Trader Joe's Garlic Cheese looks like a type of garlic bread or a breaded cheese concoction, but it's neither. It's a delicious garlic cheese that looks like bread because it's browned on both sides. Aside from its appearance, there is nothing bready about it.
I was very happy to learn that this cheekily named cheese is now back on Trader Joe's shelves for the season.
What is bread and cheese?
I discovered bread and cheese when I was working on my first book, Wisconsin cheeses.
In the early 2000s, a group of Wisconsin cheesemakers traveled to Finland to learn how to make this intriguing cheese, called juustoleipa or juusto for short. My trip to Finland taught me that Finns sometimes serve it with cloudberry jam or dip it in their coffee, and some rare versions are made with reindeer milk.
Wisconsin cheesemakers don't make it with reindeer milk – they stick to cow's milk – and they take inspiration from the base cheese by adding flavorings. TJ's Garlic Bread Cheese is one of their modern riffs on this historic cheese, and it's so, so good.
I'm pretty sure it's made by one of my favorite Wisconsin cheesemakers, because I know they make other specialty cheeses for Trader Joe's, but the store doesn't identify it. (If I'm right, it's made by one of the most awarded cheesemakers in the world.)
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Retailers Below
What I love about TJ's Garlic Bread Cheese
Bread cheese is one of the few cheeses that doesn't melt into a puddle when you reheat it, like halloumi and paneer.
It tastes delicious and milky and has a chewy but oozing texture, as it softens slightly when reheated but never really melts. It also has a rich garlic flavor because it's dosed with a little garlic powder.
How I Use TJ's Garlic Bread Cheese
Bread cheese's ability to resist melting when heated means you can do so many cool things with it.
You can sauté it in a pan, microwave it, or even grill or bake it. It's amazing skewered with vegetables like tomatoes and onions, then grilled, especially if you serve the skewers with marinara sauce.
It can easily replace fresh mozzarella in salads or skewers. In fact, accompanied by a basil leaf and a cherry tomato on a toothpick, it makes a perfect summer appetizer. It is also excellent in salads, especially Italian pasta salads.
Another fun way I like to serve this cheese is to brush it with pepper jelly, then grill it for a minute or two on high for a mouth-watering sweet and savory flavor combination.
Any way you try this lesser-known cheese, it's fun and delicious.
