A few hints make cooking with Wisconsin cheese an easy and tasty success: Use low heat, just enough to melt the cheese and blend it with other ingredients. High heat makes natural cheese tough and stringy. Avoid long cooking, which also makes cheese tough and stringy; cook just enough to melt. To promote even melting, slice, shred, grate, cube or dice cheese before adding as an ingredient.
2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups lowfat milk 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 6 ounces sharp or extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion tops
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook and stir 30 seconds or until bubbly. Add milk, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper; bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and red pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add cheese; stir over low heat just until cheese melts (do not boil). Ladle into four soup bowls; top with chives.
Note: For a lower fat version, use fat free milk and reduced fat Cheddar cheese.
Cheese is a nutritious milk product that has been one of man's most important foods for thousands of years. The United States and France rank as the leading cheese-producing countries. Wisconsin is the leading cheese making state. Wisconsin Cheese comes in about 350 varieties and in many different sizes and shapes. There are literally several thousands of varieties world wide.
History of Cheese Making
Widmer's Wisconsin Cheese Legacy...
In Wisconsin, the cheese making
legacy runs deep and examples of
third-and fourth generation
Wisconsin cheese makers carrying
on the family tradition are common.
Joe Widmer, is one such third-generation example. Widmer's Cheese Legacy
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