Celebrating All Curd Nerds
Saturday, January 20 is a day dedicated to all cheese lovers. To help you celebrate the glorious occasion of National Cheese Lovers Day, CCL’s test kitchen teamed up with Rocking W Cheese & Milk and created a few cheesy recipes that showcase the Olathe-based dairy’s mouthwatering artisan cheese.
WHO FIRST ADDED CHILE PEPPERS TO CHEESE?
While the exact origins are a bit of a mystery, many believe Mexican immigrants in California were the first to experiment with adding chile peppers to cheese.
Rocking W cheese products come from seventh-generation Webb dairy; the folks there know a thing or two about fresh milk and making premium cheese. Each variety of their cheese is handcrafted in small batches with herbs and spices added at just the right moment to bring the cheese to its peak perfection.
Chipotle Jack Snacking Sticks
- 8 oz Rocking W chipotle jack cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 6 tbsp half-and-half
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While oven is preheating, combine shredded cheese, flour, salt, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Process mixture until coarse meal. Add cubed cold butter and process again until mixture is coarse with pea-size bits of butter. Transfer to a bowl, add half-and-half, and mix. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together. Cut dough in half and set one aside. Roll out one dough block into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick, trimming sides with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Cut dough into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Be as accurate as possible for even baking. If they are too thick, they won’t crisp up; if they are too thin, they will break.
Transfer the cut strips to prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/4 inch space between each.
Bake for 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Remove from oven and transfer strips to a baking sheet to fully cool.
Rocking W Cheese & Milk is nestled in the small town of Olathe. Open since 2008, this local business offers fresh milk and artisan cheese. In fact, Rocking W is the only artisanal cheese producer on the Western Slope. Its creamy rich cheese comes in a large variety of flavors. Visit rockingcheese.com to browse their wide selection and to find markets where you can buy their products.
Whether you grab a simple cheese and cracker snack, add a slice on top of a sandwich, or build a picture-worthy charcuterie board, give these Colorado cheese producers a try.