What’s the cheesiest way to send a valentine? With the Tillamook Cheese’wich app! Since my wife was away this week I wasn’t able to give her a Valentine’s Day card. But with our Cheese’wich app I sent her a cheesy-heart-filled-grilled-cheese’wich text. I’ll, of course, be getting her flowers on the big day, but at least I know she’ll have a Valentine beforehand!

Have you given Cheese’wich a try? You can try it from our Facebook page or download it to your iPhone. We’d love to see your Valentine Cheese’wich. Share it with us on our Facebook wall.

By Scott

As a huge Tillamook Cheese fan, and a huge beer fan, what better way to spend an evening than with a Tillamook Cheese and beer pairing night? I picked five Tillamook cheeses and paired them with beers I thought would compliment them the best. The theme of the evening was ‘Oregon Cheese Meets California Craft Beer’. It was fun to create the pairings!

Beer: Boont Amber Ale, Anderson Valley Brewery, Boonville, CA
Cheese: Tillamook Pepper Jack

I stumbled upon Anderson Valley Brewery on a drive from Sonoma to Mendocino. It’s tucked away in the valley overpass where you’d least expect it. Also unexpected was the frisbee golf course on the brewery grounds. Boont Amber Ale is their flagship beer with deep copper color offset by an off-white head. Paired with the spicy Pepper Jack Cheese, you might need a few sips to offset the fire in your mouth.

Beer: Golden Road Hefeweizen, Golden Road Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
Cheese: Tillamook Garlic White Cheddar

Golden Road Brewery is a new brewery that just opened up recently in LA. They brew five beers onsite, one of which is the Golden Road Hefeweizen—a wheat beer with a smooth finish. The brewery serves this beer in a cool growler! Paired with the Garlic Cheddar you might experience a savory (garlic) and sweet (hefeweizen) contrast.

Beer: Old No. 38 Stout, North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, CA

Cheese: Tillamook Vintage White Medium Cheddar

Old No. 38 stout is a smooth, firm-bodied stout with toasted character and coffee notes of dark malts and roasted barley. Don’t let the dark color intimidate you—this is a terrifically smooth, drinkable beer. Pair with the Vintage White Cheddar for a “yin and yang” or “black and white cookie-like” contrast.

Beer: Arrogant Bastard, Stone Brewery, Escondido, CA

Cheese: Tillamook Smoked Medium Cheddar

This strong ale from northern San Diego is known for its hoppy flavor and bitter finish. It’s the strongest of the five beers in this pairing at 7.2% ABV. Don’t drink too much or you’ll feel it later. Paired with the Smoked Cheddar this pairing is go big or go home.

Beer: Organic Acai Berry Wheat, Eel River Brewery, Humboldt, CA

Cheese: Tillamook Medium Cheddar

Acai beer?!? Yeah, pretty crazy. Eel River is America’s first certified organic brewery and the Acai Berry Wheat is a light-bodied wheat ale brewed with organic acai berries, which boasts high antioxident properties, so it’s good for you! Paired with the classic Medium Cheddar it’s like fruit and cheese in your mouth.

What are your favorite beer and cheese pairings?

~ Scott of the Tillamook Team

By Scott

We know you’re familiar with Loafy and that cheery orange medium cheddar cheese packaging, but Loafy wasn’t always so dressed up. Tillamook Cheese loafs have come a long way from their paraffin dip shells and wooden crates to the airtight “shrink bags” they come in now. Here’s a look at our Tillamook packaging roots from the archives…

Here is a 2# baby loaf and other cheese sizes from our early days ready to ship in a wooden crate.

Check out these fancy boxes! There were a variety of cartons the paraffin dipped Baby Loaf was sold in.

In 1966, Baby Loaf gets its first Morning Star Ship seal.

In the mid 1980’s the shrink bag replaced the paraffin wax dip on the Baby Loaf and other products.

Here’s Baby Loaf with other 1 lb packages in the 1990’s.

In 2003 all types of Tillamook Cheese packaging got a new look reminiscent of the old style “Tillamook on the rind.”

Happy 100th Anniversary! Tillamook Cheese turned 100 in 2009 with some celebratory packaging.

In 2010 Baby Loaf began wearing its “Word’s Best Medium Cheddar” title proudly.

Now who knows what’s next for our tasty Baby Loaf!

By Scott

Did you know that bell and chili peppers are almost completely unrelated to black pepper (the naming error came from Christopher Columbus!)? And did you know that Tillamook offers cheese with both types of pepper in it? Well, if you didn’t before, now you do… because it’s National Pepper Month!

To celebrate National Pepper Month, I’d like to pepper this post with fun facts and pepper-y Tillamook Cheeses.

• First of all, let me warn you: habañero peppers are the hottest peppers in the world. But what’s the cure to a too-spicy pepper? It ain’t water, folks. Nope, it’s dairy – and Tillamook is here to help your burning mouth out. Why not try Hot Habanero Jack Cheese on its own (if you’re brave) or in a spicy Pepperbelly Melt?
• Did you know that peppers are high in Vitamin A and C and help lower blood pressure? Looks like everyone should be eating more of them. If you’re in for a milder spice, Pepper Jack, a blend of creamy Monterey Jack, sweet peppers and spicy jalapeños, is the cheese for you. Pepper Jack is great at adding a little spice to any Southwestern recipe, as well as to this yummy Taco Melt.
• If you’re a garlic-lover, you should try Garlic Chili Pepper Cheddar. This cheese is made with everyone’s favorite cheddar, mixed with garlic AND peppers. Can you imagine eating that on a melty chicken sandwich? We can!
• Black pepper has been used throughout history as an antiseptic for tooth-decay and gum swellings, but all Tillamook expects from the Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar Cheese is great tasting cheese, enhanced with a little kick of black pepper. Try it New York-style, in a Pastrami Melt!

If these recipes aren’t enough of a National Pepper Month celebration for you, try visiting a peppery restaurant in Portland, substituting a peppery cheese for regular cheddar in a grilled cheese sandwich, or creating your own cheese-and-pepper creation. Don’t forget to tell us how you added some cheesy spice to your life!

By Scott

Harvest photo courtesy of OFB Facebook, Portland Mayor Sam Adams

Tillamook was honored to be a part of the Oregon Food Bank’s Harvest Dinner this past weekend. OFB completely transformed their loading dock into a delicious opportunity to celebrate the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and raise money to end hunger in Oregon and SW Washington.

This fundraising is more important than ever as OFB, for the first time ever, distributed more than 1 million emergency food boxes this year to date (a 12% increase over the previous year). While this statistic makes us grateful for the unending support OFB provides our community, it also deserves pause to consider how the need for emergency food is growing. To drive home this point, Portland Mayor Sam Adams spoke and shared this video about food security from Sesame Street.

As food security is an extremely important issue to us here at Tillamook, we feel privileged to be able to sponsor this event and continue to be a partner to the Oregon Food Bank.

One of my favorite moments from the event was getting to meet two of OFB’s resident chickens, Lulu and D. Lee, who supply fresh eggs and are a part of the community garden program. For more information about the program or how to get involved, please visit OFB online.

Thank you Oregon Food Bank for a wonderful evening, an amazing event, and all the crucial work your organization does day in and day out!

By Scott

Burgerville Great Giveaways Winner, Lisa Boechler, receiving her prize from Jay Allison, Tillamook VP of Sales & Marketing

We’re so excited to give a year’s supply of Tillamook Cheese to this month’s Burgerville Great Giveaways winner, Lisa Boechler. Other great prizes are still available through October, so be sure to get entered! It’s as simple as visiting Burgerville with your registered Burgerville card (cards are free).

What kind of cheese do you think Lisa should choose?! I vote for Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar! Mmmmm.

By Scott

Flickr/my_amii (Creative Commons)

I am setting out to make a different Tillamook recipe for each game of the 2011 World Series. Aside from the dilemma of who to root for, now that the Yankees aren’t in the running (FYI, it’s St. Louis Cardinals vs. Texas Rangers), the biggest decision is what tasty dish to make for the opening game.

I’ve decided that, in honor of this seven-game series, tonight’s main feature will be the classic Tillamook Seven-Layer Dip. Not being the cook in our house, I’ve always been curious about what makes those seven layers so delicious. Let’s find out, shall we?

Tillamook Seven Layer Dip Recipe (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients:

1 large can (40.5-ounce) refried beans
3 avocados, smashed
3 tablespoons Tillamook Sour Cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup shredded Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
1 cup shredded Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese
1 large container (24-ounce) Tillamook Sour Cream
1 package taco seasoning mix
1½ tomatoes, diced
sliced olives, for garnish
lettuce, for garnish
freshly chopped green onions, for garnish

Preparation:

• Fry the refried beans in pan prior to adding to the recipe. Mash together avocados, sour cream, and lemon juice. Reserve.
• Mix the cheese together. Reserve.
• Mix the sour cream and taco seasoning together. Reserve.
• Layer in a pan or glass dish in the order listed, starting with the beans, then the avocado mixture, then the cheese, and finishing with the sour cream mixture.
• Sprinkle your choice of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and green onions over the top.
• Serve with a large bag of tortilla chips.

Fun baseball fact: The World Series began in 1903, only one year before Tillamook County won its first cheese award at the St. Louis World’s Fair!

Next game: Shepherd’s Pie topped with Tillamook Cheddar Mashed Potatoes! Kinda makes you look forward to watching baseball, doesn’t it?!

By Scott

The cheesesteak (or Philly cheesesteak sandwich) originated in Philadelphia sometime in the early 20th century and is a favorite amongst meat and cheese lovers everywhere. However, over the years many different variations of the sandwich have emerged and most of those recipes include some type of processed cheese (American or Cheese Whiz), which contain chemical preservatives and artificial flavors. Since all varieties of Tillamook Cheese are made from natural ingredients, I though it would be fun to see which flavor would be best to use on a cheesesteak sandwich. For this test I chose three different types of Tillamook cheese – Medium Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Sliced Provolone.

Here are the results!

Medium Cheddar: The medium cheddar cheesesteak had a well-balanced, mild taste where the steak and cheese complimented each other perfectly! This is the a good choice for those looking for a more traditional taste and aren’t a fan of stronger, more distinctive tasting cheeses.

Pepper Jack: Use Pepper Jack if you’re a fan of Monterey Jack and want to bring a hint of spice to your sandwich. The taste of Pepper Jack was more noticeable than the Medium Cheddar, but still worked very well when combined with the steak.

Provolone: The Provolone sandwich had a stronger, more distinctive, taste that true provolone fans would appreciate. The cheese greatly influenced the taste of the sandwich and, at times, was a little overwhelming. So, for a more balanced tasting sandwich I recommend going light on the Provolone.

Cheesesteak Main Ingredients:

• 24 oz. thinly sliced rib-eye steak
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 sliced green pepper
• 1 package hoagie rolls
• 6 tbsp. cooking oil

Test Ingredients:

Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese
Tillamook Provolone Cheese

Cooking Instructions:
Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat and add 3 tablespoons cooking oil. Once heated, add the sliced onions and green peppers. Sauté until desired readiness.

Remove onions and green peppers, add the remaining cooking oil. Quickly cook 8 ounce portions of sliced rib eye on 1 side (approximately 1 minute). When ready, flip the meat over and immediately add your choice of thinly sliced Tillamook Cheese over the top of each 8 ounce portion of meat. Wait another minute then remove the meat/cheese combo and place it inside a hoagie roll. Add sautéed onions and peppers and you’re ready to enjoy a delicious sandwich.

*makes approx. 3 sandwiches

Do you have a favorite cheesesteak sandwich tip or recipe you’d like to share?!

By Scott

Beaumont seems to love his Tillamook Ice Cream. Looks like he’s diving into a gallon of Caramel Butter Pecan. Pretty mature taste for a little guy! Watch ’till the end. It’s super cute!

By Scott

By Scott