While we always love to hear about how people enjoy our cheese, we especially like to hear about Monterey Jack. We think it’s the jack of all trades in the kitchen! That’s why we loved this taste test from the Food Manufacturing team (based in cheesy Wisconsin, no less)! Food Manufacturing is a food industry publication that covers new products, and when we let them know about Tillamook Monterey Jack’s fresh formula and extra meltability, they decided to put it to the test!

By Loafy

Roasted Poblano Torta

I’m not a vegetarian, but I’ve been staring at the Roasted Poblano Torta recipe image since the day it was added to the Tillamook Kitchen.  A sandwich with vegetables pouring out of it – yum! One of my favorite parts of Mexican food is the flavorful beans, and the Torta has these too. What a fun idea! I think I’ve found my perfect Cinco de Mayo meal. Thanks, Bunk Sandwiches, for this new take on a classic Mexican taqueria standard.

Roasted Poblano Torta

Ingredients:

4-6 large poblano peppers, roasted and cleaned
1 small jalapeno, diced
¼ cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz can pinto beans
2-3 limes
½ – ¾ cup (4-6 oz) prepared mayonnaise
2 cups (8 oz) Tillamook® Monterey Jack Cheese (also try Tillamook® Reduced Fat Monterey Jack Cheese), shredded
1 cup guacamole (use your favorite recipe)
4 ciabatta rolls, split open
4 tablespoons Tillamook® Unsalted Butter
2 cups shredded lettuce

Preparation:

Roasted Poblano Peppers
Turn broiler on to high and cook poblano peppers until their skin is blackened. Let peppers cool, then remove skin and seeds.  

Bean Mixture
In a small pan, over medium-high heat, sauté the jalapeno and onion in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tender. Drain the pinto beans well, and add them to the pan. Season again and taste. Mash the beans together as they cook. Finish with a little lime juice, and cool.

Assembly of Sandwiches
Lightly spread the mayonnaise, beans, then cheese on the bread. Next add the roasted poblanos. Lightly butter the outside of the roll. Heat a panini press or griddle. Add the sandwiches to the press and cook over moderate heat until the Monterey Jack Cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. To finish the sandwich, open it up and top it with some shredded lettuce, guacamole, and another squeeze of lime juice.

Tip: For the non-vegetarians, adding a little shredded chicken, beef, or pork to this dish is an excellent option. I love hot sauce, so I will be adding some extra spice to mine as well!

By Laura

Erica Olsen of CBS recently took a behind the scenes look at the Tillamook Cheese Loaf Love Tour while they’re in Southern California. Meet Jenn, our Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador, learn more about our award-winning cheeses, and see just how much fun our Loaf Love Tour team has on the road!

By Loafy

Did you hear our good news? Tillamook Colby Jack was voted “America’s Best” at the 2011 United States Championship Cheese Contest! It competed against 29 other entries and received a score of 99.65 out of 100. Our newly-formulated Monterey Jack Cheese also earned the title of “America’s Best” with a score of  99.40 out of 100. We’re so honored!

How do you eat Tillamook Colby Jack? By the slice, on crackers, or in sandwiches? Try it in the Cobb Melt, a tasty creation from our friends at the Grilled Cheese Truck! Here’s what chef Dave Danhi has to say about this sandwich:

“I like to play with classic flavor combinations a lot. Here is my take on a Cobb salad, but it’s all together between two crispy, buttery pieces of bread! A side of bleu cheese dressing to dip it in is a great addition!”

See the recipe here. Let us know what you think by leaving a review of the sandwich!

By Tillamook

Last week we saw more Tillamook Monterey Jack Cheese loaf love from our friends at The Nibble! Our award-winning cheese (recently voted ”America’s Best’“!) proved to be a jack of all trades in the kitchen for the Nibble team, and they listed some great uses for Monterey Jack that are making us SO HUNGRY, including: “grated onto garlic fries” (#12) and “layered on a ham or turkey sandwich” (#18).

Read the post here and tell us what recipes you’re inspired to make tonight.

By Tillamook

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich

As the countdown to the Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) continues, I bring you this week’s featured grilled cheese: The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich by Chef Heidi Gibson, owner of San Francisco’s The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen and seven-time National Grilled Cheese Invitational award winner. Heidi hasn’t competed with this particular sandwich at the GCI, but it would be a tasty contender in the Kama Sutra category. Sandwiches that compete in this category must be “of the savory nature, with any type of bread, butter, and cheese PLUS additional ingredients.” 

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich is both spicy and sweet at the same time. Mild and creamy Tillamook Monterey Jack (recently voted “America’s Best“!) and chevre cheese are melted over crisp, smoky bacon and apricot-jalapeno relish. If you don’t live in San Francisco and can’t head to Heidi’s restaurant, then try making it at home: 

The Jalapeno Popper Sandwich by Heidi Gibson of The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen
 
Ingredients:
 
For Each Sandwich
4 teaspoons (¾ oz) Tillamook® Salted Butter at room temperature
8 slices high-quality artisan bread, like a levain, sliced about ½ inch thick
¼ cup (2 oz) fresh chevre (goat cheese)
½ cup (4 oz) Apricot-Jalapeno Relish
8 pieces cooked bacon
8 slices Tillamook® Monterey Jack Cheese (also try Tillamook® Reduced Fat Monterey Jack)
 
For the Apricot-Jalapeno Relish (makes enough for about 8 sandwiches)
8 oz dried California apricots (or Blenheim), chopped
6 tablespoons (3 oz) white onions, diced
4 jalapeno peppers (stems and seeds removed), minced
2 serrano peppers, cleaned and minced
½ habanero pepper (optional – only if you really like spice!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about ½ a lime’s worth)
½ tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (Chef tip: store fresh ginger in the freezer. You can also substitute with dried ground ginger)
1 ½  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
 
Preparation:
 
Make the Relish
Mix all ingredients for the Apricot-Jalapeno relish together thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
 
Assemble the Sandwich
Spread butter on one side of 2 slices of bread. Lay bread buttered side down on a cutting board. Spread chevre (which can be softened by heating it briefly in the microwave) evenly over 1 slice. Spread Apricot-Jalapeno relish evenly on top of chevre.  Place bacon on relish, then top sandwich with cheese slices. Sandwiches can be cooked open face on a pre-heated cast iron pan in a 500°F oven, then closed and served. Or they can be closed, then cooked in a pan on a stovetop over medium-low heat until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

By Loafy

We’ve been spreading the word about our updated “America’s Best” Monterey Jack, and our friends at ReadyMade posted a nice slice of loaf love today about how they got to know jack! As Amy at the ReadyMade team found out, Monterey Jack is so melty and versatile, they were able to enjoy the cheese on everything from grilled-cheese sandwiches, to omelets, to pesto pizza!

Image courtesy of ReadyMade

On what recipes do you melt Tillamook Monterey Jack?

By Loafy

We have exciting news! Tillamook Monterey Jack was voted “America’s Best” at the United States Championship Cheese Contest®. Our Monterey Jack competed against 35 other entries and earned a score of 99.4 out of 100! We recently updated our Monterey Jack recipe to make it more mild, creamy, and “meltable.” It’s such an honor to know that this change has been noticed and appreciated by expert judges. (Fun fact about these judges: 26 of them examined, sniffed, and tasted more than 30,000 pounds of cheese and butter at the contest – talk about a tasty job!).

We can’t wait for you to try America’s Best Monterey Jack! Beginning today, we’re offering a $1 Off Tillamook Monterey Jack coupon on Facebook. The coupon will be available to Tillamook Facebook fans until 3/31/11 and expires on 4/14/11. So join our cheesy Facebook community and let the tastiness begin!

We think you and your food are really going to love our new Monterey Jack. Here’s an amazing recipe from the Tillamook Kitchen to get you started: The Mousetrap

By Tillamook

Monterey Jack is one of my favorite Tillamook Cheeses. In fact, when I was little my favorite food was enchiladas and they remain at the top of my list today! While some ingredients have come and gone (for instance I’ll add black olives and onions now and that was unthinkable when I was a tot), the cheese has always been consistent: Tillamook Monterey Jack. No questions asked. Tillamook Monterey Jack recently got a little makeover, too, making it even tastier than before! No matter what variation of enchiladas you like, this recipe is classic Tillamook and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

Enchilada Ingredients:
1½ lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
⅔ cup chopped onion (½ medium onion)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 oz) Tillamook Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz) Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese, shredded
3½ cups enchilada sauce, divided*
12 - six-inch corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

*Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
½ (7 oz) can chipotle chili en adobo, or more to taste
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken broth

Directions

Enchilada Sauce Directions:
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over low.  Add garlic and chili powder; sauté 1 minute.  In a blender puree tomatoes, chili, flour, and garlic mixture until smooth.  Pour the puree back into the pan and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and continue to simmer 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Makes 3½ cups enchilada sauce.

Enchilada Directions:
In a 4-quart saucepan add 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Stir in pork, onion, salt and pepper; simmer 45 minutes until pork is tender. Strain; set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine cheeses in a small bowl; set aside. Shred pork into a medium bowl and combine with ½ cup enchilada sauce.
 
Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Working in batches, stack tortillas two high on a baking sheet.  Heat in oven for 3 minutes just until tortillas are warm and pliable.  Remove from oven. Make a single stack and keep warm, covered with a kitchen towel.  

To Assemble Enchiladas:
Spread ¾ cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Lay a warm tortilla on work surface.  Across the middle of each tortilla sprinkle a scant tablespoon of cheese and top with a scant ¼ cup of pork filling.  Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in prepared dish. Completely cover enchiladas with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 20-25 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes and serve. 

Serves 6 

Tip: Sour cream is a delicious addition to enchiladas. My personal favorite is Tillamook Natural Sour Cream – it’s pure and simply the best!

By Laura

You have probably heard of Monterey Jack Cheese, even tried Monterey Jack Cheese. Now it’s time to really get to know Monterey Jack.  The Tillamook Monterey Jack recipe has recently been reformulated. It now has a more mild flavor, perfectly creamy texture, and updated packaging.

What I love most about Tillamook Monterey Jack is that it’s so versatile – it’s more than just a staple for Mexican dishes. I can add it to almost everything! Some of my favorite recipes that use Tillamook Monterey Jack are the Roasted Poblano Torta from Bunk Bar and the Jalapeno Popper Sandwich from The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Give them a try – because once you experience Tillamook Monterey Jack, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!

By Mary