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.

One of my favorite ways to make a grilled cheese is on a panini press. The trick to a good panini, or any grilled cheese sandwich, is to make sure that you have some cheese touching the bread. The cheese will act like a “glue” to hold the sandwich together. There is nothing worse than biting into a panini only to have it slide apart!

Fontina is a great cheese choice for a panini because it melts really well. It also has a nutty flavor that complements the smoked meats and the sweet jam.

Smoked Turkey, Capicola & Fig Panini

Serves 4

1 loaf Italian bread, sliced

2 oz fig jam

8 slices Wisconsin Fontina cheese

8 slices very thinly sliced lean capicola

16 slices smoked turkey breast

A few pats of butter

To make one sandwich: Place the cheese in a single layer on a slice of bread. Spread the jam on the cheese, top with capicola, smoked turkey and another layer of cheese. Cover the cheese with the other slice of bread. Lightly butter each side of the sandwich. Place on a panini press preheated to medium. Press until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Delicious! Repeat with all sandwiches.

A Take on Wisconsin’s Famous Beer and Cheese Soup…

I’m not a huge beer drinker.  And by that I mean it’s not my drink of choice. I prefer to eat my beer, actually. I like the flavor it gives to meats and breads and soups, like Wisconsin’s famous beer and cheese soup! Which brings me to how this particular grilled beer and cheese sandwich was born.

It happened one day when I was really craving a grilled cheese sandwich. I wanted to come up with something different, though. So I started by thinking about what kind of bread to use because I figured that would help determine the rest. Immediately it hit me – beer bread!

I fell in love with beer bread the first time I made it and smelled the aromatics of beer and fresh baked bread wafting through my kitchen. Since then, it has been my bread of choice. It’s incredibly easy to make, but best of all, it’s perfect with all kinds of cheese (soft, aged, spreadable, etc.).

What blows my mind about all this is how long it actually took me to come up with this sandwich – two whole years of baking beer bread before it dawned on me to make it into a grilled cheese? I’m almost disappointed in myself. Nevertheless, on this particular day, I excitedly told my companion that I was going to make a grilled cheese sandwich on beer bread, to which he replied, “You mean like beer and cheese soup, but in sandwich form?” Well no, that is not at all what I meant, but it was brilliant!

The beer-and-cheese-soup-in-sandwich-form revelation took things to a whole other level. I sautéed up some onions with Worcestershire sauce, to achieve that signature kick you get in beer and cheese soup.

And for cheese, I went with medium Cheddar (just enough sharpness) and a creamier Fontina for some contrast. Then I added a nice layer of Dijon mustard before stacking everything up and grilling it with a little butter and olive oil.

So, how was it? Um, amazing. The beer flavor with the sharpness of the cheese and then the sweet and tangy onions is divine! One thing though: Beer bread is pretty dense, and though it slices nicely, it lacks the sponginess that you get with other breads.

So basically, it gets messy when you take a bite. I don’t mind that, though (the more oozing cheese, the better), but I just wanted to let you know so you make sure to eat it with a plate. Since taking these pictures, I’ve made an open-faced version of this sandwich several times, which I find much easier and tidier to eat using a knife and fork.

Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich

Beer Bread

Cook + prep time: 50 minutes

Makes 1 loaf of bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup sugar

One 12-ounce can or bottle of beer (any beer, though I find that cheap beers work best)

3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pour in beer, stir until a stiff batter is formed. Best to just mix dough with your hands. Scrape dough into prepared loaf pan. Melt butter and spread evenly across top of dough. (Makes it golden and crusty!) Bake in preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let cool completely before slicing.

Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich

Cook + prep time: 20 minutes (assuming the bread is already made)

Makes 1 sandwich

Thinly sliced white onion

Pinch oregano

Worcestershire sauce

Salt (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Medium sharp Cheddar cheese

Fontina cheese

Dijon mustard

A little butter and olive oil

Slice onions thin and dice some fresh oregano. Set burner to medium-high heat and drizzle olive oil on pan. Add onions to pan and make sure there is enough oil to lightly coat them all. Sauté onions until they begin to wilt, then add a pinch of salt and pepper, oregano and a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook covered until onions become soft/caramelized (about 10 minutes). Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if you like. Spread a layer of Dijon mustard on one slice of beer bread. Place desired amount of cheese on top. Place a pile of onions on top of cheese and top with another slice of cheese and bread (omit top piece of bread if going for the open-faced version). Carefully place sandwich on a pan that’s lightly greased with olive oil and butter. Grill on medium-low heat until browned to perfection!

Established in 2003, the Wisconsin Cheese Chef Ambassador program taps the culinary creativity of talented chefs across the nation to develop exciting new recipes with Wisconsin Cheese. Chef ambassadors also spend the year spreading the word about Wisconsin Cheese through events in their restaurants, making media appearances and appearing at food events and conferences.

One of the 11 newest Wisconsin Cheese chef ambassadors for 2010 is Chef Jorge de la Torre, Dean of Culinary Education at Johnson and Wales University, the College of Culinary Arts in Denver, Colorado. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Chef Jorge graduated from the University of New Mexico, Dean’s List, with a B.B.A. in Finance. He then went to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Chef Jorge also has a Tour Manager Certification from the International Tour Guide Academy, Denver, Colorado.

Chef Jorge’s recent work with Wisconsin Cheese has included Denver’s Taste of the Nation event in July. Coming up, Chef Jorge will present Wisconsin Cheese recipes at the Denver Food & Wine Classic on September 11 and The Great American Beer Festival from September 16 – 18.

Chef Jorge was excited to discuss his new position as a Wisconsin Cheese chef ambassador with Wisconsin Cheese Talk.

How he got started cooking: I always liked cooking, ever since I was a kid. Both my parents were very good cooks. My dad really enjoyed it. My parents are from Bolivia and my dad owned a restaurant and hotel. So for me cooking was a passion from day one.

When I graduated from high school, in 1986, cooking American cuisine was really getting hot and having a career as a chef was becoming more accepted. But my parents insisted that I get a business degree. So I did. Then right after, I bolted to culinary school.

Cooking style: I love simple cooking techniques. I love Asian food. Asian cooking is really about blending tastes. You’ve got the sweet and the sour, the spicy, the salty. I love how Asian food can bring that all together in one plate.

I also love Italian food because it is, again, really simple. You use maybe three or four ingredients, and the cheeses in Italian cooking – delicious.

Cheeses are a good example of simple cooking.When cooking with cheese there are so many flavors in the cheese, that you don’t need much else. When cooking, I am very big on complementary and contrasting foods. Cheeses are a great way to do this.

Favorite style of Wisconsin Cheese: I love cheese – all sorts of cheese. I enjoy everything from a Mascarpone – sweet, with a nice texture – to things that are super pungent, and anything in between. The different textures of cheeses – hard, soft, fresh – play well with sweet, spicy, salty and bitter tastes.

Favorite Wisconsin Cheeses: Pleasant Ridge Reserve by Upland’s Cheese – that cheese was an “ah ha” for me. Fresh hand-stretched string Oaxaca-style cheese from Cesar’s Cheese, Queso Oaxaca – the other “ah ha” moment that I have had with Wisconsin Cheese. I’ve never had string cheese like that before in my life. It was a revelation of anything else in the string cheese industry. If I had to take only two Wisconsin Cheeses home with me today, they would be Tilston Point Blue from Hook’s Cheese and the Chalet Cheese Cooperative Limburger.

On using Wisconsin Cheeses: Now that I’ve gone to Wisconsin, toured the cheese making facilities, and I’ve personally seen the time, effort and passion that go into the cheese, I know the quality of this cheese – If I were the cheesemaker, I wouldn’t sell these cheeses for $1,000 a pound. I’d be like no way, this is my baby – We use Wisconsin Cheese in our recipes in our school and we talk about the classic uses of cheese in cooking. We know it is important to teach our students about the amazing artisan cheeses made right here in America.

On Trends in Cheese: More restaurants are using cheese plates as a dessert option. Our students are out there working and seeing cheese used more often. They want to learn more about cheese and how to serve cheese, store it, and age it.

Cheese Tips: If you go to a good cheese place you can try anything. You don’t have to buy a big brick of cheese not knowing what it tastes like. Buy a small cut and try new things out.

Also, anything I do or cook with has to be complementary or contrast. If the cheese is fatty, maybe add something acidic to balance it out. It is important to learn all about the cheese. Is it going to cook well? Is it going to separate? You have to know the basics. This one melts easily. This one is never going to melt. With cheese it’s more than just flavor. It’s the texture. It has its nuances.

On Cheese Pairings: I’m a big beer fan, so I like to pair beers and cheeses. I think they have a lot of the same components. Mix fruit beers with lighter cheeses and dark porters with Blue cheese.

Cheese Recipes: Blue cheese goes well with dark chocolate. It’s that sweet and savory again. Figs are in season right now – Blue cheese, honey and figs. Delicious. Hook’s Tilston Point Blue – I’d pair it with a big honeycomb and grilled figs – the sugars would caramelize then the earthy figs and rich Blue cheese would produce that savory and sweet combination perfectly.

Also, I’ve been using a lot of Crave Brothers Mascarpone cheese. I whip it into pasta and use it as a dessert later – with chocolate and jam.

I like taking the cheeses that many people would think were really pungent and strong and making them into dessert options. Likewise, I take a light cheese, maybe a Fontina and mix

This grilled cheese features steak, shallots, garlic and herb butter, and a particular steakhouse feeling. I couldn’t really get away from that.

But steakhouse grilled cheese just didn’t really ring for me. Fortunately, a food blogger from Austria, Sasasunakku, recently acquainted me with the fact that grilled cheese where she lives are instead referred to as toasties.

And that’s the thrilling story of how my steakhouse toasties were born.

So let’s make a few. About four. Maybe five. Mostly depending on your bread.

Steakhouse Toasties with Wisconsin Fontina

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

Tuscan style bread (fresh from the bakery preferred, of course)

8-10 oz of steak strips (you can use sirloin, skirt, flank, etc.)

1/2 bottle Cabernet

2 cups shredded Wisconsin Fontina cheese

6-8 prosciutto slices

1/4 cup diced shallot

6-8 large leaves fresh basil

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Garlic and herb butter

Cooking Directions:

If you want to go all the way with this recipe, the first thing you’ll have to do is make the herb butter. I often try to have some of this around the house because it goes really well on biscuits, bread, muffins, all kinds of baked goods really – and it’s very simple to make, but needs to be done a day ahead of time.

Leave a stick of butter out in a bowl for a few hours until it gets soft and mushy. Meanwhile, chop up an assortment of your favorite fresh herbs (for this iteration I used parsley, rosemary, and basil) and mince two cloves of garlic. Combine herbs, garlic, and butter in a bowl and mash well together. Spread the butter on a piece of parchment paper and roll up to seal. Refrigerate overnight.

You won’t all of the butter for your toasties so you should have plenty left over to use as you see fit.

You don’t absolutely need the herb butter, but bear in mind that the cheese and the butter are two of the most primary ingredients in any grilled cheese creation, so it’s not the best area in which to skimp.

About two hours before you’re ready to make the toasties, marinate the steak strips in the red wine. You don’t need to break the bank with the wine by any means, but a good strategy when cooking with wine is to use only what you would also enjoy drinking by itself – you’ll get back what you put in.

In a large skillet, sweat the diced shallots in a small splash of olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the steak, just a little of the wine they’ve been marinating in, and cook over medium 5-7 minutes (or to whatever rareness/doneness you most prefer).

While they are cooking, shred the Wisconsin Fontina cheese (it helps if you throw your cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes before grating). Shredded cheese works best on toasties since it melts most evenly.

I used the grill for these, but you can use a skillet just as easily. Bring either one up to medium heat and start assembling your sandwiches – butter the outer sides of bread, add cheese, steak, basil, prosciutto, more cheese and bread. Repeat until you’re out of materials.

Place sandwiches on grill at an angle for 4-6 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees for another 4-6 minutes for authentic cross-hatching. Flip sandwich and repeat.

Your steakhouse toasties are ready.

For more grilled cheese or toastie recipes visit GrilledCheeseAcademy.com.

As spring comes to an end and summer quickly approaches, asparagus is in full season across the country. Prized for its nutritious value, sweet taste and tender texture, asparagus goes hand in hand with Wisconsin Cheese. What is your favorite way to prepare asparagus? Do you have a favorite asparagus recipe?

This Tuscan-Style Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a distinctive way to enjoy the season’s fresh ingredients and your favorite Wisconsin Cheeses during June Dairy Month.

Looking for more recipes with asparagus and Wisconsin Cheese? Interested in more grilled cheese recipes? Who makes Wisconsin Fontinaor Fresh Mozzarella?

Tuscan-Style Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 6

18 spears (2 pounds) asparagus, grilled
1/2 cup prepared balsamic-garlic-olive oil vinaigrette
12 slices crusty sourdough bread
12 slices (12 ounces) Wisconsin Fontina cheese
12 slices (1 pound from 4-ounce ovals) Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella cheese
1 cup (2 ounces) fresh basil leaves
1 cup (12 ounces) roasted red pepper pieces
12 slices (12 ounces) Wisconsin Provolone cheese
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

In a large bowl, toss the grilled asparagus with vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay 6 slices of bread on a clean, flat surface. Top each slice with (in order): 2 slices of Fontina cheese; 3 marinated, drained asparagus spears; 2 slices of fresh mozzarella; 6 fresh basil leaves; 2 1/2 tablespoons of red pepper pieces; and 2 slices of provolone. Top with a second slice of bread. Cover and reserve. Brush both sides of each sandwich lightly with olive oil.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and grill the sandwiches on both sides, until golden brown. Transfer to a sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through. To serve, transfer to individual plates, cut each sandwich and enjoy!

June is National Dairy Month and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a cheese sandwich. Give me a loaf of bread and a few hunks of cheese and I am one happy girl. I like my cheese strong and my bread doughy – the perfect blend of texture and flavor. Luckily there’s an easy way to carry the pleasures of this combination into everyday life: the cheese sandwich. With so many sandwich variety these days, there’s no need to settle for turkey and mustard.

From Fontina to Camembert to Edam, Wisconsin has been making outstanding cheeses for more than 160 years. I haven’t met a Wisconsin cheese I haven’t liked – and there are 600 varieties, types and styles! Step outside of the cheese cube and try a new variety. Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

Smoked Salmon + Wisconsin Havarti Quesadilla

On a whole grain tortilla, layer some wild Alaskan smoked salmon with slices of your favorite Wisconsin Havarti – flavored or traditional – and a tablespoon of capers. Sprinkle on some dill or your favorite fresh herbs. If you’d like, grill it in a skillet until the cheese begins to melt – but it tastes great cold too! Cut into wedges and nibble away.

Fried Egg + Wisconsin Fontina

Eggs are often forgotten on sandwiches, but they make for a simple and inexpensive protein source. Cook an egg in a skillet, breaking the yolk early so it cooks flat. Top with a slice of Wisconsin Swiss cheese just before removing from the skillet and slide between two slices of a seedy whole wheat bread. Garnish with baby spinach, avocado or oregano.

Tomato, Basil + Fresh Wisconsin Mozzarella

A summertime favorite when the maters are sweet and the basil blooming! Serve mini tomato, basil, Mozzarella sandwiches on rolls at your next cookout. Or layer thick slices of Wisconsin Fresh Mozzarella onto a portabello mushroom, top with basil and tomato and add a second mushroom for a vegetarian shroom sandwich.

Grilled Wisconsin Blue + Herbed Turkey

To make every bite of cheese as delicious as the next, choose Wisconsin Blue cheese. You’ll be able to taste it on this sandwich! I always buy Wisconsin Blue cheese in block form, as I find it much more flavorful than pre-crumbled. And straight from a Wisconsin creamery will guarantee optimal bite and flavor. For a great grilled summer sandwich layer Wisconsin Blue cheese, herbed turkey, tomato, honey mustard, and lettuce between two slices of crusty French sourdough. Grill until the outsides are crisp and the cheese begins to melt.

Anjou Pear + Wisconsin Brie

Ah fruit, cheese and bread – a French picnic in sandwich form! I like to thinly slice an apple or ripe pear and pear, I mean pair, it with Wisconsin Brie for a stinky, sweet lunch. I like to use a fruit and nut bread to complement the fruit in between. A cinnamon raisin or apple pecan would be divine!

Tempeh + Wisconsin Gruyère

Did you know? You can eat raw tempeh! I use it as an easy alternative to deli meat. I prefer the kind made with grains. It’s chewy, so just slice it thinly and load it up with a flavorful cheese such as Wisconsin Gruyère. Jam makes a nice touch as well!

Wisconsin White Cheddar + Jam

And lastly, Cheddar and jam are one of my other very favorite pairings. For this sandwich I spread a berry jam onto whole wheat bread and add slices of Wisconsin Sharp White Cheddar. Spinach adds nutrients and color. This sandwich is thick and hearty!

Whatever your sandwich fancy is, a little cheese goes a long way. So long as you’re choosing something high in quality and full of flavor! Check out the Grilled Cheese Academy for more tasty combinations!

A 2007 Four Graces Pinot Noir is our Wisconsin Cheese Cupid Pairing of the Week. This pinot, from Willamette Valley, Oregon, was ranked the 21^st most popular pinot noir in the 20^th Annual Wine and Spirits Restaurant Poll.

Known for being soft, smooth, earthy and elegant, this vintage is aged for over 10 months in French oak barrels. It has vibrant flavors of strawberry and blackberry, with concentrated tannins and notes of wild mushrooms. Because of its bright flavors and aged focus, this pinot noir pairs well with nearly all types of Wisconsin Cheese. Stella Fontinella, BelGioioso Parmesan, and Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola are all delicious cheeses to try with this unique “New World Burgundy.”

Stella Fontinella is a variation of the semi-soft cheese Fontina. Fontina first became popular in the United States when it was imported from Sweden. Made only by Stella Cheese, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Fontinella is a sweet and creamy cheese with a slight hint of tanginess. Serve a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir with Stella Fontinella and cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, crusty bread, and delicate fruits like peaches, melons, and figs.

A hard cheese, Parmesan is sweet, nutty, and granular in texture, becoming rich and intense with age. Parmesan is very popular in the United States, which has led to the production of many U.S. award-winning Parmesans, including BelGioioso located in Denmark, Wisconsin, which won first place at the 2009 World Cheese Awards. Made from part-skim milk and aged for over 10 months, BelGioioso Parmesan is delicious when grated on pasta, rice, soup, and salads.

Gorgonzola is named after the town located in the Po Valley, near Milan, Italy, where it has been made since 879 A.D. Italian-style Gorgonzola ripens to yield a soft, creamy texture and a flavor that is more earthy than sharp. Wisconsin Italian-style Gorgonzola resembles the dolce latte or sweet milk Gorgonzolas of Italy that are especially creamy. Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola features a green mold that is imported directly from Italy. Seymour Green Crest Gorgonzola pairs well with apples, nuts, poultry, and a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir. Spoil yourself and a loved one with a glass of Four Graces Pinot Noir and a Wisconsin Gorgonzola Orzo Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette, Calabrese Salami, Rock Shrimp, and Baby Arugula tonight.

It’s December. People around the world are busy with holiday shopping, party planning, seasonal decorating, sharing and making memories – and as season’s greetings are shared, the smell of vino is in the air.

This week’s Wisconsin Cheese Cupid pairing is a 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Robert Groffier Pere et Fils. This pinot is subtle, fresh, and earthy. It has notes of plum and dark berry. Because of this wine’s bright acidity and gentle tannins, it is approachable by many palates. Pair this vintage with semi-soft or blue-veined cheeses, such as Roth Käse Bambina Fontina, Roth Käse Ostenborg Havarti, or Hook’s Blue Paradise.

Roth Käse Bambina Fontina is a Fontina-style cheese that has a rich mouthfeel and tangy finish. It is delicious melted on flatbreads or pizzas.

Roth Käse Ostenborg Havarti is a buttery, rich, and flavorful double cream Havarti. This cheese is favored for slicing or cubing, or for snacking on with crackers. It is also excellent for cooking – use it in soups, salads and sandwiches.

Hook’s Cheese Company’s Blue Paradise is a double-cream Blue that is smooth, creamy, and rich, though the flavors of this cheese are milder on the palate than traditional bold Blue Cheese.