IT’S A PAIRING PALOOZA

Discover bold new ways to create charcuterie boards and snack trays from your experts.

When it comes to cheese, pairing purists gravitate toward the tried and true. Charcuterie board with cheese + cured meats? Done that. The classic combo of cheese + fruit? Meh. Cheese + crackers? Puh-leeze!

Instead, let’s go boldly (perhaps) where no cheese has gone before, in a match-up with some of your favorite foods to nosh on: snacks!

We perused the aisles of the grocery store for salty and sweet, chewy and crunchy, fudgy and fruity. We came out with a basketful of cookies, candies, and junk food options.

Now on to the cheese! With more than 100 varieties of Green County cheese ready for this epic throwdown, we narrowed the list of contenders to five finalists from five of our local artisan cheese producers. Next, we invited a distinguished group of taste testers to meet up, sample, make notes, and weigh in on their favorite pairings.

A red table holds a wooden chopping board with feta cheese chunks, a bowl of caramels, a bowl of peanut butter bites, a bowl of bugles snacks, a stack of plates and a stack of red and white striped napkins.
A woman holds a cube of cheddar cheese and a piece of carmel popcorn between her thumb and index and middle fingers.

The tasting panel considered harmonies like creamy with creamy. They pondered contrasts like mellow vs spicy. They threw around words like buttery, crispy, savory, smooth, and wow. Kay and Drew both liked Cheddar paired with caramel corn. Kirsten said no to that and recommended Cheddar tossed down with a frosted circus cookie. Kris and Lynn voted for Feta paired with chewy sea salt caramels. Gary loved the Pannaro and said it paired well with everything except peanut butter cups. And although retired cheesemaker Brian admitted to discovering some new pairing ideas, he deviated from the offerings on the table and said his favorite pairing would still be Swiss cheese with Andes Mints.

After an intense session of tasting and note-taking, the panel came up with five cheese + snack food combos that made the final cut.

A woman holds a plate of cheese with fruit candies in one hand and two pieces of red fruit candies sandwiched around a cheddar cheese cube between her thumb and middle finger.

Strawberry Fruit Snacks
+ Pannaro

(Chalet Cheese Cooperative, Monroe)

“It starts smooth and finishes with chewy/fruity, delish!” – Marge

Bugles + Cheddar

(Maple Leaf Cheese Store, Juda)

“So yummy with the salt and crunch.” – Cheryl

Rye Chips + Feta

(Klondike Cheese, Monroe)

“Don’t ask questions; just try it.” – Tess (she’s a former Cheese Days Ambassador, so seriously, don’t question this!)

Elf Cookies + Grand Cru

(Alp and Dell Cheese Store, Monroe)

“The nutty flavor of the cheese is a tasty contrast to the graham cookie and sweet chocolate filling.” – Lynn

Spicy Peanuts + Havarti

(Decatur Dairy, Brodhead)

“Hot and spicy peanuts take this creamy Havarti for a wild ride!” – Drew

A man wearing a grey t-shirt and a brown flannel jacket holds a cube of cheese using small silver tongs in one hand and a can of peanuts in the other hand.

VOILA!

A cheese and snack Pairing Palooza to please every palate. Make your way to Swissconsin to sample and savor our delectable delights and find your favorite combos.

Start Planning Your Getaway Today.