Give Thanks for Cheese!

Why not add a little extra flavor to your Thanksgiving meal with some tasty cheeses!

Mashed Potatoes & Bellweather Farms Creme Fraiche

After mashing up your favorite tater recipe, mix in a few dollops of Creme Fraiche at the end.  Unlike gloopy sour cream, which can make your potatoes like a bucket of warm wallpaper paste, creme fraiche is lighter in texture and flavor.  The result will be velvety mashers with just a slight tang.

Green Beans & Emmi Cave Aged Gruyere

Instead of smothering your tender green beans in a french fried onion casserole, lightly saute them in olive oil, then toss in some shredded Cave Aged Gruyere.  It adds a nutty pop that's perfect for the cozy fall weather.  Be sure that it's aged gruyere too, otherwise you're just getting a boring ol' Swiss.  This also works for slightly caramelized brussel sprouts - yummy!

Cornbread Stuffing & Wisconsin 3-Year Aged Cheddar

Regular cornbread is pretty tasty topped with melted cheddar, so why not your stuffing?  The Wisconsin 3-Year Aged Cheddar had a nice sharp bite and melts evenly.  If you're baking in your bird, mix in the shredded cheddar with the stuffing before hand.  If your baking your stuffing in a separate dish, shred a layer of cheddar over the top.  Finish it off under the broiler for a minute or two to get a golden brown crust.

Apples or Pears with Point Reyes Blue Cheese

Here's a fantastic fall salad - crisp sliced apples or pears, toasted pecans and a sprinkling of Point Reyes Blue Cheese.  This blue crumbles well but is creamy on palate.  Plus, it doesn't have a strong acidic punch that many strong blues have.  Drizzle with a little honey and a couple squeezes of lemon juice, and you have sweet salty salad bliss!

Pumpkin Pie & BelGioiso Mascarpone

I love my pumpkin pie topped with billowy clouds of whipped cream, but if you're looking for something a bit more decadent, try a spoonful of Mascarpone on top.  Sweeten with a little sugar and cinnamon for an extra special treat.

Apple Pie & Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar

The Pelican Inn at Muir Beach serves the most delicious apple crisp with slices of sharp English cheddar, and it is fabulous!  So do yourself a favor - instead of topping that slice a warm apple pie with a blob of vanilla ice cream, serve it with small cuts of Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar.  This dry, sharp, salty cheese will cut through the sugary caramelized apple goodness.  It's truly a heavenly pair!