Mexican-Inspired Recipes from Crystal Farms

“Cinco de Mayo” is Spanish for the “5th of May” and in the U.S., it is a day to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride. So this year, don your sombreros and call on the mariachi band while you prepare a flavor fiesta with a collection of Mexican-inspired recipes from Crystal Farms. From a classic Mexican breakfast of hueveos rancheros to delicious chicken enchiladas… there’s a recipe for any taste!

Huevos Rancheros recipe

Huevos Rancheros: Spice up your breakfast with the classic, hearty Mexican-style eggs served with beans and warm tortillas and topped with Shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas recipe

Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas: No time to cook? Make it a Mexican night with this fast, tasty, chicken and cheese quesadilla recipe made with Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese! Serve for dinner or cut smaller wedges for an easy appetizer.

Taco Pizza Pie recipe

Taco Pizza Pie: For less than $1.50 per serving, you can create this family fun entrée that twists recipes for two favorite meals – tacos and pizza – into one. It’s perfect topped with Shredded Mexican Taco Cheese.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas recipe

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas: A very popular, family favorite. It does take a few more minutes to make the enchilada sauce from scratch, but it’s so worth it! The melted Mexican 3-cheese blend makes this a classically tasty dinner.

Try all our tasty Mexican-Inspired Recipes.

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!

For cheese lovers, April is a favorite month. Fire up the griddles and panini makers for a National Grilled Cheese Month to remember!

Here’s some little-known trivia about the origin of the all-time-favorite grilled cheese sandwich.

The simple grilled cheese sandwich concept is actually an ancient food according to culinary historians. Early methods call it “cooked bread and cheese” while the US popularized the grilled cheese sandwich starting back in the 1920s.

During the ’20s two important factors helped the grilled cheese sandwich craze spread: inexpensive, pre-sliced bread loaves and the availability of American cheese.

During the Great Depression, the grilled cheese sandwich was open-faced. U.S. Navy cookbooks from WWII describe the mess hall version as “American cheese filling sandwiches.” The top slice of bread became common later, during the 1960s, and as they say, the rest is history!

So this year, celebrate the simple yet delicious grilled cheese sandwich with your own creative choice of cheese. Which cheesy, melted goodness will adorn your sandwich this year?

• Classic American cheese
• Sliced Cheddar cheese
• Deli Sliced Havarti cheese
• Sliced Swiss cheese
• Sliced Marble Jack cheese
• Provolone, Muenster, Mozzarella 

Here’s the Crystal Farms version of the original, open-faced, classic grilled cheese sandwich:

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe

It's March Madness Time!

It’s March Madness time! Gather your fans and serve them tasty appetizers. It isn’t a party without delicious snacks. From a super easy cheese skewer recipe to a zesty buffalo chicken pizza recipe, we’ve got the game day eats your whole gang will love.

If you’re looking for something easy, and always cheesy, we’ve got you covered. A super easy snack everyone will love? Try Grape & Cheese Skewers, you can make them in minutes. Need an easy appetizer bite? How about a quick recipe for lightly battered, golden brown Cheddar Olives Bites, (they’re baked not fried!).

We have game-day treats the whole gang will love. So grab your pom-poms and get ready for a slam-dunk party, courtesy of the home team at Crystal Farms cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe

Buffalo Chicken Pizza: It’s hard to beat buffalo wings…but this pizza recipe does the trick. We take your favorite buffalo wing appetizer recipe and turn it into this easy-to-make pizza recipe. It’s topped with delicious blue cheese and shredded Mozzarella. Ready for the oven in just 10 minutes. Make 2 pizzas for a crowd!

Tex-Mex Potato Wedges with Taco Dip recipe

Tex-Mex Potato Wedges with Taco Dip: Taco-seasoned, oven-baked potato wedges make the perfect “chip” for this fabulous new spin on the seven layer dip with shredded Cheddar layering tomatoes and olives over cream cheese — a great party recipe! Score! Serves 8.

Cheddar Olive Appetizer recipe

Cheddar Olive Appetizers: The perfect party appetizer, these easy-to-make Cheddar olive pops bake up in under 15 minutes for a warm bite of creamy Cheddar cheese and olives. They even look like little basketballs! Serve with celery, carrot or cucumber spears. They’re so good, you’ll want to double this recipe for 24 appetizers.

Cheese & Grape Skewers recipe

Cheese & Grape Skewers: Such an easy appetizer recipe! Wisconsin Cheddar, American or Pepper Jack cheese cubes are skewered with sweet red grapes. It’s a perfect snack for guests of all ages. Choose toothpicks with your team’s colors and be sure to double the recipe because these will disappear fast! A double recipe makes 36 skewers.

Cheer for your favorite teams AND your favorite appetizers during March Madness month!

Delicious Macaroni and Cheese Recipes!

Everybody loves a delicious bowl of good, old-fashioned macaroni and cheese. Not only is it a classic recipe, but super popular with so many ways to create this tasty dish with different pastas or different cheeses.

To celebrate the love of mac and cheese this Valentine’s Day, we’ve not only created a classic, simple, one-pot mac and cheese recipe, but we also have sophisticated recipes like pasta with lobster and Gruyere. There are so many recipes to love!

We’ve got a macaroni and cheese recipe for everyone.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese recipe

Stovetop Mac and Cheese: For a quick and tasty kid-friendly mac and cheese recipe, cook this classic stovetop version. It has a creamy, cheesy sauce made with American slices and shredded Sharp Cheddar. It’s creative and easy to make. All you need is one pot and cheese-hungry guests! Ready to serve in just 25 minutes.

Macaroni & Cheese Lobster Bake recipe

Macaroni and Cheese Lobster Bake: This recipes turns your favorite childhood mac and cheese recipe into a  sophisticated 4-cheese version made creamy with Cheddar, Gruyere, cream cheese and Parmesan with fresh lobster meat for a pasta bake you’ll never forget. It serves 12, so this the perfect recipe for a Valentine’s Day dinner party.

Tex-Mex Macaroni & Cheese recipe

Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese: This delicious take on the classic mac and cheese recipe includes creamy ranch dressing and Cheddar cheese with jalapeños and peppers for a tasty, Southwest kick. Wagon wheel pasta holds the sauce perfectly and gives this casserole a fun twist.

Aged Cheddar & Asiago Macaroni & Cheese recipe

Aged Cheddar and Asiago Macaroni and Cheese: This grown-up take on a classic favorite is the perfect mid-winter comfort food. This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is made with our Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar and shredded Asiago cheeses so it gets a nice flavor boost from these elegant cheeses.

For more ways to cook with your favorite cheeses, enjoy these mac and cheese recipes and find more Macaroni and Cheese Recipes here.

A Satisfying Snack the Whole Family Will Love

This year we make it easy to keep your resolutions with our NEW Light Spreadable Cheese Wedges. With only 30 calories in each wedge, they’re like a little tasty gift. Open and enjoy!

These creamy little morsels are sure to become a family favorite since they’re easy to pop in a lunch bag or satisfy anybody’s afternoon snack attacks.  Kids will love the mild Creamy Swiss flavor while you might enjoy savory Garlic & Herb or Jalepeno Pepper.

There’s so much to love about these wedges of creamy, cheesy goodness in neatly packaged individual wedges!  Here’s some of our favorite ways to enjoy them:

• Creamy Swiss Spreadable Wedges are very mild and creamy. Perfect right from its foil wrapper or spread on crisp apple wedges or whole grain crackers. They’re also wonderful melted on broccoli or other veggies in the microwave.
• Jalapeno Pepper Spreadable Wedges have a spicy kick and are a favorite for an afternoon pick-me-up. Or cut the wedges up, place on tortilla chips and bake until melted for a creamy, lighter version for family night nachos.
• Garlic & Herb Spreadable Wedges are sophisticated and savory. Perfect as a satisfying snack or spread on flatbread and served with fruit for late-night-lite bites.

Try the NEW Light Varieties of Creamy Wedges from Crystal Farms

Lighten Up Your Holiday Recipes!

The holiday season is full of celebrations, parties and guests. Replacing some heavier recipe ingredients with lighter options can mean a happy indulgence in favorite holiday desserts.

Often higher-calorie ingredients can easily be replaced with reduced fat versions making a difference in the final calorie count.

Here are some quick ways to revise side dish, appetizer and dessert recipes:

• Replacing Cream Cheese: Simply substitute regular cream cheese with Crystal Farms Neufchatel cream cheese in this lovely dessert without sacrificing all the silky goodness of these Fresh Fruit & Cream Cheese Bars.
• A Lighter Appetizer: Surprise guests may just pop in, so having the ingredients on hand for Cheesy Bagel Pizza Bites is good thinking! Made with Crystal Farms Reduced Fat Marble Jack Shredded Cheese for the lighter side.
• Light Dips & Spreads: Party-goers and guests will never know you’ve treated them to a light version of a creamy, popular dip in this Roasted Red Pepper and Dill Dip recipe.
• Love Lower Fat Cheese: Cheese gives such delicious flavor to so many foods. Simply choose Crystal Farms Reduced Fat and Lower-Fat cheeses to sprinkle on side dishes or slice for appetizer trays.

With a few quick tips, holiday appetizers and side dishes can get easy revisions for lighter versions so you can say yes to dessert!

Pride in Wisconsin Cheese

This month we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with gratitude for the dairy farm families of Wisconsin who work hard to create all those delicious Wisconsin cheeses.

Wisconsin’s great tradition of cheesemaking has roots in prehistoric times. Glaciers cut through what is now Wisconsin, and as they receded, they left a countryside of rolling hills and lush pastureland perfect for dairy farming.

When European immigrants came to the heartland in the 1800s they decided to settle in Wisconsin since the rolling hills reminded them of their homeland. Dairy farmers began producing an abundance of top-quality milk and started making cheese to preserve the excess milk. Wisconsin’s first cottage industry, cheesemaking, was born and tiny factories produced cheese on a small scale. Dairy farm families worked together to spread the word about the quality and craftsmanship of their Wisconsin cheese–a  tradition that continues today.

For more than 160 years, Wisconsin Cheeses have been renowned for their cheese quality and craftsmanship. Wisconsin Cheese producers have captured the art and science of cheesemaking with their time-honored traditions producing cheese varieties of unsurpassed excellence.

Wisconsin alone produces more than 600 varieties, types and styles of American, international-style and original cheeses. Since Wisconsin wins more awards than any other state for their cheese, Crystal Farms is proud to have over 40 varieties of Wisconsin cheese.

Try these tasty recipes made with Crystal Farms Wisconsin Cheese.

Find out more about the Wisconsin Dairyland at EatWisconsinCheese.com.

Need a cheese fix and a giggle? Visit the Cheese & Burger Society to find all sorts of mouthwatering cheeseburger ideas. Then check out the Grilled Cheese Academy for delicious grilled cheese sandwich ideas with yummy melted cheeses. Both brought to you by today’s Wisconsin dairy farm families!

Cheese & Burger Society

Grilled Cheese Academy

This Month Enjoy Cozy Soups and Baked Casseroles

As warm summer breezes fade to the cooler days of autumn, it’s a perfect time for cozy soups, home-cooked casseroles and hot dishes, all made with the many and delicious varieties of cheese.

Crystal Farms recipes make it easy to include your favorite cheese in all sorts of home-cooked dishes. Try cooking up recipes from this Cheese Bakes and Casserole Recipe collection. Here are some of the yummy highlights featuring tasty cheese varieties, all made right here in North America:

Cobblestone Pizza Bake

This Cobblestone Pizza Bake uses Crystal Farms Finely Shredded Pizza Blend.

An easy recipe perfect for a homemade weeknight dinner. Sauce, beef, mushrooms, peppers and the yummy combo of Mozzarella, Cheddar and Monterey Jack shredded cheese top a tender biscuit “crust.”

Macaroni & Cheese Lobster Bake

Macaroni & Cheese Lobster Bake combines shredded Cheddar, Cream Cheese, and grated Parmesan cheeses.

A taste sensation! Enjoy the creamy delight of macaroni & cheese with this delicious recipe. It calls for some of the most popular cheeses combined with fresh lobster meat for a macaroni bake to remember.

Tortilla Chicken Casserole

Tortilla Chicken Casserole–perfect with Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.

This one-dish dinner recipe is just the kind of hearty, warm casserole that’s perfect for the whole family. Serves 8!

This month, celebrate all the wonderful cheeses made right here in North America. If you’re looking for a delicious cheese for your next hot dish or casserole recipe, look no further than the tasty varieties from Crystal Farms Cheese.

It's the Great Lunchbox Makeover

It’s back-to-school time! Busy kids need healthy lunches but before you grab the makings for another PB&J, consider some creative (and healthy!) ways to makeover this year’s lunch box so it really rocks.

Try including some of these ideas and you might have a new favorite on your lunchbox list.

• Wrap it up! Even peanut butter and jelly rolled up in a tortilla is more fun than sandwiched between bread. Try other roll-ups like cream cheese and jelly or deli cheese and ham.
• Egg-cellent! Hard boil eggs for an easy lunchbox item. Write a fun message on the shell or decorate with their school colors!
• Stack-a-Snack Separately pack crackers, sliced cheese and sliced cherry tomatoes or apples so your grade-schooler can stack a snack any way they like.
• Fondue it! Who says dipping is only for chips? 3 containers of dip and 3 different dippers are all you’ll need for a perfectly fun and healthy lunch. Try a nut butter dip, a yogurt dip and a cheese dip and include pretzel rods, celery sticks and apple slices for a mini, cool fondue.
• Mix-a-Lot Busy fingers love picking out favorite morsels from a good trail mix, so make one of the lunchbox items a medley of nuts, seeds and dried fruits. You don’t need a trail to enjoy this mix!
• Bagel Break Bagels and cream cheese aren’t just for breakfast. Spread strawberry cream cheese between slices of their favorite bagel and you’ve got a sandwich fit for a lunchbox.

Just 5 extra minutes of planning can mean a transformed lunchbox for your kiddos. They’ll enjoy the new surprises and you’ll be glad you’ve made healthy, fun choices for your little charges.

Plan a Pizza Party, Garden Party!

Summer is nearing its end so celebrate with a garden party. Backyards, rooftops, parks or patios–find the perfect gathering place and invite your friends, family and neighbors.

When guests bring their favorite dishes made with the freshest of fruits and veggies everyone wins! Try these ideas from garden pizza to ice cream toppings…

• Garden Pizza: Harvest your herbs and veggies like onions, scallions, red peppers, tomatoes, basil and eggplant, pile on a pre-baked pizza crust, top with shredded cheese and bake as per crust directions for a garden party pleaser.
• Green Salad: Harvest greens like lettuce, spinach or bok choy and snip herbs like mint, basil or chives. Chop broccoli, cukes or sugar snap peas for a side salad to remember! Mix in 1 container of crumbled feta, for an earthy, green salad.
• Fruity Dessert Topping: Microwave berries with a bit of water for about 30 seconds or less, then gently mash with a spoon for a sweet, fresh ice cream topping. Blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, boysenberry, raspberry, gooseberry…and then swirl on whipped topping for the perfect touch.
• Egg Salad Supreme: Chill hard-boiled eggs, chop and mix with mayonnaise or yogurt, diced scallions, celery, fresh dill or parsley from your kitchen garden for a tasty, summery egg salad.

Decorate your garden party table with fresh-cut flowers. No flowers? Create herb bouquets instead. Invite friends and loved ones then sit back, relax and enjoy your end-of-summer celebration!