Cheesy Appetizer Ideas

“If you’re going to make a frozen application, processed cheese tends to be much more freeze/thaw stable than natural cheese,” advises Sommer. “Processed cheese, in its normal form, also tends to be more flexible. If you want a cheesy appetizer where you want to roll the cheese, it won’t crack so easily. You can make it so that it’s pliable and flexible, so that you can do more manipulations with it, and it will still hold its shape.”

At the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, researchers have made processed blue cheeses. “I’ve also seen some from Europe that are just outstanding in flavor, texture and meltability,” says Sommer. “We’ve also done a lot of work with processed feta, which brings the feta flavor to a product, but it’s much easier to work with in any kind of appetizer application.”

For dips, processed American cheese or processed Swiss cheese are common. “I think what’s coming are the more exotic ones like processed blues and processed Bries,” suggests Sommer. “Some of those are already on the market. Some of those really bring the blue flavor or the Brie flavor to the product, and the richness of those cheeses. We’ve done some of that work and, from my standpoint, they’re wonderful. They bring flavor. They bring functionality. They bring richness to the product. I think that’s an area of growth.”

A surprising area of research is the development of kid-flavored cheeses. Sommer talks about a chocolate processed cheese. “It’s very fudgy, but it’s mostly cheese solids, so from a nutritional standpoint, compared to fudge, it’s much better because it has all those dairy proteins,” he says. “It tastes very good. We’ve also done some banana- and banana-split- flavored processed cheese.” These could be used in dessert-type, cheese-based appetizers.

Sweet processed cheeses have limited compatibility with other cheeses, but, in most applications, there’s no reason why formulators can’t combine natural cheeses with processed cheeses. Labeling, cost and functionality also should be considered in the selection of ingredients.

Creamy ideas

Cream cheese is often used in appetizers, but Sommer cautions that not all cream cheeses are created equal. Cream cheeses from different manufacturers may function very differently for reasons unknown by those manufacturers. “Manufacturing details, such as temperature, acidity, types of cultures used and homogenization pressures, will all come into play,” says Sommer. The type of stabilizer and the amount used will also affect the functionality of the finished product.

“Whoever your supplier is, be sure to try the cream cheese in your application and make sure it works,” Sommer warns. “The cream cheeses may look the same but, once you try to put it into an application, it might work very differently in terms of mouthfeel, how it melts, how it spreads, how elastic and gel-like it is, and how smooth and creamy it is.”

Versatile flavors

Enzyme-modified cheeses (EMC) work well when a flavor boost is needed. A small amount of EMC can add a lot of flavor. The trick, according to Sommer, “is to get a balanced flavor. Many times, with EMCs, if you add too much, you’ll come out with an unbalanced, unnatural flavor profile. You can get intensity with EMCs, but getting a natural flavor balance is not always easy to get. There’s no question that EMCs are handy for giving a flavor boost to products, and cheesy appetizers in particular.” He suggests asking if the end flavor matches the original cheese profile, be it Swiss, Cheddar or blue.

EMCs are economical. The downside is “you don’t get the nutrition that cheese brings, whether it’s natural or processed cheese,” Sommer says. “You don’t get some of the richness, mouthfeel and texture. It’s really a flavor issue. It is a way to get more flavor with less cost.” Dairy flavors can be used in conjunction with real cheese to reduce the overall formula cost, without losing the flavor impact, says Laura Hartnett, technical solutions manager, Edlong Dairy Flavors. “Cost savings are realized by reducing the amount of cheese or other dairy ingredients in the formula and adding flavors to maintain, or improve, the cheese impact,” she says. Depending on the amount of cheese solids taken out, the texture and mouthfeel “will have to be built back using other ingredients, such as starches, gums, fats and EMCs. Cost savings can also be realized by using a fairly bland, low-cost cheese, and simulating the flavors of more-expensive, exotic, artisan cheeses using dairy flavors,” she advises.