Say CHEESE!!

When I set out to leave fast food behind by attempting to cook all my meals at home, it wasn't long before I started growing mold in my fridge. Gross, yes, I know! Everything seemed to go bad before I finished it, which was so frustrating! 

Cheese was the worst. The only kind that didn't go bad was sliced cheese, but I eat more than sandwiches and needed something better for cooking.

I tried cutting back to buying only one variety of cheese, but that greatly limited the recipes I could try each week. Only one kind of cheese couldn't provide the cooking flexibility I needed to cook Mexican one night and Italian the next. 

Eventually, I learned a few tips for buying cheese when you're cooking for only one person along with multiple recipes to utilize it all before it goes bad.

My Top 3 Tips for Buying Cheese for One:

1 - Blocked 

First, I need mozzarella cheese for when I cook Italian. However, since I don't need very much of it at a time, I need cheese with a long shelf life, which is why I buy mozzarella cheese by the 8 oz block. I can shred it for pizza, cube it to melt in sauce, and slice it for pizza subs. Then, if I still have some left as it nears the expiration date, simply cube it and serve with wine!! Perfect :-)

2 - Shredded

I've tried a lot of different shredded cheeses, but the one kind I can't go without is cheddar. I tried Mexican blends since I use shredded cheese for tacos and nachos, but I found that basic cheddar is more versatile. Now, I buy shredded Velveeta cheese. Velveeta melts quickly, which makes the shredded version perfect for topping casseroles or nachos as soon as they come out of the oven. It's also good for topping salads, and I love how it melt right in when used to top soups (loaded potato, taco, broccoli and cheese, etc.).

3- Sliced

Last but not least, this is where I vary my purchases a bit, but my two favorite sliced cheeses are Pepper Jack and Swiss. The right slice of cheese takes a sandwich to the next level, but it can also easily be incorporated into sauces or dips. These two cheeses offer simple switch ups to many different recipes. Plus, I love a good Turkey and Swiss croissant!! (FYI- my next post gives ideas to switch up your turkey sandwich!)

One thing I highly recommend is REAL cheese. 

That's worth repeating.

Buy REAL cheese. Don't buy cheese product. It's worth the few extra pennies.