[1] Who can resist cheese fries? (photo © Idaho Potato Commission)

[2] Crinkle-cut fries are baked from frozen fries (photo © Walmart).

[3] Sharp cheddar from Wisconsin (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

October is National American Cheese Month*, so how about some cheese fries, made with a fine American Cheddar†?

You don’t even have to fry the potatoes!

This easy-to-make dish uses frozen, baked Grown In Idaho crinkle-cut fries.

Once they’re golden brown in the oven, top them with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, scallions, and sour cream (or ranch dressing).

Some want theirs with a big squirt of ketchup, others as is.

But you may want to make a double batch. These fries will quickly disappear.

In addition to National American Cheese Month, September is National Potato Month, April 20th is National Cheddar Fries Day, and National French Fry Day is celebrated annually on the second Friday in July.

Below:

> Cheese fries recipe with bacon and scallions.

> The history of cheese fries.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of French fries.

> The different types Of French fries: more than 40!

> The history of the potato.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 30 potato holidays.

> The year’s 30 cheese holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CHEESE FRIES WITH BACON & SCALLIONS

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F.

2. GREASE a rimmed baking sheet or a large cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Spread out the crinkle-cut fries in an even layer on the sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

3. SPRINKLE the fries evenly with the shredded cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the bacon.

4. DRIZZLE with the sour cream or ranch dressing, then sprinkle with the sliced green onions. Serve immediately with ketchup on the side.

For something so recent, the origin of cheese fries is lost to history. What we do know is that the seem to have appeared in the U.S. after Cheez Whiz was introduced in 1952.

Yet Dictionary.com dates the phrase as “first recorded in 1970–75.” It’s hard to believe that it took 20 years to make it into print.

Snuffer’s in Dallas states their Cheddar fries were “first created in 1978.”

While good restaurants today will use good cheese for cheese fries:

 
When we see “cheese fries” on a menu, we inquire about the cheese. We want Cheddar, not American cheese, Cheez Whiz, or Velveeta.
 

[3] Bacon cheese fries with red chile peppers. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
________________

*American cheese refers to any cheese made in the U.S., the least interesting is the processed, pasteurized “cheese product” (it doesn’t qualify are real cheese) popularized by Kraft.

†Cabot Cheddar is a great choice, and comes in 10 varieties, so you can layer on more flavors: Chipotle, Cracked Peppercorn, Everything Bagel, Garlic & Dill, Habanero, Horseradish, Hot Buffalo Wing, Smoky Bacon, Spicy Jack, and Tuscan. See them here.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

If you’re a true cheese lover, you know that there are “so many cheeses, so little time.”

But we can cut down on the list a bit, because it’s National American Cheese Month.

The American Cheese Society says that, “American Cheese Month is a celebration of North America’s delicious and diverse cheeses, and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers and chefs who bring them to your table.”

So how about trying a different new-to-you, made-in-America cheese for American Cheese Month?

How about trying something new?

There are so many great artisan cheesemakers. We don’t mean to exclude anyone, but check out the websites of:

 
 
HOW ABOUT CRESCENZA CHEESE?

Crescenza, sometimes known as stracchino, is a staple in the Italian kitchen.

Says Mozzarella Company of Dallas, “Crescenza is one of those cheeses that no one has ever heard of but everyone loves when they taste it. It is a soft, fresh Italian cheese with a tart, clean flavor.

It is similar recipe to stracchino. The difference is that crescenza is made from whole milk or semi-skimmed milk and aged for 5-10 days, while stracchino is made only from whole milk and it aged for 20 days.

“Whenever we serve Crescenza at cheese tastings, this is the cheese that people invariably buy to take home.”

O.K…we’re in, we said, and we placed an order. It is as promised: delicious.

While the cheese is Italian in origin, there are a number of American cheese makers who make it; both artisan and factory producers.

Crescenza (creh-SEN-za) is made from cow’s milk. It is a young, soft cheese, aged for just a couple of weeks before it is sold.

Eaten very young, it has no rind and a very creamy texture. It is typically square in shape.

It is a great cheese for expressing the natural flavor and aromatics of a good quality milk, a showcase for the wonderful fresh flavors and aromas of the milk.

The Crescenza from Mozzarella Company:

 
How To Serve Crescenza

Beyond antipasto and appetizers, focaccia, sandwiches, melting on grilled cheese or other recipes (casseroles, ravioli, whatever).

For snacking or a cheese plate, The cheese was first made in Lombardy, Italy and areas adjacent to this northern Italy city where it is commonly served as a snacking or appetizer cheese with fruit,
For a cheese plate, pair crescenza with bread and:

 

CRESCENZA CHEESE HISTORY

Crescenza and stracchino have long been made in Northern Italy, regions of Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Romagna and Veneto.

There’s a legend, of course.

Most cheeses are historically made in the spring and summer, when the pastures are lush and green, the days are long and the milk is as fresh as can be.

Crescenza and stracchino were traditionally made during the autumn and winter months, after the cows had descended from the mountain pastures.

The physical exertion of the hike increased the butterfat content of the milk, making a richer cheese.

The cows were tired after the long season and their descent; hence, tired cows.

For stracchino, the name of the cheese derives from the Lombard adjective stracco, meaning tired.

The origin of the name Crescenza comes from the Italian crescere, which means “to grow.” If kept in a warm place, the cheese tends to increase in size, just like rising bread!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE

[1] Humboldt Fog goat cheese from Cypress Grove Cheese, with the signature line of ash running through the center (photo © Cypress Grove Cheese).

[2] An assortment of cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, from cows happily grazing in Marin and Sonoma Counties (photo © Cowgirl Creamery).

Crescenza Cheese[/caption]
[3] Artisan crescenza cheese, made in small batches by Mozzarella Company (photo © Mozzarella Company).

[4] Spread it on bread or crackers (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[5] Snack on it with raw vegetables (photo © Arrigoni Formaggi).

[6] An appetizer of prosciutto-wrapped crescenza cheese. Here’s the recipe (photo © BelGioioso Cheese).

[7] Crescenza and peach crostini. You can substitute apples, pears, even grapefruit and oranges Here’s the recipe (photo © BelGioioso Cheese).

[1] Boursin’s fall flavor, Fig Balsamic, makes a beautiful center for a snack plate with black mission figs and brown turkey figs (both photos © Gournay Cheese).

[2] There’s a lot of flavor in each little carton.

[3] You can make a Boursin-like spread from cream cheese. Here’s the recipe from Food.com (photo © Diana | Eating Richly). Also check out this recipe from The View From Great Island.

One of the nice parts of food reporting comes in the fall, when a number of brands release limited-edition fall flavors: chestnut, cinnamon, cranberry, eggnog, fig, gingerbread, peppermint and pumpkin, to name the more popular ones.

So it is with French cheese brand Boursin, with the launch of their newest seasonal flavor, Fig & Balsamic—available for a limited time only.

Boursin is a soft creamy cheese made in a variety of flavors, each as delicious as the next. Its flavor and recall a more sophisticated whipped cream cheese.

Fig and Balsamic joins Cranberry & Spice, also a seasonal flavor, and the line’s mainstays:

Fig & Balsamic (seasonal flavor, available starting this month)

 
The cheeses can be elevated from a toast or bagel spread to an hors d’oeuvre with fine crackers or baguette slices, or stuffed dates.

Check out Boursin’s recipes for more ideas.
 
 
WHERE TO FIND IT

Boursin Fig & Balsamic is now available in the deli section of major retailers nationwide, including AHOLD (Food Lion, Giant Food, Giant/Martin’s, Hannaford, Peapod, Stop & Shop), Albertsons, Kroger, Meijer and Publix. The suggested retail price of $5.99-$6.99.
 
 
BOURSIN CHEESE HISTORY

Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs, sold in a little foil cup, was created in 1957 by François Boursin, a cheesemaker in the commune of Croisy-sur-Eure commune in Normandy, northern France.

The cheese was inspired by a traditional Normandy party dish of garnished fromage frais (French for “fresh cheese”); a fresh, unaged cheese intended to be eaten within days of its production.

In the case of Boursin, guests would take their portion of cheese and top it with herbs to add herbs for flavor.

Boursin thought: Why not sell the cheese with the herbs already blended in?

Voilà: Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs, the first flavored cheese product to be sold nationally in France.

In 1990, the brand was acquired by Unilever, who sold it to Groupe Bel 2007 [source].

The original cheese, fromage frais, is simply drained, lactic set curd, lightly salted, that does not undergo a ripening period. It has a creamy, soft texture and fresh and a fresh, milky flavor.

Fromage frais differs from fromage blanc, another fresh, white French cheese, in that by law, fromage frais must contain live cultures when sold, whereas with fromage blanc, the fermentation has been halted [source].

It is often eaten for breakfast (we love it with toast), with fruit for dessert, or in cooking.
 
 
> Check Out The Different Types Of Cheeses In Our Cheese Glossary