with pride cow kind of cheese

WisPride® and Kaukauna® are both touted by their common manufacturer to be America’s favorite spreadable cheeses. Having been around since 1933 and 1918, respectively, their success supports their claim.

But did you ever just want to make your own cheese spread that is simple to make and low in fat, but still tastes really good? Well, this is my attempt at creating one. I did pretty well, if I do say so myself! The brandy is there not only for taste, but also to extend the refrigerator life of the product.

  • 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
  • 8 oz 2% fat sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1½ oz brandy
  • ½ tsp fresh puréed garlic
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne chile
  • 1 pinch white pepper
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ cup crushed pecans

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature. Then combine all of the ingredients except the nuts in a mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Form into a ball with the hands (use those disposable plastic or latex gloves) and roll in the nuts to form a uniform coating on the outside of the ball. Chill overnight. Serve on your favorite cracker†.

Jack-Avocado Quesadillas

As you may know, a quesadilla (pronounced kay-sid-EE’-ya), means “little cheese thing” in Spanish. It is a Tex-Mex concoction of cheeses melted inside two encasing tortillas.

The history of the avocado takes us back to the Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) word ahuacatl, or “testicle”. The Spanish usage of the term avocado was first recorded in English in 1697 as the avogato pear (with a spelling that probably reflects Spanish pronunciation). We have since lost many of the traces to the more interesting Nahuatl form.

Monterey Jack has a more controversial origin, but not one interesting enough to belabor here.

  • 4 burrito size lower G. I. flour tortillas
  • ½ lb Monterey jack cheese, in 1/8“ slices
  • 1 avocado, peeled
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp <salt>, or to taste
  • ½ tsp garlic powder,
  • ½ tsp onion powder

Lay out two of the tortillas and cover each with half of the cheese slices. Mash avocado with lemon, garlic, <salt>, and onion. Spread the avocado on the cheese slices and top with remaining cheese slices. Cover with the remaining tortillas. Place each tortilla stack on a greased cookie sheet and cover each with a wet paper towel. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until cheese just melts, about 10-15 minutes. Slice each quesadilla into 8 wedges. Serve immediately. This recipe may also be prepared ahead of time and reheated in microwave at a low setting for a short time just before serving.

Serves 8 (assuming 2 wedges each).