Cheese |
Flavor and Appearance |
Serve With |
American Cheddar |
From mild to sharp Yellow to yellow—Orange Firm to crumbly |
Sandwiches, casseroles, soufflés—Creamy sauces—With Fruit pie, crackers—Snack tray with fruit |
Blue Gorgonzola Roquefort |
Compact creamy cheeses, sometimes crumbly—Veined with blue or blue green mold—Mild to sharp |
Crumble in salads, salad dressings, dips—Pears and apples—Blend with butter to top steaks—Crackers, French or Italian breads |
Brick |
Medium firm—Creamy yellow—Little holes—Mild to sharp |
Sandwiches, appetizers, desserts—Fresh peaches, cherries, melons |
Brie (bree) |
Similar to camembert but firmer—Shape flavor—Strong aroma |
With desserts and fresh fruit (You typically eat the rind) |
Camembert (kam-em-bare) |
Creamy yellow with a thin gray/white rind—It softens to a thick cream when it ripens—Full rich and mildly pungent odor |
Dessert cheese—Served at room temperature—Fresh peaches, pears, apples, toasted walnuts and crackers |
Cottage |
Soft mild unripened—Large or small curds |
Blended with crème—Salads, dips—Fresh or canned fruits |
Crème Cheese |
Very mild soft cheese with a texture like butter—Whipped or in bricks |
Molded or frozen salads—Cheesecake, dips, frostings—Sandwich spreads—Whipped with dessert |
Edam Gouda |
The round cheese with the touch red cover—Creamy yellow to yellow—Orange—Firm smooth—mild nutty flavor |
Sandwiches, crunchy salads, crackers—Bright center to a dessert or snack tray—Grapes and oranges |
Liederkranz Limburger |
Full-bodied flavor and aromatic—Soft and smooth when ripe—Liederkranz is milder and more golden—Limburger has a creamier white |
On pumpernickel, rye, crackers—Apples, pears, Tokay grapes—Salty pretzels and coffee |
Mozzarella Scamorza |
Unripe mild-flavored and slightly firm—Creamy white to pale yellow |
Cooking—Pizza, lasagna, toasted sandwiches, hot snacks (picks up flavor from the food, in which it is cooked) |
Muenster (mun-stir) |
Mild to mellow—Creamy white—Medium hard—Little holes |
Sandwiches—Snack and dessert trays—Fresh sweet cherries, melons |
Parmesan Romano |
Sharp—Very hard—Usually sold in shakers or shredded or solid for grating |
Pizza, spaghetti, other man dishes, breads, salads, soups |
Port du Salut (por du sa lu) |
Slightly soft, smooth, buttery—Mellow to robust |
Dessert—Fresh fruits—Apple pie—Snack tray |
Provolone (prov-a-lone-i) |
Usually smoked—Mild to sharp—Hard, dense, flaky |
Italian dishes—Sandwiches |
Swiss |
Firm—Pale yellow—Large holes—Sweet Nutty flavor |
Ham sandwiches—Salads, sauces, snacks |
Processed Cheese Like Velveeta |
Blend of fresh and aged nature cheeses, and pasteurized—Smoot and creamy—Easy to melt |
Cheese sauces—Soufflés, grilled sandwiches, casseroles--Snacks |