Flavored Cheddar Cheese Blocks

More About This Recipe

• Cheese and crackers can somehow slip through the cracks when planning for a party.
  
  Many hosts end up running to the store for the same cheese and the same crackers year after year.
  
  This year, think outside the block and bring some personalized cheese blends to your next party. I told some friends I was bringing cheese and crackers to their Christmas dinner this past weekend, and I’m sure something like “Ohhh Mr. Big-Shot Food Man is dropping the ball this year” crossed their minds.
  
  When I showed up and put these four cheeses out on the table, heads exploded. Everyone was debating which flavor was their favorite, and at last tally bolognese and broccoli-bacon were neck and neck.
  
  This is the gelatin “blooming” in water. We are using hot milk to get the hard cheese to a consistency that allows for “mix-ins”, so we need the gelatin to help it get back to a slicing texture. Essentially we are creating processed cheese, but without all the gunk normally associated with it.
  
  All the cheese in the food processor. Mix your gelatin with hot milk and pour it into the cheese with the processor running. The cheese will melt to a cheese sauce like consistency.
  
  Mini muffin tins lined with plastic wrap and ready to go.
  
  A different flavoring for each tin.
  
  Into the fridge to solidify. Give these at least three hours to harden up.
  
  Make some nice little signs so your guests know what’s what.
  
  As you can see they’ve hardened up nicely.
  
  These make for a nice little spread at any gathering!
  
  Be sure to save the leftovers to make some killer grilled cheeses.
  
  Dan Whalen’s friends hold him to a very high standard. He has been blogging for almost 4 years at The Food in my Beard; check Dan's Tablespoon profile often to try his recipes with creative international spins!