State of Maine Cheese Company
"Great Cheese. Pure and Simple."
Home Contact
State of Maine Cheese Logo
Address/ Telephone

461 Commercial Street
Rockport Maine 04856
Telephone:
(local) 207-236-8895
(toll free) 800-762-8895
Fax: 207-236-9591

Main Menu
Online Store
Rockport Marketplace
Tips for Cooking with Cheese
(as seen in The Gourmet Retailer)
  • Low and slow is key to using cheese in the kitchen. Low temperatures and slow cooking.
  • If you must cook a dish at a higher temperature for a longer period of time, add some starch like cornstarch or flour. It will prevent the cheese from curdling and separating.
  • Acid (lemon juice or vinegar) will keep melted cheese from becoming stringy.
  • When using cheese as a topping for baked dishes, add cheese toward the end of the cooking time.
  • When using cheese in a sauce, add small bits at a time and stir constantly, or when possible, add in the cheese after removing the sauce from the heat.
  • As with any other ingredient, the better quality cheese you use, the better the finished dish will undoubtedly be.

Recipes using our Cheese

CAERPHILLY FONDUE

Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until flour and butter are smooth. Add milk, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth. Add shredded Caerphilly cheese. Stir continuously in one direction only until cheese is melted. Serve immediately on fingers of toast.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter and set aside. Break sausages into chunks and put into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a slotted spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage with the slotted spoon onto paper towels to let drain. Scatter bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Scatter sausage meat over the bread cubes and sprinkle the cheese on top. Lightly whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Add milk, wine, dry mustard, and salt and mix well. Pour evenly over the sausage mixture and bread. Let stand overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake until golden brown on top -- about 30 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent casserole from becoming too brown and continue to bake until center is barely set, about 15 minutes more. Uncover and set aside to allow the casserole to firm up, and serve.

serves 8

CHEESE PROVENCAL

Cut the cheese into 1" cubes and place in a wide mouth jar. Sprinkle with the herbs. Add the chili and bay leaf. Pour in the olive oil just to cover the cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 3-5 days. Accompany with crackers or baguette slices. Serve cheese from the jar and accompany with a tray of vegetables

serves 6-8

EASY SNACKS

FOOLPROOF CHEESE SOUFFLE

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy and pale in color. Mix in the cream, salt, pepper, mustard and nutmeg, and cheese, beating just until blended. Pour into a well-buttered 1- quart souffle dish or baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set. Serve at once.

makes 4 servings

CHEESE STRAWS

Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir together the flour, salt, mustard, ginger, and Cayenne. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter and cheese until the the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and pat together into a ball. Roll the dough out 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut the dough into strips 1/4 inch wide and 4 inches. Place on a ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or let cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

makes about 7 dozen straws