Just make sure to clean the knife after each cheese if you’re using it to cut multiple cheeses.

Cutting the cheese!

The options here are limitless. Besides allowing people to cut a cheese on their own, there are plenty of creative ways to cut cheese. With cheese slices and cubes typically the first options that people gravitate to. However, cutting cheese into triangles can be a fun and visually appealing way cut most cheeses as well. Meanwhile, soft cheeses should typically be left for people to cut on their own by putting out an appropriate size wedge. Don’t forget to re-wrap any unused cheese and return it to the refrigerator to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Additionally, when cheese served cold it tends to have a different texture and taste than it is supposed to. So make sure to let your cheese warm to room temperature before serving. That way you and your guests can enjoy the cheese and all the wonderful flavors it has to share.

Hopefully, these quick tips will make your cheese board and party planning experience even smoother and your guests’ cheese experience even more fantastic!

Pairings

Our Favorite Sriracha Gouda Pairings

If you like spicy cheese, Sriracha Gouda may be your new best friend. It’s made with Sriracha chili sauce and rubbed with crushed red peppers to make its unique rind and bold flavor. You’ll get a creamy texture like a traditional Dutch-style Gouda, but with a kick of heat.

And we know what you’re thinking: what do I eat with this spicy little devil? Pair it with cool and sweet flavors to balance the heat. Here are some of our favorite combos:

Crackers: Crackers are a classic pairing, and clean your palette after a bite of spicy cheese.
Berries: Cool, sweet fruits like raspberries or strawberries balance out the spicy flavor.
Olives: Enjoy them side by side with the cheese or skewer on a pick for a surprisingly tasty snack.
Honey: Serve it on a cheeseboard next to a bowl of honey for a sweet/spicy combo you’ll crave.
Berry Cider: The sweet flavors of cider complement spicy cheeses.
Rosé: Even though they range in sweetness level, you can pick your favorite to balance out the Sriracha flavor.
IPA: These beers have bold and distinct flavors that combine stand up well next to this bold cheese.

And when you really want to go spicy, add it to your favorite recipes, like:

Chili: Spice up a mild chili or even give a hot chili recipe some extra flavor.
Tacos: You can’t go wrong with adding a little extra heat.
Quesadillas: It’ll take a sad homemade quesadilla to the next level.

Food, Recipes

5 Ways to Use Blue Cheese

Whether you’re hosting a party at your house with your closet friends and family or looking for new creative ways to use cheese in your weekly dinner plans, blue cheese is the answer. It adds big flavor and is one of the most versatile cheeses you’ll find — eat it on a cheeseboard, crumbled, spread or melted.

Here are five different ways to enjoy blue cheese:

1. Melt on Top of a Burger: One of the most common and delicious ways to enjoy blue cheese is to crumble and melt it on top of a burger. One of our favorite burger recipes is our Moody Blue Slider made with our delicately smoked Moody Blue® recipes

2. Make a Dip: Another easy way to use blue cheese is it turn it into a cheesy dip! This Pear & Buttermilk Blue® Dip incorporates our Original Buttermilk Blue® cheese along with five other simple ingredients for a dip that’s perfect for a crowd.

3. Make a Dessert: Blue cheese typically isn’t the first thing you think of when making dessert or sweet appetizers, but it’s tangy and savory flavor adds depth to a variety of sweet dishes. These Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Candied Pecan Puff Pastry Bites are a perfect example!
4. Melt in a Grilled Cheese: Any cheese can be melted in a grilled cheese. Yes, even blue! This Buttermilk Blue® Melt made with our Buttermilk Blue® cheese, zucchini and tomatoes is a new spin on your favorite comfort food.

5. Top a Salad: The creamy taste and texture of blue cheese is perfect on top of fresh, crispy lettuce. This Chicken BLT Salad uses blue cheese to add creaminess to the usual bacon, lettuce, and tomato combo.

Featured, Food, Recipes

Our Favorite Flatbread Recipes

Flatbreads are a must-have for your recipe collection. They’re ridiculously easy to make and are versatile enough to make as an appetizer, light lunch, or even a fun dinner. These are some of our all-time favorite flatbread recipes!

Chicken Avocado Flatbread: Bacon, chicken, Ultimate Mac & Cheese Shred Blend, and avocado. Can it get any better than that?

Brussels Sprout Flatbread: Brussels sprouts are an uncommon flatbread topping, but pairs perfectly with our Grand Cru®.

Rustic Vegetable Flatbread: A veggie lover’s top pick. It incorporates our Fontina cheese, tomato, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus.

Italian Prosciutto Flatbread: You can’t go wrong with a classic Italian flatbread. This one features our Original Van Gogh® Gouda cheese.

Food, Recipes

5 Easy Lunch Recipes

Whether it’s a weekday or the weekend, your lunch plans don’t have to be boring. These five recipes are some of Roth fans’ all-time favorites and trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

Harvest Couscous Salad: Although this salad is a fall favorite, it can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year. Plus, it features our tangy, but mellow Buttermilk Blue ® cheese.

Avocado Green Goddess Sandwich: This sandwich is as good as it looks. It’s full of green veggies and features our Dill Havarti cheese.

Southwest Chicken Wrap: Layered with chicken, spicy 3 Chile Pepper Gouda cheese, lettuce, tomato, and beans, this makes a tasty, nutritious lunch that will keep you full all afternoon!

Four Cheese Stovetop Macaroni: Nothing is more delicious or satisfying than making your own mac and cheese, and it’s surprisingly easy. Four amazing cheeses: Havarti, Organic Cheddar, Butterkäse, and Grand Cru®, work together to make this the ultimate, decadent, creamy stovetop mac and cheese.

Chicken BLT Salad: Our Buttermilk Blue® cheese crumbles and ranch dressing add a creaminess to the usual bacon, lettuce, and tomato salad combo.

For more lunchtime recipes, visit our recipe collection.

Food, Guides, Recipes

Cheese Fondue Tips

Fondue is a communal dish that brings friends and family together. There’s just something about a pot of bubbling, gooey cheese that makes people smile! On National Fondue Day, we’re sharing our top tips to make sure your next fondue gathering goes smoothly.

Remember to Stir
Fondue needs to be stirred frequently to keep the cheese from separately or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Use a piece of bread or other accompaniment to stir the fondue in a figure-eight pattern to help keep the fondue smooth.

Twirl Your Fork
Once you’ve stirred and dunked your food, lift your fork and twirl it over the pot to allow the excess gooey cheese to drip back into the pot.

Play Nice With Your Guests
Remember everyone is trying to get their fill of the cheesy goodness so have patience. Also, your fondue fork is for dipping only! Make sure to remove your food and use your dinner fork for eating.

Think About Pairings
We love to serve a chilled dry Riesling with our fondue. It pairs perfectly with our classic House Fondue recipe. A light beer can also make a great pairing.

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Midwest Beer & Cheese Pairings

National Beer Day is coming up on April 7th and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than pairing Roth cheeses with our favorite Midwestern craft brews. Here are a few of our favorites:

Grand Cru® Reserve & Capital Brewing Special Pilsner
Grand Cru® Reserve is aged for more than six months in copper vats to achieve its bold and crowd-pleasing flavor. Nutty undertones in the cheese pair perfectly with a balanced pilsner. We’re partial to Capital Brewery’s Special Pilsner from our home state of Wisconsin.

Havarti & Bell’s Bohemian Pilsner
With its extra creamy texture and fresh, milky flavor, Havarti makes a great pair with a crisp pilsner, like the Bell’s Brewery Lager of the Lakes from Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Buttermilk Blue® & Summit Great Northern Porter
Buttermilk Blue® can turn any blue cheese skeptic into a fan with its balanced, earthy flavor and soft, creamy finish. But it’s still got enough boldness to stand up to a big dark beer, such as Saint Paul Minnesota-based Summit Brewing Company’s Great Northern Porter.

Sriracha Gouda & Revolution Anti-Hero IPA
Looking to take things up a notch? Our Sriracha Gouda blends the creaminess of a classic Dutch-style Gouda with a spicy kick. Pair it with a pale ale or IPA for a well-balanced bite. We like Revolution Brewing’s Anti-Hero IPA from Chicago.

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3 Easy Deviled Egg Recipes

If you and your family are planning to dye eggs this holiday weekend, chances are you will have plenty of leftover hardboiled eggs. Put those eggs to good use by whipping up some deviled eggs. We’re sharing three easy variations, thanks to the addition of flavor-packed Roth Cheese.

All of these recipes are for six hardboiled eggs but can easily be scaled depending on how many eggs you have leftover!

Bacon Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs
Mash the yolks with 4 tablespoons mayo, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, ¼ cup crumbled bacon and ¼ cup crumbled Buttermilk Blue ®. Fill the egg whites and garnish with a piece of crumbled bacon for a twist on the classic!

Dill Havarti Deviled Eggs
Mash the yolks with 2 tablespoons mayo, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill and ½ cup shredded Dill Havarti. Fill the egg whites and garnish with more fresh dill for a creamy and herbaceous variation.

Spicy Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Mash the yolks with 3 tablespoons mayo, 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños, 1 tablespoon sriracha and ½ cup shredded Sriracha Gouda. Fill the egg whites and top with a dash of sriracha for an adventurous and spicy kick!

Tip: You can make a fun Sriracha Gouda cheese crisp to top your Spicy Deviled Eggs by placing small circles of grated cheese on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400˚F for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

Featured

Cheese Terminology 101

Whether you consider yourself a cheese expert or are just beginning your cheese education, the number of varieties, styles, techniques and terms can be overwhelming! We’re breaking down some of the most common cheese jargon, terminology and buzz to help you feel like a cheese master.

Affinage – The art of finishing cheese as it ages to bring it to maturity; the process helps influence the flavor, texture and body of the cheese. This is typically done in a cellar or cave.

Brine – A salt and water solution that is used to wash some cheese varieties during the final steps in the cheesemaking process. The brine serves several purposes – it stops the bacteria to ensure the cheese cures properly, it can help add flavor, and the brine pulls moisture from the surface of the cheese allowing a rind to begin to form.

Buttery – A term used to describe the flavor of certain cheeses that are either high in fat or have a slightly sweet flavor and creamy texture (for example, Roth Havarti).

Casein – The key protein in milk that coagulates during the cheesemaking process with the addition of rennet.

Earthy – A term used to describe the flavor of cheese varieties with rustic, grassy flavors and aromas (for example, Roth’s Private Reserve).

Hand-Rubbed – The process of rubbing the exterior of a cheese with spices or other seasonings to create a flavorful rind (for example: Roth GranQueso®).

Mouthfeel – The physical sensations caused by cheese (or any food!) in the mouth. This sensory attribute helps determine the overall flavor of cheese.

Piquant – A term used to describe the pleasantly sharp or spicy flavors of cheese (for example, Roth Buttermilk Blue®).

Rennet – An enzyme added to help coagulate milk during the cheesemaking process.

Rind – The outer surface on a cheese that helps create a seal and lock in moisture during the aging process.

Smear Ripened – A type of washed rind cheese that is also smeared with a bacteria solution to encourage uniform growth of the desired bacteria as the cheese ages.

Whey – The liquid in milk that separates from the curds during the cheesemaking process.

Washed Rind – A process of ripening in which the rind of the cheese is washed with whey, brine or other liquid (such as wine or beer) to add flavor to the cheese and produce a firm rind.

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Girl Scout Cookie & Cheese Pairings

If there’s anything better than cheese and Girl Scout Cookies, it’s putting the two together. Trust us on this one. We’re really never more excited about a food other than cheese until it’s Girl Scout Cookie time, so naturally, we wanted to see how many sweet and salty combinations we could make.

Luckily, many of our team members here at Roth Cheese have kids who are actively selling cookies, so we bought one of each box and got to work. Below is actual behind the scenes footage of our pairing session, which clearly took the place of lunchtime.

We tried multiple pairings, starting with our mildest cheeses and cookies first, like Havarti and Shortbread, then working up to more hard-hitting flavors like Buttermilk Blue®, Sriracha Gouda, and Thin Mints^®. The best flavor combinations happened when neither the cheese or cookies over-powered one or the other. In fact, they made each other better (yes, it’s possible!).

Here are our favorite pairings:

Girl Scout Cookies and cheese pairings Roth Havarti & Shortbread
If you enjoy English tea time, you’ll love this combination. The mild creaminess of Havarti doesn’t over-power the delicate flavor of Shortbread, and the cookie brings out the sweetness in the cheese.

Roth GranQueso® & Caramel deLites®
If there’s one thing that goes well with sweet GranQueso® it’s caramel, so this pair was a no-brainer. The surprise is how well the coconut played with the flavors so nicely. This cheese is hand-rubbed with a cinnamon and paprika blend, giving it a sweetness that’s really brought out by the Caramel deLites. (We couldn’t stop eating this one!)

Roth Grand Cru® & Peanut Butter Patties®
Peanut butter really isn’t the first thing you think to eat with cheese. However, our Grand Cru® is carefully crafted and aged to bring out deep, nutty flavors in the cheese that truly compliment this childhood favorite.

Roth Gouda & Lemonades™
This pair is our wild card. If you thought peanut butter couldn’t pair with cheese, you’ll really be skeptical of lemon. We were too, but, somehow this actually works. Lemonades are shortbread cookies topped with thin layer of lemon icing, so it has just a hint of tang, making it easy to enjoy with milk and sweet Gouda cheese.

When you pair Girl Scout Cookies with your cheese, it’s only fitting to ask a Girl Scout to help us with these family favorites. So, we bribed Celeste, a Girl Scout in Wisconsin, with extra cheese and her very own cheese badge to help us share the cookie and cheese love.

Enjoy!

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How to Pair Wine and Cheese

It’s National Drink Wine Day, so we’re celebrating the only way we know how – with our favorite wine and cheese pairings. Armed with just a little knowledge and curiosity, you can learn how to pair wine and cheese at home. Here are some of our favorite duos:

Alpine-style cheese & Riesling
Grand Cru^® washed-rind Alpine-style cheese is complex, yet crowd-pleasing. Careful crafting brings out light floral notes, nutty undertones, a hint of fruitiness and a mellow finish. It pairs perfectly with sweet and dry white wines like Riesling.

Prairie Sunset® & Lambrusco
Often described as a “cheddar-gouda” blend, Prairie Sunset is made with the heart of the midwest and aged for 4+ months in our cellars in Monroe, Wisconsin. It’s mild and approachable flavor profile makes is the perfect cheese to complement a bubbly and fruity Lambrusco.

Havarti & Pinot Noir
Havarti isn’t the first cheese you think of to pair with red wine, but the creamy texture makes it a perfect accompaniment. Havarti loves a good red wine like Pinot Noir and Merlot, and can even stand up to the high alcohol of a Red Zinfandel. White wine lovers will enjoy it equally well with a Sauvignon Blanc or a buttery Chardonnay to complement its buttery flavor.

Blue cheese & Cabernet Sauvignon
Blue cheese needs a big, bold wine to stand up to. A Cabernet Sauvignon definitely does the trick, but opt for one more fruity than dry. Since blue cheeses develop pungency from the mold in their veins, you do want to find a sweeter Cabernet Sauvignon to beautifully balance the saltiness.

Cheeseboards, Featured

How to Serve & Store Cheese

Cheese is easy to love, but tricky to master, so we’re always on the hunt for great cheese tips. How much should you grate? When do you wrap it in plastic? What do you serve at a party? We’ve gathered questions from cheese lovers throughout the years and put together this handy list of expert cheese tips to help you buy, store, and use your favorite food to it’s fullest potential.

COOKING

4-6 ounces of cheese = 1 cup, shredded

For the perfect melt, GRATE your cheese before making a grilled cheese sandwich

When cooking, add your cheese last to preserve flavor

SERVING

Limit your cheeses to no more than 3-5 different varieties on a cheese board. Too many can get expensive and overwhelming.

Do NOT, we repeat, DO NOT serve cheese right out of the refrigerator. Cheese is the best taste and texture at room temperature, so make your cheese board ahead of time and let it sit on the counter for a bit.

BUT, cold cheese is easier to cut than warm cheese. So, prep, then bring to room temperature.

Hard cheeses should not be sliced, but rather broken into small pieces. Use a short knife with a triangular blade.

How much cheese should you serve at a party? If serving the cheese hors-d’oeuvre, plan on 1 to 2 ounces of each cheese per person.

STORING

What should you wrap your cheese with? The answer: it depends on the cheese! Cheese ages and perfects by air exposure, so each cheese needs different exposure to air to stay tasting it’s best once it’s at your house, too.

Blue cheese: plastic wrap

Hard aged cheeses (like Grand Cru): parchment or wax paper

Semi-hard cheeses (like Gouda): plastic wrap

Semi-soft cheeses (think Havarti): Resealable container

For the best flavor, only purchase as much cheese as you can consume within one week.

Cheeseboards, Featured

How to Make a Valentine’s Day Cheese Board

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a simple cheeseboard to share with your special someone, girlfriends or to bring all the ones you love together. To celebrate, use the colors of cheese and accompaniments to put a Valentine’s Day twist on a cheese spread anyone will love.

We made a sweet & salty cheeseboard perfect for the occasion. Here’s how:

Step 1: Start with picking your cheese. The cheese on your board is the main attraction, so pick out your favorites according to aesthetics and taste. For this board we loved: Sriracha Gouda (that red rind!!), GranQueso®, Prairie Sunset®, Horseradish Havarti, Grand Cru® Reserve, and Buttermilk Blue®. This blue cheese is exceptionally rich and perfect for balancing out all the chocolate you’ll be putting on this board, but we’ll talk about that in a minute!

Step 2: Add fruits and vegetables. Pick out accompaniments that balance the board in color and taste. You may want to lean toward the color red for this holiday! Some ideas: Strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranate seeds. Things like pickles and olives add another salty component, too. This is also a good time to throw in some nuts, like cashews, and dipping accompaniments like the hummus and sundried tomato tapenade we used here.

Step 3: Add a base. The last step of creating a cheeseboard is piling on your meats, crackers, and other bases to fill in the remainder of the board (and bellies). We chose whole grain crackers and artisan salami (often found at your local cheese shop).

Step 4: Include chocolate. A time like Valentine’s Days calls for one more step… chocolate! What’s Valentine’s Day without it, right? Sea salt caramels and dark chocolate pair well with pretty much any type of cheese. Don’t hesitate, here. The more chocolate, the better!

Now that you’re a pro, check out more cheeseboard inspirations.

With love, from Wisconsin!

Featured

10 Easy Lunch Packing Ideas

easy lunch packing ideas

As much as we like to plan out the things we do in life, packing lunch at home is often falling at the bottom of our priorities. Eating out for lunch all the time can be bad for your diet and your wallet, so we put together easy lunch packing ideas to get you through the week. .

Here are 10 useful tips for making your own lunches:

Plan out your meals. Planning out your meals ahead of time makes preparing and packing easier. Make your favorite lunch must-haves a part of your weekly grocery list.
Use reusable containers. Using reusable containers makes packing easier and more fun. Plus, they are better for the environment than disposable bags and containers.
Make in bulk. In other words, meal prep your lunches. You will be able to save time assembling lunch items all at once versus daily.
Pack easy to grab snacks and sides. If you are in a hurry in the morning and aren’t always the best about making your lunch ahead of time, simple, grab-and-go snacks are perfect to throw in your lunch box.
Don’t be afraid to use last night’s leftovers. When packing up leftovers for the night in containers, start packing your lunch. There’s no need to waste time transferring food from your left-over containers to your lunch containers!
Store non-perishables in your desk. Consider stocking up on your favorite non-perishable lunch items in an office drawer or kitchen area if you have one. This makes it easy to quickly add onto your lunch or grab a quick snack throughout the day.
Use your office’s fridge. If you have a shared office fridge, consider leaving items you use almost daily for your lunch. These could be your favorite food condiments or beverages.
Organize a work lunch-in day. Packing your own lunch every day can get redundant. Organize with co-workers to have a lunch-in day where everyone signs up to bring something. This would be the perfect time to show off your new favorite recipe!
Expand your horizons with new lunch ideas and recipes. Switching up your lunches and trying out new recipes is perfect to keep packing your own lunches fresh, and exciting. Plus, you may find your new favorite recipe this way!
Keep your lunch in a spot you will be sure to see in the AM. One of the hardest things about packing your lunch is remembering to bring it! This can be frustrating, but if you leave your lunch by your keys, or leave yourself a note in the AM, you will be sure to remember it.

These are just a few tips to help keep you motivated to pack your own lunch. You don’t have to pack your lunch every day, but even cutting down how often you eat out or order in on a weekly basis is a great start!

For new recipe ideas and inspiration, check out our recipes.

Cheeseboards

Arranging Your Holiday Cheese Board

Once you’ve sliced your cheese and selected your accompaniments, its time to start arranging your board. Here are five tips to keep in mind when building your holiday cheese board:

1. Start with the cheese
The cheese is the most important part of your board so begin by arranging it first. Make sure to leave plenty of space between each cheese to avoid confusion during tasting.

2. Give it shape
Draw attention to each cheese by arranging slices in varying shapes. Cheesemonger Mackenzie Aivazis, from Urban Radish in Los Angeles, recommends placing a small glass upside down on the cheeseboard and then decorating around it with cheese slices. Once the glass is removed, you’re left with an eye-catching design.

3. Add accompaniments
Use accompaniments to fill in the space between each cheese and add depth and texture to the board. Begin by adding items according to the amount of space they take up – biggest to smallest.

4. Contrast colors
Make the board pop by placing contrasting colored cheeses and accompaniments next to one other.

5. Inspire pairings
Subtly convey which cheeses and accompaniments should be enjoyed together by strategically placing them next to one another on the cheese board. This will encourage guests to form pairings they may not have considered on their own.

Click here for more inspiration, tips, and tricks for building a holiday cheese board like a pro!

Cheeseboards

Making Spirits Bright: Holiday Cheese & Cocktail Pairings

Make holiday entertaining easy with these four seasonal cheese & cocktail pairings.

Grand Cru^® Surchoix & Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
World Champion Grand Cru^® Surchoix is cellar-aged for more than 9 months to develop a deep, complex flavor. It’s like it’s made to stand up to Wisconsin’s favorite holiday cocktail – the traditional Wisconsin-style Brandy Old Fashioned. The hints of cherry and orange in this cocktail bring out the full-bodied nuttiness of the cheese – a match made in Wisconsin. Also, try our Grand Cru^® Original or Grand Cru^® Reserve.

GranQueso^® & Eggnog
American-Original GranQueso^® is hand-rubbed with a rich spice blend of cinnamon and paprika for a sweet, nutty brown butter flavor. The milky cinnamon flavor of homemade Eggnog brings out this unique cheeses’ sweet flavors. Also, try our creamy Havarti! New to homemade Eggnog? Here’s our favorite recipe.

Buttermilk Blue^® & Gin (On the Rocks)
Buttermilk Blue^® is crafted with local, Wisconsin milk and cellar-aged for 2+ months for the creamiest taste and texture you can find. This earthy, tangy blue is mellow enough to love, yet bold enough to stand up to your favorite gin. The pairing is simple, yet sophisticated, and always amazing.

Sriracha Gouda & Classic Margarita with Muddled Yellow Bell Pepper
There are a million reasons to buy Sriracha Gouda, but our favorite is to pair with tequila. The spicy kick of Sriracha is balanced by the coolness of the lime in your favorite margarita. This trendy holiday version also has muddled yellow bell pepper for added coolness and sweet flavor notes to balance the hot kick of the cheese. Also try our 3 Chile Pepper Gouda or Jalapeno Havarti!

Cheeseboards, Food

Slicing Cheese for Your Holiday Cheese Board

From rounds to wedges and blocks, different types of cheese come in different shapes and sizes and can be cut using a variety of cheese tools. To make it easy, we’ve put together a simple guide with tips and tricks for cutting cheese like a pro.

1. Pick Your Tool
The texture of the cheeses you’ve chosen will help determine the type of tool required for slicing. We recommend having the following tools on hand to fit a variety of styles of cheese:

Chef’s Knife – A strong sturdy blade is ideal for cutting through hard cheeses like Roth® Grand Cru®.

Serrated Knife – A serrated knife makes it easy to slice semi-soft cheeses like Roth® Havarti.

Wire Cutter – Soft and crumbly cheeses like Roth® Buttermilk Blue® stick to a knife so a wire cutter is recommended to help make a clean cut.

2. Determine Your Shape
Varying shapes like tiles and triangles will create striking patterns when building a holiday cheese board. Let the natural shape of the cheese be your guide when determining the best shape to cut it into.

Semi-Soft Block – Roth® Havarti is one of many semi-soft cheeses made in blocks so it can easily be cut into tiles or cubes.

Hard Wedge – Hard wedge-shaped cheeses like Roth® Grand Cru® should be sliced into smaller wedges or triangles.

Soft – Soft cheeses like Roth® Buttermilk Blue® can either be sliced with a wire cutter or simply crumbled and placed on a cheese board in chunks.

3. Make The Cut
While cheeses can be cut well in advance of being served, different styles of cheeses are easier to cut at different temperatures.

Hard Cheeses – Hard cheeses are easier to slice at room temperature. Remove these cheeses from the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before slicing.

Soft and Semi-Soft Cheeses – Soft and semi-soft cheeses hold their shape better and are easier to slice when cold. Try putting softer cheeses in the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before getting started.

Click here for more tips and holiday cheese board inspiration!

Food

Cheese Pairings For The Holidays

The holidays are the best time of year to indulge with cheese pairings. And though it seems difficult, cheese pairings can be simple and fun if you stick with the basics.

The general rule for beverage & cheese pairings is to not let either overpower the other. Alpine-style cheeses like our nutty Grand Cru® go well with wine (especially whites), spicy cheeses deserve a nice beer to balance their flavor, and blues can stand up to hard liquors, like gin. It’s all about balance.

Here are some of our favorite easy cheese pairings to impress your guests this holiday season.

Alpine-style cheeses + Riesling
Grand Cru^® Reserve washed-rind Alpine-style cheese is complex, yet crowd-pleasing. Careful crafting brings out light floral notes, nutty undertones, a hint of fruitiness and a mellow finish. It pairs perfectly with sweet and dry white wines like Riesling.

Blue Cheese + Gin and Tonic
Buttermilk Blue^® is crafted with local, Wisconsin milk and cellar-aged for 2+ months for the creamiest taste and texture you can find. This earthy, tangy blue is mellow enough to love, yet bold enough to stand up to your favorite gin. The pairing is simple, yet sophisticated, and always amazing.

Spicy Cheeses + Seasonal Beer
Spicy cheeses always perfectly balance with cool, seasonal beer.

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How to Make a Thanksgiving Cheeseboard

It’s one of the most magical times of the year. Leaves are changing, excitement for the holidays is brewing, and comfort food is back in your kitchen. One of the easiest ways to showcase (and taste!) all the delicious flavors of fall is with a harvest cheeseboard, perfect for your Thanksgiving table. Here’s how to make your own at home.

Step 1: Choose your cheese. Look for a variety of aged cheeses, which were historically made to survive the long winters. Great choices are Aged Gouda, alpine-style cheeses (like our Grand Cru®), earthy Blues and spicy varieties (like Sriracha Gouda) to keep guests warm.

We also always get asked… how do I cut the cheeses for my cheeseboard? This is easy — follow the shape of the cheese. If you have a wedge, cut your pieces into long triangles.

When you’re cutting a block of cheese, like Havarti, you’ll cut it into rectangles.

And always just serve blue cheese with the entire wedge on your cheeseboard. Your guests can break off what they’d like.

Step 2: Add accompaniments. For fall, we love to bring in some unique nuts, jams and other accompaniments that you wouldn’t eat any other time of the year. Add a bowl of pumpkin seeds, some cranberry jam, winter wheat crackers and cured meats. Adding apples and mini pumpkins to decorate is also a nice seasonal touch.

Step 3: Pair with drinks. Never, we repeat, never, forget this part! If you’re serving drinks, think about how they pair with the cheeses you have, so the flavors go well together for guests enjoying both. Spicy cheeses deserve a nice beer to balance their flavor, blues can stand up to liquor like gin and alpine-style cheeses go really well with white wine.

Cheeseboards, Food

How To Make a Halloween Cheeseboard

October is full of things we can’t resist, like pumpkin spice, Halloween candy, and October-inspired craft beer. Now also on our list: CHEESE. Making a cheeseboard for Halloween parties, gatherings or dinner during your trick-or-treat duties is simple and fun. Just gather some cheeses, your favorite candy and try some new flavor pairings.

The Cheese
This cheeseboard features all of our favorite Halloween-inspired Roth cheeses, from Moody Blue to orange-hued Prairie Sunset, spicy Sriracha Gouda and Vintage Van Gogh® Gouda with a dark rind.

The Candy
Whether you use mini candy bars, candy corn, or opt for fancier accompaniments, you really can’t go wrong pairing cheese and sweets. Here’s what we loved:

Caramel apples
Candy bars
Candy corn
Dried apricots
Caramel corn
Caramels
Pumpkin spice chocolate-covered pretzels
Orange marmalade

What would you put on a Halloween cheeseboard?

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After School Snack: Dill Havarti & Ham Bites

Satisfy after-school hunger with these easy, yet flavorful snack bites.

What you’ll need:
1 (6- or 8-oz) wedge Roth Dill Havarti cheese
1/2 lb deli ham
Toothpicks

How to do it
1. Slice Dill Havarti into strips.
2. Skewer slices of deli ham on toothpicks.
3. Top Dill Havarti with ham skewers.

Mom Tip: Skip the toothpicks and top crackers with cheese and ham slices for a heartier bite.

Food

Buffalo Blue “Deviled” Eggs

Skip the extra kitchen appliances and cheat your way to great “deviled” eggs.

What you’ll need:
1 (4-oz) wedge Roth Buttermilk Blue® cheese
1 dozen hard boiled eggs, cut in half
hot sauce, for topping

How to do it
1. Crumble Buttermilk Blue® cheese.
2. Sprinkle blue cheese over eggs. Top with your favorite hot sauce.

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Introducing Roth Organics

We’ve expanded into the organic market with our new line of Roth Organic specialty cheese.

Roth Organic Grand Cru, Roth Organic Van Gogh^® Gouda, Roth Organic Havarti and Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar are now available in the specialty cheese case. Each style of Roth Organic cheese is made with milk produced by organic dairy farming practices, resulting in a collection of cheeses that are naturally gluten-free, rBST-free, Non-GMO and vegetarian friendly.

Our flagship cheese, Grand Cru^® Original, is available as part of the Roth Organic line in 18 lb. wheels and 6 oz. retail cuts. This award-winning Alpine-style cheese is made from a combination of the finest organic milk and Swiss traditions, handcrafted in traditional copper vats and aged for a minimum of four months. Roth® Organic Grand Cru® Reserve, aged two to four months longer than the original, is also available. Most recently, Roth® Organic Grand Cru® Reserve took home first place in the Washed Rind Cheese category at the 2017 American Cheese Society competition.

Roth Organic Van Gogh^® Gouda, available in 10 lb. wheels and 8 oz. retail cuts, is a quintessential Dutch cheese with a straw-yellow body, mellow flavor and mild sweetness. Perfect for everyday cooking, this cheese is also great for shredding over stews or making macaroni and cheese.

Roth Organic Havarti, available in 9 lb. loaves and 8 oz. retail cuts, and Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar, available in 1 lb. blocks and 8 oz. retail cuts, round out the line. Roth Organic Havarti is a versatile cheese with a mild and buttery flavor, perfect for cooking and melting, while Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar is aged for a minimum of six months which gives it a rich and tangy flavor.

The new Roth Organics collection is currently available at select retailers nationwide.

Cheeseboards, Food

Our New Favorite Pairing: Havarti & Radish

Looking for an easy appetizer or new twist on your plain ol’ cheeseboard? Top a radish slice with a square slice of Roth Havarti cheese, then sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt. Try many Havarti flavors like Dill (pictured), Jalapeño or Original.

What you’ll need:
1 package (6 or 8 ounce) Roth Havarti cheese
1 bunch fresh radishes
Coarse sea salt, for topping

How to do it
1. Slice radishes into disks
2. Slice Havarti into strips, then cut into squares
3. Top radish slices with Havarti slices and sprinkle with sea salt. Or, place Havarti squares and radishes on a cheeseboard for quests to assemble their own pairings.

Cheeseboards, Food

Summer Cheeseboard Tips

Summer is one of the best times of year to make a cheeseboard. Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful, backyard BBQs are frequent and we need more things to pair with the extra wine consumed on our patios. When you want to put together a cheeseboard for guests, sometimes getting starting is the hardest part.

Start with choosing your cheeses. Limit your selection to no more than five, too many can get overwhelming. Start with mild soft cheeses and work your way to spicy or blue cheeses. Here, we used Roth Dill Havarti, Prairie Sunset, Vintage Van Gogh Gouda and 3 Chile Pepper Gouda.

Next, choose some fresh fruits and veggies with the cheeses you selected. For this board, we loved:

Dill Havarti: Fresh tomatoes, radishes
Prairie Sunset: Fresh strawberries
Vintage Van Gogh Gouda: Cherries
3 Chile Pepper Gouda: Peaches

To finish off your accompaniments, add nuts, jams and local meats like prosciutto and salami. Here, we even added some spicy honey mustard to top crackers with gouda and prosciutto. Be adventurous and creative with sweet, salty and spicy flavors, as well as a variety of different colors. You really can’t go wrong when you’re using such great products.

Here are a few more tips for the best cheeseboard:
1. Do not overcrowd the board, sometimes less can be more.
2. If serving the cheese as a hors d’oeuvre, plan on 1 to 2 ounces of each cheese per person.
3. Cheese is best served anywhere from 67 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so leave it out for about an hour before guests arrive.
4. Serve crusty bread or crackers on the side if you don’t have enough room on the board.
5. Don’t stress about having a fancy cheeseboard. Use cutting boards or even wax paper over a baking sheet (a great way to make a portable cheeseboard!).

Uncategorized

Easy Summer Appetizers & Cheese

It’s finally summer and all we want is for entertaining to be easy. Laying on the patio with a cocktail should definitely replace endless hours in the kitchen. Enter: cheese. Cheese is the perfect way to impress guests when you need a quick appetizer. It’s versatile, flavorful and pairs with so many fresh, summer ingredients.

Here are four easy ways to turn a wedge of cheese into an easy summer bite:

Havarti + Radish: Top a radish slice with a square slice of Roth Havarti cheese, then sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt. Try many Havarti flavors like dill, jalapeno or original.

3 Chile Pepper Gouda + Mango: Top slices of Roth 3 Chile Pepper Gouda with a slice of mango. Drizzle with honey for a hot/sweet kick that’s perfect for summer nights.

Buffalo Blue “Deviled” Eggs: Skip the extra kitchen appliances and cheat your way to great “deviled” eggs by just cutting hard boiled eggs in half, then topping with Roth Buttermilk Blue® cheese and a dash of your favorite hot sauce.

Dill Havarti + Ham: Top slices of Roth Dill Havarti with pieces of black forest deli ham for a perfect lunch by the pool.

Featured, Food

How to Make a Spring Cheese Board

It’s finally Spring! Whether you’re making a cheese board for a party, a shower, or just because, you might as well make it as lovely, tasty, and seasonal as possible. Here’s our latest inspiration:

STEP 1: Choose your cheese

We recommend starting with a creamy, flavored Havarti. Roth Horseradish Havarti has just enough kick without overpowering your palate. Plus, it pairs especially well with seasonal ham.

Next, add a nice, nutty alpine-style cheese. Alpine-style cheeses, like Roth Grand Cru, have a rich, complex flavor and appeals to just about any party-goer. Plus, it pairs beautifully with nuts, fruits, and ham—which makes it a perfect partner for this spring board.

Add a pop of color with a mild cheddar or American Original cheese. Roth Prairie Sunset is a perfect choice for spring. It is slightly sweet with a hint of butterscotch, and so approachable that it tastes great in just about any combination.

Step 2: Pair with Accompaniments

Have fun adding color to your cheese board with seasonal vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Here are some ideas:

Marcona almonds: These simple salted, slightly oily almonds provide a great crunch between bites.

Pickled spring onions: You can make these a few days in advance in the fridge by putting trimmed spring onions into a simple brine—a quick search for pickled spring onions or scallions will turn up dozens of tasty options.

Grapes: Pick your favorite variety—we love the color of red grapes against the color of the Prairie Sunset.

Rhubarb jam: Nothing says spring like rhubarb!

Beauty heart radishes: Peppery-sweet and oh-so-pretty, these radishes may look boring from the outside, but when you slice them, they’re show-stoppers. Great on a sliced baguette with ham and your choice of cheese.
Candied Meyer Lemon: Meyer lemons have a distinctive taste—less sour than regular lemons, with a slightly floral aroma. If you can’t find them candied, you can make your own! Martha Stewart’s version calls for simmering sliced lemons in a simple syrup for 30 minutes, letting them cool, then laying them out on a rack.

Step 3: Add a Base

Bulk up your cheese board with meats, crackers and bread. For spring, we love:

Country ham: Salty country ham is a great choice for a cheese board, but an unctuous liver pâté would be lovely, too.
Whole wheat crackers and sliced baguette: These serve as the perfect base for stacking up adventurous cheese board combos.

With these simple tips, you can make the perfect cheese board at home. Check out more cheese board inspiration!

Newsroom

Emmi Roth Sweeps Smear Ripened Hard Cheese Category at 2017 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest

MONROE, Wisconsin — Emmi Roth officially produces the best alpine-style cheese made in the United States. The company’s Roth brand of signature alpine-style cheeses took home all three awards in the Smear Ripened Hard Cheese category at the 2017 United States Championship Cheese Contest on Thursday, March 9 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The award for Best of Class in the category went to Roth Grand Cru® Reserve with a score of 99.35, Second Place to Roth’s Private Reserve with a score of 99.30 and Third Place to Roth Grand Cru® Original with a score of 99.20. Each of the cheeses are handcrafted using copper vats in Monroe, Wisconsin, and aged for different lengths of time on spruce boards in their on-site cellar.

The judging kicked off Tuesday, March 7 with a record 2,303 entries from 33 states across the country. Forty-eight judges evaluated cheese in 101 categories, with the most coming from Wisconsin.

“We’ve been making alpine-style cheeses in the United States for many, many years, and to have an achievement at this level is the greatest honor,” said Tim Omer, President and Managing Director for Emmi Roth.

Emmi Roth’s flagship line of Grand Cru® washed – rind Alpine – style cheeses includes Grand Cru® Original, Grand Cru® Reserve and Grand Cru® Surchoix. Original is aged 4-6 months, Reserve 6-9 and Surchoix a minimum of 9 months to create a firm texture and complex flavors of caramel, fruit and mushroom. The most aged cheese in the line, Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix, is the current World Champion from the 2016 World Cheese Championship held last March.

“Our entire line of Grand Cru® is currently best in class,” said Omer. “To produce a product of the standard at every age is a testament to the skill of our cheesemakers and cellarmasters.”

Grand Cru® is available at most large grocery retailers and specialty cheese shops across the country.

“When Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix won the World Championship last year, it was produced in smaller qualities and difficult to find,” said Omer. “Now, you can buy Grand Cru® at any age and know that it’s award-winning cheese.”

Roth’s Private Reserve, this year’s second place winner, is also an alpine-style cheese, but made using raw milk and cellar-aged for at least 6 months. Its flavor starts with a medium tanginess, then becomes sweet with honey and butterscotch notes

At the World Championship Cheese Contest this year, the company also took home Best of Class for their Roth Havarti with a score of 99.15 and a third place award in the Blue Veined Cheeses category for its Roth Buttermilk Blue with a score of 98.45.

Media Contact: Abby Despins, 608-293-1003, abby.despins@emmirothusa.com

About Emmi Roth: Emmi Roth, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Emmi Group, is a leading producer of specialty cheeses. Our expansive portfolio displays a unique marriage of cheeses from two different worlds with very similar traditions and local values – from handcrafted award-winning Roth cheeses from Wisconsin to Emmi’s full range of traditional varieties imported from Switzerland. Wisconsin brands include Roth and Kindred Creamery. Artisan cheeses imported from Switzerland feature Emmi, Kaltbach, Der Scharfe Maxx, and more. Learn more at emmirothusa.com.

Food

Romancing the Cheese Board

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Of course, our favorite is with cheese—that’s why we put together this little Valentine’s Day Cheese board for two.

To keep it light enough for two, we only used two cheeses: Roth Buttermilk Blue® and Roth Original Havarti.

Buttermilk Blue® is an exceptionally creamy blue cheese that traditionally pairs well with figs, pears, dates and dark chocolate.

Havarti is a crowd-pleasing, buttery cheese that pairs well with, well … just about everything.

For this cheese board, we dipped strawberries in dark chocolate—rich and sweet berries pair with either cheese. Honey, too, pairs well with both cheeses on water crackers, and the crunchy candied nuts make a perfect nibble.

The final touch on this board: Smoked oysters. Great with Havarti, and of course oysters are also a purported aphrodisiac.

And finally, of course, we chose a sparkling rosé to pair with our board. Make sure to look for a dry—or brut—version, as a sweeter wine doesn’t play well with the earthier flavors in this cozy cheese board.

Food

Up Close with Buttermilk Blue®

roth_deccontent_buttermilkblue01-photo_735x1103

It’s delicious with pears, with chocolate, or crumbled on a steak, but our Buttermilk Blue® looks (and tastes) pretty good all by itself, too.

Food

Watermelon and Grand Cru — 3 Ways

Watermelon_Pinterest

Shave Grand Cru over an arugula salad, simply dressed with cubes of watermelon tossed throughout.
Enjoy a fresh and fruity take on a vegetarian burger: Brush a thick slab of watermelon with olive oil, grill for about five minutes per side, and melt Grand Cru on top. Serve on buns with your usual burger fixings.
Top crostini with a twist on your typical caprese: Cubed watermelon, cubed Grand Cru, and a chiffonade of mint and chives, all tossed with olive oil and balsamic.

Infographic

Cut & Store Cheese Like a Chef

Cut and store cheese like a chef. Cheese storage tips from a professional.

Freeze cheese? Egads, no! Check out these cheese storage tips from our own Chef Claire.

Infographic

Cheese & Cocktail Pairings

Properly pair up your cheeses and beverages to impress party guests #oscars

Hosting a soirée sometime soon? Be sure to properly pair up your cheeses and beverages. Your guests will certainly be impressed.

How to Buy Cheese //

Ways to Serve Cheese //

How to Serve Cheese //

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OUR FAVORITES

Grand Cru® & Apple Pie

Cranberry Cinnamon Chèvre & Pumpkin Pie

Original or Smoked Gouda & Pecan Pie

Cinnamon Chèvre & Lemon Tart

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1. Choose Your Cheese

2. Calculate How Much Cheese You’ll Need

3. Prep Your Cheese Ahead of Time

4. How to Cut Your Cheese

5. Pick Your Pairings

6. Add in a Beverage (or Two!)

7. Arrange Your Cheeseboard

8. Take Cheese Out 30 Minutes Before Serving

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Summer Cobb Salad with Homemade Jalapeño Ranch

Wild Rice Kale Salad

Tomato and Melon Salad

Green Bean and Buttermilk Blue Salad

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Cheese in Wedges

Cheese in Blocks

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