For National Cheese Day, you can celebrate with your favorite cheese and crackers or a charcuterie board, or a great grilled cheese sandwich.
I will also suggest a terrifically tasty Roasted Cream Cheese. (Yup… BBQ grill or oven.) You can serve it up in soooo many ways, you will love this for the summer and beyond.
Roasted Cream Cheese
1 pkg cream cheese
Olive oil spray or melted bacon renderings
Favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning
Open the cream cheese block, keeping it on the foil wrapper. Spray oil (or brush bacon fat) on top and all 4 side edges. Then liberally sprinkle the seasoning over the fat. Use the foil wrapper to invert the cheese, seasoned side down, onto an oil/fat coated spot in an oven- or grill-safe container (such as a pie plate). Use a sharp knife to cut ½“-deep, angled slices across the top. Turn the pan a bit and cut another row of slices, creating a crisscross pattern. Spray or brush oil or bacon fat on the cut side of the cheese and liberally sprinkle with BBQ seasoning. Bake in 275°F oven (or closed grill) for 30-45 minutes.
Use this as a base for a fabulous bacon-caramelized onion jam, or drizzle it with a favorite Thai sweet chili sauce or a hot sauce, or simply serve it as is with crackers, warmed Naan dippers, or anything else! You can also totally mix this up by replacing BBQ seasoning with blends that deliver a totally different taste treat…. Try an Italian herb blend, or Asian spiced sea salt, or Everything Bagel Seasoning. Ooh-la-la! You can also garnish the roasted cheese with toppings that work with your seasoning, such as warmed marinara for your Italian herb blend. Another treat is a favorite chutney and a generous sprinkling of crumbled, cooked bacon. The options are endless!
