We Want You To Get Cheesy This Holiday Season
November 14, 2017
November means spending time with loved ones, memorable meals, and comfort food. At A Taste of Olive, November is more than just turkey and all the sides you can pile onto your plate.
We’re dedicating the entire month to one of America’s favorite sandwiches -- the grilled cheese. Our first ever “Grilled Cheese Challenge” starts today, and we want to see our customers’ creative ways of making a gourmet grilled cheese using A Taste of Olive products! Throughout the campaign, we’ll release new recipes, product suggestions, and cheese recommendations from our friends at The Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop to inspire creative cheese creations.
All four of our locations sell over 40 extra virgin olive oils, which make an excellent substitute for butter when making grilled cheese. But our stores carry much more than just oils, including a bounty of outstanding and unique cheese complements like balsamic vinegars, balsamic glazes, sea salts, mustards, beer jellies, honeys, sweet and savory spreads, tapenades, and chutneys.
The Rules
- Contestants must use AT LEAST: two slices of bread, any cheese and any A Taste of Olive product.
- Entries will be judged based on taste, presentation, and creativity.
- Entering is easy! Submit a photo of your grilled cheese and any A Taste of Olive product(s) you use and along with the recipe through our contest website by Wednesday, 12/27! If you share your picture on Facebook (A Taste of Olive), Instagram (@atasteofolive), or Twitter (@atasteofolive), include the hashtag #atasteofgrilledcheese.
- Contestants can also email submissions to kyle@atasteofolive.com.
- We will announce the winner on January 1 on Facebook.
- The grand prize is a $50 A Taste of Olive gift card (redeemable online or in-stores).
Not sure where to begin? Here are some of our favorite cheeses for grilled cheese:
- Swiss: This name covers a lot of American made cheeses modeled after Emmental and other cheeses from Switzerland. This versatile cheese goes well with all kinds of flavor combinations.
- Provolone: Rich and buttery with just the right amount of sharpness, it melts easily but is not too runny.
- Mild and Sharp Cheddars: Cheddar cheeses come in so many varieties and flavors, so you’ll never run out! Try pairing it with a soft cheese for the best of both worlds.
- Gruyere: Creamy and nutty when young that gets more assertive and earthy when aged. It complements both salty and fruity flavors.
- Fontina: A true fontina has a pungent and earthy flavor that becomes creamier and nutty with aging. It melts smoothly and pairs well with a truffle oil.
- Havarti: This Danish cheese is tangy and soft. It melts very easily, so if you like cheese that oozes out of your sandwich, this is likely to become your go-to favorite.
- Mozzarella: The perfect balance of high moisture and low fat makes for a beautiful melt.
- Pepper Jack: It is a semi-soft variety of Monterey Jack cheese that have chili peppers (usually jalapeno or habanero) added.
- Goat Cheese: While Chevre is the most popular goat cheese, there are so many wonderful and flavorful goat cheeses to add to your gourmet grilled cheese.
- Brie: This soft and creamy cheese is a go-to to complement fruit and sweet flavors.
- Blue Cheese: The small crumbs pack quite the flavor punch. Try combining with a cream cheese.
- Smoky cheeses don’t melt well in grilled cheese. We suggest sprinkling naturally smoked sea salt or drizzling hickory smoked balsamic vinegar between the layers.
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Need even more inspiration? Visit our friends at The Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop located next to our Chestnut Hill store at 8509 Germantown Pike. For over 51 years, they’ve supplied Chestnut Hill residents with a myriad of gourmet goods and every cheese under the sun. We can't wait to share Dan’s cheese recommendations soon!
Happy grilled cheesing!
