The Valero Alamo Bowl will be played Saturday, Dec. 29 at 6:45 p.m. EST. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played Thursday, Jan. 3 at 8:30 p.m. EST.

As an Oregon company we are excited not only about the wonderful area where we live and the great community we have, but about our college football! We are fortunate to have not just one, but two of our major universities playing in major bowl games this year. The Oregon State Beavers will be taking on the mighty University of Texas in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio while The University of Oregon Ducks will play Kansas State University in the Fiesta bowl in Phoenix.

While the Fiesta Bowl may have a higher billing, the Alamo Bowl is a great prize for a hard fought year from the Beavers. If they play a quality football game, they will certainly give Texas a run. If they win, they will finish a great year with a very respectable 10 wins. A few more than last year!

If the Ducks win, it would be their second BCS bowl victory in a row and would cement them as one of the premier college football programs. After a devastating last minute loss in the 2010 National Championship, the Ducks defeated Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl. Kansas is a solid football team, so this should be a great game!

Both Oregon schools have found success stemming from their commitment to using only the highest quality players and working tirelessly to perfect their craft. Kind of sounds like Tillamook products, eh? Enjoy this bowl season with some Tillamook Cheese or Ice Cream and root on both Oregon teams. Go Beavers, but especially GO DUCKS!!

By Matt

Your LLT Brand Ambassadors love their teams as much as their Tillamook cheese

As much as we hate to see the summer days come to an end, I am pretty absolute when I say that we also embark upon fall with excitement and anticipation. The underlying reason is that autumn means the beginning of FOOTBALL!

As you know there is plenty of pride, rivalry and team spirit on the Loaf Love Tour! We are only a few weeks in and there has already been quite a show of cheering, crying, and cheesy treats. Jammin Jason wore a grin all day when the Beavers upset the Badgers! Noelle, TillaMaya, and Tillyssa hooted and hollered when the Ducks handled the Bulldogs. Tillatistic Ash did cartwheels to commemorate the Cougars first win of the season against their neighbors, the Eagles. While Cheddar Coy and Dandy Andy comforted each other when the Huskies got blown out by the Tigers. And again when the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals in the final few minutes.

Win or lose, we were never without Tillamook Cheese: TillaMaya’s famous quesadillas, Noelle’s cheesy potato and broccoli or my cheesalicious bread sticks. Cheesy treats taste better when we root for our favorite teams! What cheesy treats do you serve up with your football?! Game on!

Victory,
Peppercornypakou

By Pakou

The football season is fully underway and tomorrow Oregon State University takes on Wisconsin. Football reminds me of a lot of things! The Fall, tailgaters, burgers, and hometown pride are just a few! With Oregon State (the same state that’s home to Tillamook Cheese) and Wisconsin (that other cheese state) playing each other, I can’t think of a better game to center a party around. The TV is set, the football fans have been invited, and all that’s left is to plan the menu.

The party theme is clearly cheese! Cheese dips, cheeseburgers, nachos, and cheesy chilli will all line the counter but for this party, something special is in order. In the world of cheese, it’s possible there’s nothing more coveted than Tillamook Cheese Curds. Exclusively sold at The Cheese Factory in Tillamook, I’ve made a special trip to pick up a few bags of these squeaky treats.

Cheese curds happen to be delicious when eaten plain so I’ve placed some straight from the bag into a bowl. For the ones left over, I had fried cheese curds in mind. I used a recipe provided by Simple Comfort Food substituting Wisconsin cheese curds for my very own Tillamook ones!! The crunchy beer batter along side the gooey cheese curds makes the perfect pair and yes, even fried, they still squeaked! I had to try them out before game day (a benefit of being the chef) and that means a large portion are now missing! Good thing I bought four bags!

I don’t know which team will win, but I think it’s clear; in a head to head battle against Wisconsin, Oregon’s Tillamook is sure to come out the winner.

By Kelly

On January 2nd two powerhouse football teams will meet – one from the west and one from the midwest! My beloved 5th ranked Oregon Ducks will take on the 10th ranked Badgers of Wisconsin in the 98th Rose Bowl. This game have implications beyond just the turf though – there’s a cheese war afoot!

Wisconsin, commonly referred to as ‘America’s Dairyland,’ has been the preeminent cheese producing area in America since the 1890s. However, in 1909, a little dairy cooperative in Tillamook, Oregon changed the dairy landscape in America for good (and for the better). One hundred and three years later, we finally get to settle the battle for dairy dominance on the field in an epic battle of Duck vs. Badger. It will be an ooey, gooey, messy affair, but we are confident in our Ducks, and in our cheese!

What you will be putting on the table when the Ducks rumble with the Badgers on Monday – they need our support!

Image courtesy of www.tournamentofroses.com.

By Matt

I will start by letting you know I am an avid college football fan. Not plan my life around Saturday’s, miss my kid’s 1st birthday, read all the team news until 4am avid – but avid enough to know that Thursday night is the start of the best time of year – football season is here!!

In honor of this momentous occasion, let’s talk about food necessary for a good football viewing! Typical menus often consist of crackers, nachos, hot dogs, chili and burgers. Guess what ingredient makes all of these dishes better?! Tillamook!!! Here’s a few suggestions of how to spruce up game day menus with some Tillamook products certain to impress (arranged chronologically for optimal eating throughout the game):

Crackers: It’s right before the first quarter. Everyone’s a little on edge and guts are rumbling with anticipation for kickoff. A plain cracker, a thick slice of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack or the ol’ faithful Medium Cheddar is a failsafe way to get through this most difficult time. Like training for a marathon, start slow and pick up the pace…get your nacho on next!

Nachos: Ok. You, and your team, made it through the first quarter unscathed. Now it’s time to beef it up a bit…but not too much, there’s still another 45 minutes to go! It’s time for nachos! What’s the worst part about nachos – the chips without Tillamook Cheese. So, that makes the multi-decker, standing room only nacho the best thing in the history of nachos (which dates back to 1943 – a rather interesting story is available on Wikipedia should you care to look).

Field Level (Layer 1) – Chips, shredded Tillamook Medium Cheddar, Tillamook Monterey Jack, Tillamook Pepper Jack, fresh sliced Jalepeños, onions and a few olives.

Luxury Suites (Layer 2) – Chips, shredded Tillamook Medium Cheddar, Tillamook Monterey Jack, Tillamook Pepper Jack, fresh sliced jalepeños, onions and a few olives.
Broil until melted and slightly bubbly (~8 minutes)
Remove from oven

Standing Room Only (Layer 3) – Fresh guacamole, fresh tomatoes, Tillamook Premium Sour Cream.

Hot Dogs: Ok…half-time. You’re ahead and ready to do a mini-celebration, but save the big hooray for after the game…a lot can happen in 30 minutes! Hot dogs are the perfect halftime meal. If you’re looking to impress your guests by taking it up a notch, here is a simple suggestion — just spread some Tillamook Salted Butter on the bun and blast it in the broiler for about 5 minutes (just enough time to melt the butter and start to lightly brown the buns), put the BBQ’d hot dog in the bun, sprinkle a little Shredded Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Swiss on top and put it back in the oven on broil for 2 minutes…DONE! Best dog in town.

Chili: OMG. What a game. Taking a 7 point lead into the fourth quarter is good…but you need some fuel to get through it! If you are a chili-a-holic, you probably won’t be playing football professionally anytime soon. But take your chili and cheering to the professional level by adding Tillamooks Medium Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese. The Monterey Jack will not affect the flavor, but will add the most amazing, creamy texture.

**For extra special guests, or fans of your team, toss a couple dollops of Tillamook Natural Sour Cream on top for an even more flavorful, full-textured bowl of chili! MMMM

Burger: Queen’s rock anthem, “We Are The Champions” is now running through everyone’s mind! You are victorious!! There’s only one thing left to do! Grill up some burgers!! Try adding some Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, IN ADDITION to Tillamook’s award winning Medium Cheddar. You will love the little added bite of flavor and texture the Pepper Jack gives and the perfect, melty, combination of both cheeses working together!

Good luck this weekend. If you make any of the recipes, remember to post pictures to our Facebook Wall! We would love to see you cheering on your favorite team. For me, that means GO DUCKS!!

By Matt

Congratulations to Kimberly James, winner of our Tillamook Yum Bowl Cook-Off Contest! Kimberly’s Creamiest-Cheesiest Spinach Artichoke Recipe competed against 7 other game day recipes to win the title of “Tillamook Yum Bowl Cook-Off Champion.” For submitting the winning recipe, she’ll receive up to $150 worth of Tillamook goodies to use at her own Super Bowl party! Here’s Kimberly’s recipe for those of you who are planning your Super Bowl menus:

The Creamiest-Cheesiest Spinach Artichoke Dip
By Kimberly James

Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Tillamook Sour Cream
2 cups Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)
Corn chips, for serving

Instructions:
Squeeze all the water out of the spinach, chop the artichoke hearts, and set aside.

In a big pot over medium heat, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, and cheese. Stir about 3-5 minutes or until everything melts together (don’t heat too long or the mayonnaise will separate).  Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic salt; stir to combine.  Serve immediately in bowls, while still quite hot, with corn chips.

What else is on your game day menu? Are you a true sports fan, or are you more interested in game day snacking like me?

By Loafy

Let the games begin! We’ve narrowed it down to our top 8 recipes that will compete in the Tillamook Yum Bowl Cook-Off. Throughout the week, recipes will be competing bracket style in hopes of winning the award for “Tillamook Yum Bowl Champion,” plus $150 worth of Tillamook goodies!

The first recipes to compete: Ultimate Oregon Coast Dip vs. Chile Con Queso

Visit the Tillamook Facebook page to vote on your favorite!

By Loafy

I have a confession: I don’t like football. I mean, I don’t completely dislike everything about it – I like the excitement and traditions that go along with the game, but I just really can’t get in to the sport (I try, I really do!). One thing I don’t dislike, though, is game day snacking. Who doesn’t love a good dip, nachos, pizza, chili, (veggie) dogs… I’m drooling.

If you’re like me and prefer the snacking side of sports, you’ll love this contest. And if you’re a football fan AND you like game day snacks, well then this is for you, too!

Tillamook Yum Bowl Cook-Off

Score a Tillamook touchdown at your Super Bowl party! Enter your favorite game day snack in the Tillamook Yum Bowl Cook-Off for your chance to win a selection of Tillamook goodies worth up to $150.

Important Dates

- January 13 – 21: Email your recipe to fans@tillamook.com
- January 24 – 27: Yum Bowl playoffs! Visit the Tillamook Facebook page each day to vote for your favorite recipe (during each round of voting, we’ll give our fans two recipes to vote on)
- January 28: We will announce the winning Tillamook Yum Bowl recipe on our Facebook page. The winner will receive their prize just in time for the big game!

Recipe qualifications

Your recipe must:

- Include at least one type of  Tillamook product – Cheese, Sour Cream, Butter, Ice Cream, or Yogurt
- List all ingredients, instructions, prep time, and serving size
- Be served in a bowl (hence the name “Yum Bowl”!)
- Be received by midnight on January 21

To enter: Send your winning recipe to fans@tillamook.com between January 13 – 21.*

Tillamook will pick our favorite recipe submissions to enter in the Yum Bowl playoffs on our Facebook page. We will let each finalist know via email if their recipe made it to the Yum Bowl Cook-Off playoffs. If your recipe makes it to the playoffs, don’t forget to round up your biggest fans to vote for it!

*Please note that not all received recipes will make it to the Yum Bowl playoffs on the Tillamook Facebook page

By Loafy