Night Elf Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I settled on the macaroni and cheese recipe I'm going to use. It uses 8 oz. of sharp cheddar. Can I half that and add in a second cheese to make it more dynamic? What cheese goes with cheddar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 We sometimes mix parmesan or provolone in. I've seen some recipes that add gouda, either smoked or not. Pepper jack can be nice if a little heat is desired. I just looked up a recipe for 3-cheese mac and cheese. It called for cheddar, fontina, and gruyere. Gruyere is delicious but too costly for me to add to a casserole! :-) I like the fontina idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I think I've made it mixed with parmesan cheese before, but usually in smaller amounts. So maybe 3/4 cheddar and 1/4 parmesan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 I have never tasted guyere or fontina. I don't care for smoked gouda. It's too dark. I love pepperjack on sandwiches. I wonder how it would pare with cheddar in a melted dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I love Dubliner with cheddar in mac and cheese. It adds enough of a different layer without being obviously DIFFERENT if that makes any sense at all. Do you have a Whole Foods? They will let you taste cheeses. Gruyere is a type of Swiss, but it's sweeter and nuttier. It doesn't have the slightly sock-like taste of Swiss. It's also great in mac and cheese. Fontina is softer, smoother, and usually mild and buttery. Both Fontina and Gruyere will vary in taste depending on brand, age, etc. Cave-aged Gruyere is fantastic for eating, but you wouldn't waste it in a mac and cheese. Pepperjack would go nicely and provide a little kick. It melts really well. It just depends on what flavor you want your mac and cheese to have. Trader Joe's has the best, most affordable cheese variety around here. I'd go grab a few and see what you like. You can use the others for a cheese tray. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 We're not big cheese eaters. I was just going to go to my grocery store and have the deli cut me a chunk 2 to 4 oz. in weight, just enough for the recipe. My dd likes the idea of pepperjack. If I was to use that, how much should I use? I need 8 oz. total of cheese. How much cheddar and how much pepperjack? I'm also going to taste the guyere. I'm worried about getting something too subtle and have the sharp cheddar overpower it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 We're not big cheese eaters. I was just going to go to my grocery store and have the deli cut me a chunk 2 to 4 oz. in weight, just enough for the recipe. My dd likes the idea of pepperjack. If I was to use that, how much should I use? I need 8 oz. total of cheese. How much cheddar and how much pepperjack? I'm also going to taste the guyere. I'm worried about getting something too subtle and have the sharp cheddar overpower it. I'd use half of each, but it's not critical that it be exact. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 We're not big cheese eaters. I was just going to go to my grocery store and have the deli cut me a chunk 2 to 4 oz. in weight, just enough for the recipe. My dd likes the idea of pepperjack. If I was to use that, how much should I use? I need 8 oz. total of cheese. How much cheddar and how much pepperjack? I'm also going to taste the guyere. I'm worried about getting something too subtle and have the sharp cheddar overpower it. It may be cheaper to buy blocks. Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar is widely available and pretty darn good. Cabot has a packaged Pepperjack that's good and in every grocery store. They come in 8 oz blocks, so you could cut them in half and freeze the extra for Christmas mac and cheese. :) Cracker Barrel is 2/$5 at Publix this week. I think you're in a Publix area. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 So, do tell, what recipe did you settle on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I'd go with blue cheese, about 1/3 of the total rather than 1/2. It's strong, and the combo with the sharp cheddar would be more complex than cheddar alone, but not overpowering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 It may be cheaper to buy blocks. Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar is widely available and pretty darn good. Cabot has a packaged Pepperjack that's good and in every grocery store. They come in 8 oz blocks, so you could cut them in half and freeze the extra for Christmas mac and cheese. :) Cracker Barrel is 2/$5 at Publix this week. I think you're in a Publix area. :) Thank you! I didn't realize I could get a block of pepperjack out of the regular cold section. Surely that will be cheaper. I'll look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Pepperjack would go nicely, I should think - I usually make my mac and cheese with a combination of cheddar, monteray jack, and cream cheese. You need a little cream cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 So, do tell, what recipe did you settle on? It's a recipe my mom uses, but I can't remember the name of the cookbook. It was something that I recognized though. She said it always turns out really good and I figure if my mom, who is not the best cook in the world, can make it then I can too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I usually follow this recipe which calls for half cheddar/half plain (not pepper) Jack: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/skillet-creamy-macaroni-and-cheese/ I think the Jack melts smoother and gives the dish a creamier taste than using all cheddar. If my family liked spicy foods I'd definitely try pepper Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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