Cheeseburgers, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, wine and cheese: We are a cheese-loving nation, consuming an average of 33 pounds of cheese per person per year.

The International Dairy Foods Association estimates that there are more than 300 varieties of cheese sold in the U.S.

The most popular variety is mozzarella, weighing in at 10.7 pounds consumed per person per year (mostly atop pizza). In second place is Cheddar at 10 pounds per person, mostly on burgers and as a table cheese.

If you love mozzarella, try halloumi, also known as grilling cheese. Think of a more densely-textured mozzarella that doesn’t melt when heated.

Because the cheese keeps its shape when grilled, fried or otherwise cooked, it can be served in hot slices, in diced “croutons” and other delicious, chewy forms.

It is often shredded over casseroles and potatoes and enchiladas and crumbled onto salads.

As a snack, it can be enjoyed cold or room temperature with crackers or fruit.

[1] Grilled halloumi diced into a salad (photo © Simone Van Den Berg | Dreamstime).