Making Cheese Spreads

• Make a cheese spread by combining different cheeses and mixing them together in a food processor. For best results, mix a hard cheese and a soft cheese. Consider mixing cheddar and cream cheese or Parmesan and goat cheese.

  Instead of using a soft cheese, consider mixing a dressing or sauce with a hard cheese. Mix mayonnaise with cheddar, ranch dressing with blue cheese or sour cream with Swiss for added creaminess.

Extra Ingredients Add More Flavors

• Herbs and spices, both dry and fresh, are easily added to cheese spreads. However, vegetables such as spinach, onion, garlic and peppers add extra flavor and texture. Add in-season fruit like strawberries, mango or cherries to sweet cheeses such as cream cheese.

  Mix-and-match ingredients to create your own cheese spread recipes such as barbecue sauce, chicken, cheddar cheese and ranch salad dressing, or beer, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and cheddar.

Serving Cheese Spreads

• Serve thick cheese spreads with crackers or toasted bread. These items are sturdy and can withstand the weight of a heavy load of cheese. Consider serving herb-flavored crackers with cheese spreads that contain herbs or vegetables, while you might rather offer toasted garlic bread with a barbecue chicken cheese spread.

  Serve tortilla chips or fresh, cut-up vegetables like celery, carrots or cucumbers with thinner, more creamy cheese spreads. Fill a large bowl with tortilla chips and place a smaller bowl of cheese spread in the center for easy dipping.