Cheese is a delicious ingredient that can be added to a wide variety of foods. Its versatility is most likely one of the main reasons why cheese hampers make such great gifts. If you have never tried cooking with cheese or if you have had some bad experiences in the past, not to worry. Here are some important tips to keep in mind so that you always enjoy culinary success.

Timing is everything

When cooking with cheese, it is important to keep in mind the fact that timing is extremely important. You need to add your cheese at just the right time in order to ensure that it has enough time to cook without burning and so that the rest of your dish is not overcooked. Baked dishes like lasagne should be baked without the cheese topping until cooked. Once cooked, you can top with grated cheese and then proceed to grill for about 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. If you bake and then grill, you could end up overcooking your cheese which can make it quite dry in the end.

Grated cheese

Cooking with cheese often requires the cheese to be grated. This makes it easier to spread evenly over pasta, pizza, casseroles and more. Of course, if you have ever tried to grate a room temperature block of cheese, you’ll know just how tough it can be. Your cheese should be as cold as possible when grating. That said, you should not try to grate frozen cheese! If you are planning on freezing cheese, you should actually grate it before placing in an airtight bag or container and then freeze it. Remove from the freezer the day before and defrost slowing in your fridge for best results.

Stove cooking

If you want to make a cheese sauce for your cheese fondue or even to top your delicious chicken schnitzel, it’s important to make sure that you take your time. There are a number of recipes you can try. Some use flour while others use corn starch for thickening. Either way, you will need to cook up your milk, butter and thickening agent before adding your cheese at the very end. Make sure that all of the ingredients have had time to really cook together or you will end up with a sauce that has a grainy texture. Cook on a low heat of you could get lumps or even burn your cheese sauce. The same goes for cooking with cheese in a microwave. Rather heat for a few minutes and mix with a whisk in between than allow it to cook for too long before stirring.

Stronger flavour

If you want your food or sauce to have a strong cheese flavour, you should use aged cheese. They have a far more defined cheese aroma and taste than younger varieties.

Cold dishes

Cooking with cheese does not always have to involve heat. You can also add feta, gouda or cheddar cheese to your favourite salad, for example. Simply prepare your salad and, when you are ready to serve, top with some cheese! It will give your cheese some extra flavour and make it that much more filling too.

With these tips on cooking with cheese in mind, you can’t go wrong. It’s always a good idea to test any new recipes in small quantities first to see how they turn out before you go ahead and make a larger dish.