Halloween is quickly approaching, and what better way to celebrate (other than devouring candy, of course) than with homemade cheese crackers filled with the flavors of delicious Wisconsin Cheddar. (These would be great with other Wisconsin Cheeses too. Try them with Wisconsin Gruyère, Parmesan, or Pepato! They work best with a hard cheese that is easy to grate.)

Think Cheez-It meets puff pastry. That’s what these deeply cheesy Wisconsin Cheddar Crackers are like. Plus they’re fun to make with the kids, and even more fun to hoard while your poor kiddos toil away at school. Err, I mean you should be a stellar parent and pack your children homemade cheese crackers for lunch. What kind of mom or dad would steal food from their children anyway? Perhaps one who loves tasty crackers in cute little Halloween shapes?

Making crackers at home is like magic and these are the most magical of all as you watch them puff up into fun Halloween shapes. Cut this recipe into any shape you prefer to enjoy homemade crackers year round.

When one thinks of “scalloped potatoes,” memories of long, cozy sit-down dinners around the table often arise. Though, many scalloped potato recipes involve pre-cooking potatoes, making a white sauce, thinly slicing potatoes and gently layering the ingredients before baking. Yeah, it’s a special recipe, often reserved for holidays and family gatherings.

No more, I say! I want to be able to make scalloped potatoes whenever. This recipe eliminates half the work, which can all happen magically in the oven while the potatoes cook, and the stars of the show, Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar and Wisconsin Parmesan, really make this dish shine.

Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar & Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes, with a few touches of spiciness, are going to rock the meatloaf, pork chops, steaks, roasts beef, broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts or any of the other comfort meals you’re putting together.

The San Francisco by the Cheese & Burger Society’s Cheeseburgers Across America road trip includes so many of my favorite ingredients: Wisconsin Cheese, red onion, tomato and lettuce, guacamole, bacon, and, of course, famous San Francisco sourdough bread. These ingredients are so wonderful, they remind me of two foods I adore – BLT sandwiches and guacamole cheeseburgers – so I wanted to play around with these ingredients some more.

First, I made The San Francisco on a hollowed-out sourdough roll, and I substituted one of my favorite cheeses, Wisconsin Pleasant Ridge Reserve, for the suggested Wisconsin Fontina cheese. It was a great combo, but so big I could barely get it in my mouth. It was big, messy, and delicious.

Next time around I tried it on slices of toasted sourdough bread. It was really delicious, and not nearly as messy.

I loved the flavors of the cheeseburger so much; I wanted to find more ways to enjoy them, so I came up with two ideas. Both have all the great San Francisco cheeseburger flavors but with a twist.

Believe it or not, the first idea came to me in a dream. Pizza! I chose a premade cornmeal pizza crust and topped it with shredded Wisconsin Gouda, slices of Roma tomatoes, mini burger meatballs, and red onions. When it came out of the oven I finished it with basil, bacon, and guacamole. This is a wacky kind of pizza to be sure, but you’d be surprised how well it turned out. When the tomatoes and onions cook down they become sweeter. The basil and bacon give the pizza some spice and smoky salt. As far as the guacamole goes, well, kind of like bacon, everything is better with a little guacamole. I can’t say I literally dream up recipes that often so I was very curious to see how it would taste and I was not disappointed.

The next idea was nachos. I used Wisconsin Cheddar, hamburger meat, tortilla chips, tomatoes, crumbled bacon, red onions, guacamole, and cilantro. The result was nothing short of amazing! Possibly the tastiest nachos I’ve ever made. I love the way the nachos look, so colorful with lots of great textures and flavors, gooey cheese, crunchy bacon and the creamy guacamole.

Thanks to inspiration from Wisconsin Cheese and The San Francisco, these ingredients prove to be so delicious that they can make plenty of foods. See my recipe for The San Francisco below.

I like cheese. Everyone likes cheese. I suppose that’s a relatively broad statement, but almost everyone loves cheese. But that statement branches into many questions. What kind of cheese? Melted? Marbled? Baked? Fried? There are one thousand and one ways to enjoy cheese and equally as many varieties. One of the best ways to enjoy cheese – in my opinion – is in its simplest form: on a cracker with a thick slice of Wisconsin Cheddar.

But that’s for the lazy, “I don’t want to move, yet I want to eat” type of days. For the days when I feel like surrendering to the process of cooking, there is macaroni and cheese.

Now American cheese has its place – in a dorm somewhere, where the mac and cheese is eaten straight out the pot – but I like my macaroni and cheese a little classier, baked with sharp Wisconsin Cheddar, Parmesan and pesto with a crispy panko-Cheddar crust.

As a single girl I think about date meals all the time; and there is nothing that says, “Hey, I like you,” more than homemade macaroni and cheese; however, I cannot and will not claim this to be “engagement” macaroni and cheese – maybe when paired with engagement chicken; but that’s just a maybe. I digress. A crispy browned top, that when penetrated leads to a world of oooey gooey cheesy pesto-y wonderfulness, will at the very least buy you a second date – the proposal is up to you.

Now I will be the first to admit that macaroni and cheese with a pesto twist is prep heavy. There will be pots, food processors, oven-safe dishes and the like; but upon taking the first bite, the pile of dishes that awaits you will, momentarily, be miles away. You will be lost in the savory goodness of this dish. This I promise you. If I were a betting woman, my money would be on pesto macaroni and cheese. What are we playing for? I don’t know, but I just want to reinforce how amazing this is. The very first time I made this, my six-foot-one male friend squealed like a thirteen-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Yeah, that’s how good this is. I could wax poetic about how delicious this macaroni cheese is and how it will transport you; but you need these precious moments for prep. What are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Pesto Macaroni & Cheese

Serves 4

Pesto
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Wisconsin Parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Macaroni & Cheese
1 stick butter
6 tablespoons flour
5 cups milk
1 lb. grated Wisconsin Cheddar
1 cup pesto
1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked in boiling salted water

Topping
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups panko breading
3/4 lb. coarsely grated Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar

In a food processor add basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse 4 times. Scrape down sides, turn on and slowly add the olive and blend until smooth. Check and adjust seasonings.

Melt butter, stir in panko and Cheddar cheese and combine well. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer and whisk occasionally. Stir in Cheddar cheese, pesto, salt and pepper until smooth. Remove from heat and cover to avoid a skin forming.

Mix macaroni and sauce until evenly combined. Place in a shallow dish and cover evenly with topping. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown and bubbling, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Having grown up in Wisconsin, my roots run deep with a pure appreciation for good ol’ Wisconsin Cheese. I still remember as a child, going into the artisan shops with my parents and being instantly overcome with the familiar aroma that the different flavors and varieties of cheese created. If you’ve ever been in a true Wisconsin Cheese shop, then you know what I mean.  Cheddar, meets Swiss, meets Blue, meets true Wisconsin Cheese Curds (aka squeaky cheese), all in one glorious whiff.

Of all the cheeses that are out there today, Wisconsin Cheddar still reigns as a crowd pleaser at our house; and these Cheddar and Chive Popovers are, without doubt, a favorite in my family. They’re easy to make and delicious to eat. The only problem you’ll have is making sure you get one before the rest of your family grabs them all up.

Start out by mixing together a few basic ingredients including eggs, milk, butter and flour. I threw a hint of cayenne in as well. I love a little kick with my cheese.

Next up you’ll add in the best part.  I used a block of Extra Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar that I found at my local Trader Joe’s. Shred it up and drop it in with a handful of chives.

Here’s my definition of a handful:

And here’s where we’re at:

Stir it all together and let the batter rest at room temperature for one hour. When you’re ready to cook it up, you’ll heat up the oven to 425 degrees F and place your popover pan in the oven empty for about 3 to 4 minutes. Pull it out, drop about a 1//2 teaspoon of canola oil in each popover hole and give it a quick swirl. Pour your batter into the heated and greased popover pan.

Place them in the oven for 15 minutes and then turn your oven down to 350 degrees and let them continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Check out those gorgeous popovers.

Serve them up with a little butter and enjoy a true Wisconsin Cheese inspired treat!

Wisconsin Extra Sharp Cheddar Popovers

Serves 6

1 cup of light cream or whole milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 ounces Wisconsin Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 small bunch chives, chopped
3 teaspoons canola oil

Mix together the cream, eggs, flour, butter, salt, cayenne, and garlic powder. Add in the cheese and chives and mix together. Let the batter rest at room temperature for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat up your empty popover pan in the oven for about 3-4 minutes. Pull it out and swirl 1/2 of a teaspoon of oil in each container. Divide the batter evenly among the popover holes. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and cook for another 20 minutes.

I have fond memories of grilled cheese as a child. The ooey-gooey cheese between two buttery toasty slices of bread was comfort heaven. Even today, I cannot resist a simple grilled cheese after a hard day. When I was pregnant, I could eat grilled cheese sandwiches all day, everyday!

Because April is National Grilled Cheese Month, I had to do something extra special. I always love to think of new ways to spice up classics so I decided to jazz up an old favorite. You can have this sandwich for a quick lunch, dinner, or to serve at an elegant brunch with friends.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese is a classic combination, so adding sun-dried tomato pesto to the sandwich gives you that amazing, sweet tomato flavor and that peppery pesto bite – the best of both worlds!

Sun-dried tomato pesto, smoky bacon, and a nice heap of Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar cheese inside an herby, light focaccia is almost close to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich!

This sandwich can be made with or without bacon. I prefer bacon, but I have friends who aren’t big meat eaters who loved this without the bacon. Definitely worth a try! And you can order focaccia from your local bakery if you don’t have the time to make it at home.

Grown-Up Sun-Dried Tomato Grilled Cheese

Serves 4

Herb Focaccia Bread (homemade or from bakery)

8 slices bacon, cooked

8 ounces Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade preferred)

2 tablespoons lightly salted butter

Slice focaccia bread into individual portions and slice each portion in half horizontally. Add Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar cheese to one half, on the other, spread about 1 tablespoon of pesto, then add bacon. Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter onto each slice of bread.

Put sandwich together and grill, buttered-side-down, in heated skillet or pan until melted, then flip and cook until bread is slightly browned. Serve!

I was probably twelve years old before I ever ate a grilled cheese sandwich that contained an ingredient other than American slices and white bread. To me, the classic grilled cheese was the best – especially when cut into triangles. One day, at a friend’s house, I branched out into Cheddar, and experienced a grilled cheese awakening.

Here I am now, a sandwich blogger who makes a livelihood out of challenging myself to come up with tasty new grilled sandwich combinations. I find myself daydreaming about the different ways I can create the ultimate melted experience on grilled bread, especially during the month of April – National Grilled Cheese Month. I’ll admit that I still enjoy the occasional classic grilled American cheese, but these days I’m much more about big, unique flavors.

Southerners who grew up on creamy, tangy pimento cheese sandwiches may be somewhat familiar with the Green Chile Grilled Cheese Panini I’m sharing today – my southwestern spin on their regional specialty. Instead of mixing sweet red pimento peppers into the cheese, I opted for the gentle heat of diced green chiles with sharp Wisconsin Cheddar, Wisconsin Jack and Cream Cheese. The bold flavor combination reminded me of cheese-filled jalapeño poppers. As you can tell from the photos, it’s definitely a very oozy grilled cheese…just the type that I love most!

Green Chile Grilled Cheese Panini

Makes 4 to 6 Panini

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded sharp Wisconsin Cheddar

1 cup shredded Wisconsin Jack cheese

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

1 scallion, thinly sliced

8-12 slices country bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.* In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s soft and light. Mix in the Cheddar, Jack, green chiles and scallion.

For each sandwich: Spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture onto a slice of bread. Close the sandwich with a second slice of bread and brush the top with melted butter. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Carefully slice the sandwich in half, serve immediately and enjoy!

* If you don’t have a panini grill, you can always bake these sandwiches in an oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bread is toasted. You could also heat the sandwiches in a skillet, but be extra careful as you flip them, as the fillings are really oozy!

So what makes a few slices of bread with cheese slapped in the middle so endearing? It’s delicious, simple, fast and cost effective to make. That pretty much answers that question.  Moving on.

Any connoisseur of grilled cheese has their preference for the delectable, melty center, as well as for their choice of bread. Sourdough, white, wheat, Italian, raisin and artisan breads have made their way to my kitchen a time or two to change up my cheese sandwich with tasty results.

American Cheese is usually at the top of the grilled cheese list along with Cheddar but I’ve tried Gouda, Asiago, Brie, Swiss, Provolone and a gamut of other cheeses – all great with flavors all their own. It’s cheese, how could it not be good?

My choices for this particular grilled cheese rendition are Wisconsin Smoked Cheddar and Wisconsin Aged Cheddar. There are most likely a number of options in your local grocery store, including Hook’s Cheddar, Carr Valley Cheddar, Widmer’s Cheddar and Henning’s Cheddar, since Wisconsin is known for its quality cheese. This recipe pairs bold with smoky flavors – a perfect duo with the herbs and spices.

Did I mention that this sandwich is considered to be a savory French toast? Grilled cheese and French toast? A win-win.

Here are the lessons I’ve learned when it comes to this cheese toasty recipe (More below):

• Don’t add the butter until just before adding the sandwiches to the hot pan. This is the one time I will not be placing the butter directly on the bread before cooking which is usually my preferred method.

• This sandwich is not designated for any one meal – breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner (or supper in some parts) – delicious anytime.

• I grew up referring to a grilled cheese as a cheese toasty or toastie. What do you prefer to call them and what’s your favorite kind of grilled cheese?

Savory Herb French Toast Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 4

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1/8 tsp coarse ground salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

8 slices French baguette bread (I had a small baguette)

1 tbsp butter, divided

2 ounces grated Aged Wisconsin Cheddar, divided

2 ounces grated Smoked Wisconsin Cheddar, divided

Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. In a shallow dish, whisk the milk, egg, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and cayenne. When the skillet is hot, add half of the butter, reserving the other portion for your second batch of sandwiches. Dip both sides of 4 slices of the bread quickly into the egg wash and add all 4 to the buttered skillet.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown, then flip to the other side.

Top 2 of the slices of the browned side of the toast with a tablespoon of each of the grated cheeses then top with the remaining 2 slices of browned toast, allowing the bottom to brown in the process.

Flip and brown the top piece. When both sides are browned to your liking, remove and serve. Repeat with the second batch and then enjoy!

We love pizza at our house. I probably love it more than I love my husband. I could eat it every meal, every day! I know my husband isn’t as much of a fan, so I am always looking for new twist to ensure that he doesn’t get bored with it.

We recently went out to dinner and ordered the cheese toast appetizer. Now, this wasn’t any cheese toast; it was a pesto cheese toast. It was so simple, but it was so good. I never would have thought about combining pesto and Cheddar, but I immediately knew this would make a great starting point for pizza.

To mix things up a bit, I decided to use flatbread for the pizza crust. I also added some chopped Italian-seasoned chicken to make this more of a meal. I wanted to keep the same flavors for the pizza that were in the cheese toast, so I chose a Wisconsin Mild Cheddar and a Wisconsin Jack cheese.

We were not disappointed. This was fantastic! It was ooey-gooey cheesy goodness!! We served it with some warm pizza sauce for dipping, but it is just as good on its own.

This is a simple lunch or dinner, or a great snack while you are watching March Madness. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and it tastes great. I can’t wait to experiment with more flatbread combinations!

Cheddar Chicken Pesto Flatbread

1 6-inch round flatbread

1-2 Tbsp pesto

3 oz chopped Italian chicken

¼ cup Wisconsin Mild Cheddar cheese, grated

¼ cup Wisconsin Jack cheese, grated

Pizza sauce, optional

Preheat broiler. Place flatbread on a baking sheet. Spread pesto on top of flatbread. Top with chopped chicken and both cheeses.

Place flatbread under broiler for 3-5 minutes. Watch closely, it will burn if you don’t watch it. Cut into quarters and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

The ultimate comfort food – macaroni and cheese – gets a Southwestern twist when spiked with jalapeño chiles and cumin. Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar adds more outstanding flavor to this warming dish.

Ranch House Macaroni & Cheese

Serves 6

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Wisconsin Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained well, thinly sliced
1/4 cup bottled ranch-style dressing
8 ounces wagon wheel pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions, drained
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 375°F. In large, deep saucepan, heat butter until sizzling. Stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden.

Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and smooth. Turn off heat, stir in salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, pepper, chiles and Cheddar. Stir until cheese melts. Add red peppers, dressing and cooked pasta, mixing well.

Pour into oval 8 x 10-inch lightly buttered casserole or similar baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with the sliced green onions.

For more delicious macaroni and cheese recipes visit our blog, 30 Days and 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese.