What better way to celebrate the fall season than with apples and cheese!!!

The month of October is a beautiful time. The leaves have begun to turn orange, pumpkins are popping up on front porches, and caramel apples have once again returned. As delicious as the traditional treat of the caramel apple is, as a cheese lover I had to ask, can it be done with cheese!? I grabbed three apples, removed their cores and twisted wooden craft dowels ⅔  of the way into their cores.

Experiment equipment
Three apples
Wooden dowels (found at a craft store)
Cream
Flour
8-ounce-bag of Tillamook Medium Cheddar shreds
Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar
Jar of peanut butter
Bag of dark chocolate chips
Wax paper

Directions
My first attempt was an apple dipped in cheese. I melted down some Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese shreds in a double boiler. I had trouble getting the cheese to stick to the glossy apple skin, and it didn’t turn out as appetizing as I’d hoped.

I’ve been hearing a lot of fan chatter about cheddar and peanut butter. An unlikely, but, delicious combination. I decided to cover my second apple in peanut butter and roll it in Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese shreds.

The third apple I made was a sweet and salty combination of chocolate and cheese. I shredded some Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar with a fine grater and set it aside in a bowl. I thought the extra sharp flavor would be a good contrast to the sweet chocolate. I melted a bag of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler, continuously stirring, and dunked my last apple on a stick into it. I rolled the bottom of the apple into my shredded Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar and set it on wax paper in the fridge for an hour to set. This was my favorite, a salty and sweet fall treat, and my cheesy alteration to the traditional caramel apple on a stick.

What Tillamook products would you dip your apple on a stick into?

By Amalya

Home Entertaining Recipepalooza: We asked some of our favorite bloggers to share a recipe and their tips for home entertaining. This queso recipe comes from Arena. Arena married a Nerd and now she knows way too much about Star Wars, flanges, and Magic: The Gathering. She writes a Dallas mom blog, The Nerd’s Wife, featuring recipes, photography tips, and stories of her family’s nerdy exploits. See this recipe on her blog.

Tillamook Queso Blanco

Overview
We always serve queso at our family gatherings – especially during football season! It’s the perfect tailgate dish! Gig’em Aggies!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of Tillamook Butter
1 can of Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
1 pound of pork breakfast sausage
12 ounces Tillamook Vintage White Medium Cheddar, shredded
4 ounces Tillamook Monterey Jack, shredded
¼ - ⅔ cup of milk

Preparation
Brown the pork sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then set aside. Drain the Rotel tomatoes and heat the butter on medium-high heat until melted. Add the Rotel tomatoes and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, mix the cheese and ¼ cup of milk until the cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add the Rotel and sausage to the saucepan. Mix well. Then gradually stir in milk until the queso reaches desired consistency. (Make sure the cheese is fully melted before adding any more milk. If you put too much milk, the queso will be too runny.) Serve immediately (it’s yummier that way!) with tortilla chips for dipping.

About Arena: 
Tips for stress-free home entertaining:
“For me, the key is to be prepared. I like to keep several options for dinner and dessert on hand, just in case company arrives unannounced. My freezer is stocked with pies-in-a-jar, frozen cookie dough, and enchiladas I can pop right into the oven.

Kitchen advice for other moms and dads:
“Find recipes to serve that are easy to prep in advance, but still unique and fun! I served Monkey Cupcakes at my niece’s birthday party – I baked the cupcakes and made the monkey faces in advance, and they lasted several days frozen. The cupcakes were so fun and cute – all the kids loved them!”

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By Tillamook