Get your probiotics ready – the 2018 National Cheese Lover's Day is here. Yes, this day, celebrated annually on January 20th, is acknowledged as a United States holiday according to Google. Not that any of us were arguing against having an excuse to collectively celebrate the key ingredient in pizza.
There isn’t much information available on the origins of National Cheese Day. We do know that making cheese dates back to 5,500 BC, according to this website, which references studies by an archaeologist at Princeton University. We also know that there are around 18 other cheese-related holidays throughout the year, including National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day (April 12) and National Cheese Fondue Day (April 11). Let us rejoice.
In celebration, here are a few cheesy recipes that will cover every meal on the 20th, including dessert. Vegans, we have a special, dairy-free cheese recipe list for you here.
Breakfast: Roasted Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Polenta
Goat cheese for breakfast? Yes please. Any person who convinces you all cheese dishes are heavy on the stomach clearly don’t know about creamy, cheesy polenta. This light, fluffy dish, which features roasted tomatoes and garlic spinach, makes for a perfect way to start to the holiday.
Prep time: 15min // Cook time: 1hr // Makes: 4
Snack: How To Build The Ultimate Cheese Plate
Sometime between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner, or both, you should treat yourself to a cheesy snack. Your best bet is straight up cheese. If you’re feeling a little guilty about eating the mozzarella whole, straight from the package (I’ve been there many times), then set up a nice cheese plate for yourself and your friends. Lexi’s Clean Kitchen provides a to-do on how to make the ultimate cheese plate – complete with a photo guide. Lexi recommends including a variety of cheeses, including aged, soft, firm and blue. She’s a classy lady and I like her style.
Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Savory Muffins
If you’re looking for ways to get creative about your cheese consumption, then these zucchini cheddar cheese savory muffins are for you. The recipe only takes 35 minutes to make and you’ll have plenty to eat throughout the week. The zucchini keeps the muffins moist and there is no sugar added, only olive oil, flour, cheddar cheese, skim milk, egg and some spices. I repeat – cheddar cheese.
Prep time: 5min // Cook time: 30 minutes // Makes: 10 muffins
I get it. You love pizza, too. I didn’t forget about you, my gluten-free, pizza-eating cheese lovers. You have options! This BBQ chicken sweet potato pizza is a great way to have your pizza and eat it, too. And if sweet potato isn’t your thing, there is always cauliflower crust.
Root Veg and Cheese Pot Pie And Herb Biscuit Crust
Bring on the comfort food. Not only does Local Milk have one of the most beautiful food and lifestyle blogs out there, the founder, Beth Evelyn, sure has a way with words: “This is cool weather comfort in a cast iron pot. A cornucopia of root vegetables – parsnip, celery root, fennel, carrots, sun chokes – unapologetically swimming in a vegetarian cheese sauce beneath clouds of rosemary thyme cheese biscuits.” CLOUDS OF ROSEMARY THYME CHEESE BISCUITS. Sold. Let’s get married.
Dessert: Roasted Beet Pie with Honey, Cheese and Mint
Technically this recipe classifies as lunch and not dessert, according to the author at Nourished Kitchen. That distinction really only counts of you stop eating, in my opinion. This light, savory-sweet dish is a great alternative to the traditional cheese cake dessert, if you’re into that sort of thing – “alternatives”. The author recommends using Ewetopia’s Philosopher Cheese, which they describe as “rich and tart, creamy with faint briny notes, and mild, too.”
And finally, the classic: grilled cheese. The Food Network published this incredible list of 50 grilled cheese recipes, and I am forever grateful. There are really no boundaries to these recipes, which include potato chips, mayonnaise, nachos, baba ghanoush, hot dogs and Nutella. Challenge accepted.
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