4 Delicious Recipes Using Havarti Cheese
Every summer, a cooking hack goes viral, giving us delicious treats like fromage blanc ice cream, watermelon granitas and more. Today, Canada’s favourite makeover king, Steven Sabados, is joining the summer party by revamping classic dishes with a simple hack that will have you rethinking what you eat this season!
Steven’s hack came from a Statistics Canada report that showed that cheddar consumption in Canada was down nearly 2%, but havarti consumption was up 20%! As a fan of havarti parties, Steven put his makeover skills to good use. And with 12.4 million (94%) households in Canada buying cheese, he knew his simple havarti hack would be one that almost every Canadian would want to try – a true rarity!
This summer, Steven encourages Canadians to swap out their favourite cheddar, mozzarella or cheese for havarti, and tag it on social media with the hashtag #HavartiHack. He also advises getting creative with all the havarti flavours, as it’s the easiest and tastiest way to impress guests and family.
“Canadians need to know that havarti isn’t just for sandwiches. It melts like a dream and can transform any meal from dull to fabulous with a simple change,” says Steven.
Below are Steven’s recommendations for havarti, with his signature zest and flair that show how a tasty take on a classic is always in style!
For sports fans:Cheese Bacon Queso Hot Dogs are a havarti halftime show you won’t want to miss! With a spicy kick from the jalapeno havarti for the queso and a cheese hot dog wrapped in herb and spice havarti, if you like melted cheese, Steven says this will be a real show!
For picnic lovers: It’s time to entertain outdoors with Steven’s Cristo Gone Couture—a Monte Cristo sandwich recreated with two swaps: homemade waffles for the bread and cheddar for the smoked havarti, giving this recipe an air of refined indulgence.
For brunch lovers: This French toast affair is a decadent, sweet and savory reimagining that stuffs seasonal strawberries, poached pears, and creamy havarti inside two slices of French toast for a Breakfast at Tiffany’s vibe.
For kids: Steven’s take on the grilled cheese, pizza, poutine, mac and cheese, and nachos has been using havarti cheese and has gotten rave reviews from the kids (and adults) who have tried it! Steven used dill pickle havarti for the grilled cheese, roasted garlic havarti for the pizza, jalapeno havarti for the poutine, herbs and spices for the nachos, and creamy havarti for the mac and cheese. Kids’ quotes: “Mommy, why don’t you make it this way?” “Are there any more?” “The best ever!”
Christ is gone Sewing
For elegant picnics in the park or backyard entertaining, Steven created his Cristo Gone Couture—a recreated Monte Cristo sandwich that swaps out homemade waffles for bread, tops it with slices of turkey and ham, crispy bacon, and smoked cheese, all presented in style.
Ingredients:
2 cups grated Castello Creamy Smoked Havarti Cheese
1/4 cup plum or apricot jam
8 frozen toaster waffles (or homemade waffles if you can)
4 slices of fresh turkey meat from the deli
4 slices of fresh deli ham
4 slices of cooked crispy bacon
Tomato slices, optional
Handful of microgreens, optional
Maple syrup
Directions:
- Preheat a large skillet or griddle. Spread the jam on 4 waffles, then top with the turkey, ham, bacon and a generous amount of the smoky, creamy Havarti mixture. You can also add sliced tomatoes and a handful of baby greens. Place the waffle on top and transfer to a lightly buttered griddle. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Serve with maple syrup on the side.
Delicious summer cheese
Cheese dips have never been better thanks to Steven’s havarti hack. Try it in one of your favorite cheese dips or enjoy his recipe below for queso made with jalapeno havarti.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups grated Havarti Castello Jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro) or chunky salsa (drain any juice)
- Jalapeno peppers, chopped
- About 1 teaspoon each onion flakes, garlic powder and ground cumin
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in flour and stir until lightly browned. (Stir in garlic, onion and cumin to incorporate spices)
- Gradually stir in milk, bring to a boil, then reduce heat until mixture is thick. Gradually stir in jalapeño Havarti until incorporated.
- Remove from heat and stir in pico de gallo. Let cool to room temperature, garnish with chopped jalapeños and serve with taco chips. Enjoy!
The case of the lost bread
From brunch to lunch, Steven has reimagined a decadent sweet and savory take on French toast that stuffs seasonal strawberries and poached pears with melted cheese on the inside, instead of on top, for a Steven-style makeover that’s presented to perfection.
Ingredients:
- Castello Creamy Havarti, thinly sliced
- 2 pears, peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 slices of French bread or brioche
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
- Icing sugar, maple syrup
- Sliced strawberries, optional
Directions:
- In a large skillet, sauté the pears in the butter and cinnamon until tender (5 to 8 minutes).
- Whisk eggs and milk together and place in a shallow bowl.
- Build a sandwich with the cooked pears and a generous amount of creamy Havarti. Optionally add sliced strawberries.
- Dip the sandwiches in the egg/milk mixture and place in a buttered skillet over medium heat and cook on each side until golden brown and crispy.
- Sprinkle lightly with icing sugar and drizzle with maple syrup
Don’t go to bacon my heart Cheese Dog
Everyone loves a cheesy hot dog, so why not wrap it in bacon and top it with melted herb and spice havarti cheese: perfect for ball games, holiday parties, cottage getaways and more!
Ingredients:
- Castello Herb and Spice Havarti
- 2 onions
- 2 slices of bacon
- 2 hot dogs
- Fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon butter
- Salt and black pepper (for the onions)
Directions:
- Finely chop 2 large sweet onions, place in a frying pan with 1 teaspoon of butter, over medium/low heat with a few sprigs of thyme and cook until golden.
- Wrap hot dogs in bacon, prepare hot dogs as you would; grilled is always best
- Place hot dogs in a bun and top with thin slices of herb and spice Havarti.
- Place hot dogs under the broiler (or on the grill) until cheese melts slightly
- Garnish with caramelized onions, fresh thyme or any other hot dog toppings
Follow Steven Sabados on social media and tag him #HavartiHack
Further reading:
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