If you’re from Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and France, it’s good that you have easy access to different cheeses. However, if you’re from a country that’s not popular in making cheeses you might still need to find a specialty store.
It’s a good thing to explore different kinds of cheese to know more about the country where they came from. However, if you can’t visit different countries, you can still try them when you visit Italian, Swiss, or Spanish restaurants.
Do you love any kinds of cheese that it’s one of the things in your pantry and refrigerator that you never ran out of? Sometimes, when you have all these cheeses but you lack ingredients, you can just pair them with what you have.
If you want to know some easy-to-find food that you can pair with cheese, then you should check the list below!
1. Meat
You may already know this, but meat and cheese are some of the most popular combinations there are. If you have some leftover steak, any cheese would be a delightful pair. Moreover, any cured meats go well with cheese.
If you love cold cuts and cheeses, you can try them when you visit Spanish restaurants and have a charcuterie board. It goes well with some red wine that you prefer.
Some meat and cheese combinations you should try are Manchego cheese and steak, and fontina and pepperoni. You can also do some experiments on your own so that the next time you have these leftovers, you already know what to do.
2. Crackers
Another pair that you can see in a charcuterie board is the cheese and crackers. It’s a classic snack that everyone is aware of. Crackers are usually made of flour, oil, sugar, water, and salt. However, artisan crackers take the simple to another level since they are added with some herbs.
If you have some plain crackers in your pantry, you can pair them with gouda, cheddar, and brie. Of course, if you have any other cheeses available, you can also enjoy them with plain crackers.
In addition, it can be a good appetiser or snack if you have guests coming over to your place.
3. Fruits
Want to enjoy a healthy yet satisfying snack time? You should pair your available cheese with some fruits. Whether it’s fresh or dried, fruits will definitely add some kick to your leftover cheese.
You have an endless list of choices to pair with your cheeses, but some of the most popular fresh fruits are grapes, apples, and raspberries. Meanwhile, you can also enjoy your cheeses with dried fruits such as apricots, dates, and cherries.
If you’re going to experiment on your own, you can pair your cheese with any fruit but make sure that you can balance the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the fruits.
4. Bread
Did you also think of grilled cheese sandwiches when you saw bread being paired with cheese? Nothing can go wrong with some slices of bread and some cheese. Whether you have flatbread, baguette, or sliced loaf, any cheese is welcome!
It’s not only an easy and well-known pairing, but you can also have it late at night, for breakfast, and even for lunch. You’ll just have to think of something more when you’re going to eat it at lunch, like adding a few slices of ham.
Going back to grilled cheese sandwiches, did you know that umami (or the 5th taste that humans experience) is the reason why you can’t get enough of eating grilled cheese?
5. Chips
Have a party? You can easily serve some chips and cheese sauce in less than a minute. And even if it’s a party for one, you’ll absolutely enjoy it.
Of course, there are other snacks and appetisers you can serve but a party’s never complete without chips and cheese dips. Imagine you’ve had a long day at work, and you don’t have much time to prepare, this is the ideal pairing for you! Besides, no one can ever resist some potato chips dipped in cheese sauce, and a cold bottle of beer.
If you have more time, you can even make some nachos where you can add a variety of cheeses.
6. Vegetables
Want to enjoy the comfort of cheese with some fresh veggies? Of course, you can! Just like fruits, vegetables go along with cheeses.
You can make cheese fondue and eat it with some vegetables like broccoli, eggplant, tomato, and peppers. It’ll be a hit when you also invite your friends and have some wine. Who would have thought you can have a wine night with some healthy snacks, right?
So the next time you worry about the expiration date of your leftover cheese, you can easily whip some snacks up that you can also enjoy. Don’t forget to share with us your favourite cheese pairing by leaving a comment below!
