When firing up the grill this summer for meats, seafood and vegetables, consider putting cheese on top of the flames, too. This is a food tradition in many cultures, from Finland’s bread cheese to India’s paneer. While many kinds of cheese can be added to grilled foods such as a slice of Cheddar or a crumble of blue on a burger, these cheeses all have a high melting point so they stand up to being cooked directly on the grill, and can also be pan fried or baked. They will soften but won’t melt between the grates.
“Juustoleipa Ostbrod” by FoodieExplorers is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Bread Cheese
What it is: In Finland bread cheese is called Juustoleipa. But despite the name, there’s no bread in this cow’s milk cheese. “Wisconsin Foodie” chef and Driftless Café owner Luke Zahm recently demoed how to grill Wisconsin-based Carr Valley Cheese’s bread cheese in a virtual tailgate event (Wisconsinites love this pre-sporting event tradition where a lot—including cheese—is thrown on the grill), and suggests serving it a side with brats in a bun.
Origin: Finland
How to eat it: Grill it or bake it in the oven either cubed or as strips, “until it glistens,” says Carr Valley Cheese, which also suggests drizzling with honey, jam, or syrup for a contrasting sweet note.
Photo by Kanwardeep Kaur on Unsplash
Paneer
What it is: Considered the Indian cousin to America’s cottage cheese, this non-melting cheese is a commonly found in Indian menus, in dishes such as Paneer Tikka Masala or Saag Paneer. It can be made from from buffalo or cow’s milk. In the US Sach Foods’ paneer, rolled out in 2019, continually earns raves and is the world’s first organic, artisanal and flavored paneer. We profiled Sach Foods last year. In her story on paneer, contributor Rinku Bhattacharya shared that it’s an easy cheese to make at home.
Origin: Punjab region of India
How to eat it: This list of 11 recipes spans apps to desserts, with surprising (but tasty) options like a hot paneer sandesh pudding.
“halloumi salad-2” by jules:stonesoup is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Halloumi
What it is: Milk from sheep goes into this cheese that softens with just a little bit of high heat. Fans of halloumi—a traditional food from this Mediterranean island—often say it has the squeak of mozzarella and the flavor of feta. A Halloumi brand sold at Trader Joe’s (Atalanta) incorporates dashes of mint.
Origin: Cyprus
How to eat it: Tired of cheeseburgers? Fry up a slice or strip of it or combine it with other grilled vegetables on a bun. Bon Appetit has a fun recipe for a Seared Squash and Halloumi Burger.
“Queso Panela at the Armadillo – Northglenn, CO” by Scorpions and Centaurs is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Panela
What it is: Referred to as queso panela (and sometimes queso de la canasta) this Spanish cheese is a fresh cheese made from cow’s milk. Like the rest of the cheeses on this list it doesn’t melt but rather softens, holding its shape when grilled.
Origin: Mexico
How to eat it: It may sound basic, but quesadillas are one of the most popular recipes when grilling panela. Fold some panela between two tortillas, turn up the heat and flip halfway through. Here’s a unique quesadilla recipe—with roasted tomatillos and poblanos that are pureed into an accompanying salsa. It’s also great as the filling for peppers in chile rellenos.
“Fried kefalotiri cheese” by Navin75 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Kefalotyri
What it is: A hard white or pale yellow farmhouse cheese made from either raw or pasteurized sheep’s milk, goat’s milk or a combination of the two. Like Romano, it’s made in the beginning of the season after lambs have been weaned.
Origin: It’s been made in Greece since the days of the Byzantine Empire. It’s also made in Cyprus and Turkey.
How to eat it: Often used in flaming saganaki, a dramatic dish invented at a Greek restaurant in Chicago, it holds up well to being cooked in a cast iron skillet or directly on the grill. Serve it with a wedge of lemon to cut the saltiness or with juicy tomatoes.