Recipes

Easy & Cheesy Snacks to Make at Home

March 30, 2020

Easy & Cheesy Snacks to Make at Home
Maybe you’re looking for a midafternoon pick-me-up to nosh on, or your dinner wasn’t quite as filling as you thought it would be. Whatever your predicament, we’ve put together five of our favorite snack recipes that you can make and enjoy right at home.

Not only are these all these snacks delicious, making them is a great low-stress activity to pass the time. Whether you’re craving some salty fried cheese curds or sweet skillet brownies, we’ve got a painless recipe that’s cheddar than anything you could buy in stores.

Cookies and Cream Skillet Brownies


Take boxed-mix brownies to the next level with this crowd-pleasing flavor combo cooked in a skillet pan.

Cooking brownies in a skillet is our secret hack to getting the perfect soft-to-crispy ratio in each bite. The other hack? Adding in two sweetly mild cream cheeses, crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, and a big ol’ drizzle of hot fudge.

This is the effortless, delicious treat for girls’ night in or kids’ movie night. Or just another Tuesday evening—we don’t judge. You deserve it. 

Featured Cheeses

BelGioioso Cheese Mascarpone: Never heard of mascarpone? Well, you’re in for a treat. This soft, spreadable cheese originates from Italy and boasts a richer, creamier taste than cream cheese due to the higher fat content. It’s a little less sweet than what you might expect and adds a nuanced depth of flavor to any dish.

Crystal Farms Original Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the perfect addition to this brownie mix. Super creamy, light, and smooth—this creation from Crystal Farms is a delectable counterpart to the rich, chocolatey notes of the brownie. 

Recipe Tip: For best results, substitute milk for water and melted butter for oil in your brownie recipe. It’ll bump up the flavor a few notches and give you a softer, richer brownie.


Get the recipe for our Cookies and Cream Skillet Brownies here.

Super Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos


These super loaded sheet pan nachos are nacho average snack food.

Life is like a tray of nachos…you never know what you’re gonna get. Wait, that’s not right.

With these super loaded sheet pan nachos, you do know what you’ll get: crispy, crunchy chips piled high with melted cheddar, pepper jack, havarti cheeses, briny olives, meaty black beans, and—obviously—some sour cream and salsa to top it all off.

The key to the best nachos is three types of cheese, each bringing their own flavor, texture, and flair to the party. 

Featured Cheeses

Cedar Grove Mild Cheddar: Cheddar is to nachos as the roof is to a house. Cedar Grove has been making their cheddar for decades and you can taste the difference. Rest cheesy knowing you’re eating the good stuff.

Cedar Grove Pepper Jack: This monterey-jack is stuffed full of red and green jalapenos to give it a bit of a spicy kick. It’s the perfect accompaniment for a Mexican-inspired meal, but with enough mild sweetness that you won’t be breathing fire afterward.

Cedar Grove Havarti: If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying havarti, then we've got good news for you! This Danish-style cheese is buttery and creamy with tiny, irregular holes. It’s ultra-meltable, meaning ultra-delicious on nachos with an ultra-high likelihood of some drool-worthy cheese pulls. It was basically made for an Instagram Boomerang. Your followers will thank you.

Get the recipe for these Super Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos here.

Three Cheese Popcorn


This super-cheesy popcorn is salty, savory, and guaranteed to satisfy any craving.

At-home movie nights are a great way to bond with family while saving money and being way more comfortable. (Let’s be real, we’d take couches over folding chairs any day of the week.)

The best way to upgrade your home movie night? Three cheese popcorn. Move over, kettle corn. Meet your new three best friends: asiago, parmesan, and romano. These three hard cheeses come together to create the saltiest, cheesiest, most addicting snack. 

Featured Cheeses

Sartori Classic Asiago: This asiago has a mild, nutty flavor and a sharp aroma. With every kernel, you’ll be saying “ahhhhh-siago.”

Sartori Classic Parmesan: A crowd favorite—and a specialty of Sartori Companyparmesan goes beautifully on pretty much anything. Pizza? Throw some parmesan on it. Popcorn? Heck yeah, grate it up. Broken leg? Parmesan may not help…but at least you’ll have some cheese to distract you.

Sartori Classic Romano: This distinctive cheese has a bold flavor with a peppery aroma and a bit of a tangy finish. Shredded, grated or just eaten straight up, this cheese will quickly become a staple in your meals. As we say, all roads lead to romano.

Recipe Tip: Try adding some freshly ground black pepper or a little bit of dried rosemary to the popcorn for a savory spin. 

Get the recipe for this Three Cheese Popcorn here.

Air-Fryer Cheese Curds


For those that can’t make it to the Wisconsin State Fair experience the joy of fried cheese curds, we created the next best thing: at-home Air Fryer Cheese Curds

There are few things as synonymous with Wisconsin as fried cheese curds. These tasty treats are a staple at events like the Wisconsin State Fair—and for good reason.

Bite-size and tantalizingly tasty, they’re just plain fun to eat. Since not everyone can make it to Wisconsin to try some authentic fried cheese curds, we created the next best thing: a recipe for you to DIY at home.

Featured Cheese

Renard’s Original Cheese Curds: These milky and salty leftovers from the cheesemaking process are the star of this recipe. Every cheese curd has its own unique shape and size—but all of them are finger-food. If you’ve never gotten to try cheese curds, you’re in for a treat. Renard’s famous cheese curds are mild, firm, and have an unmistakable squeak when you bite into them. Truly a Wisconsin Original!

Recipe Tips

Only fry one or two cheese curds at first, and then adjust timing and temperature as necessary. Since air fryers vary by manufacturer, your temperature and timing might vary from our recipe.

Season your breadcrumbs for extra flavor. We use garlic powder and cayenne pepper, but you can expand this out to your heart’s content with more herbs or spices.

Fry curds in a single layer to ensure that your cheese curds get extra crispy.

Get our Air-Fryer Cheese curds recipe and frying instructions here.

10-Minute Nacho Cheese Dip


This cheese dip comes together in minutes, making it a perfect last-minute snack for entertaining – or for any time.

This nacho cheese dip is the perfect blend of spicy, smoky, creamy, and most importantly: cheesy. We love ours with Gile/Carr Cheddar and Colby, but any sort of mild and creamy cheese will work.

Whatever cheese you opt for, make sure to grate it yourself—it’s worth the extra effort, we promise. 

Make sure you have tortilla chips on hand…or a spoon. Either way, this dip is sure to be the life of the party.

Featured Cheeses

Gile / Carr Cheese Factory Medium or 1 Year Aged Cheddar: In queso you’re having trouble picking out a cheese, you can’t go wrong with cheddar. For this recipe, if you want a more versatile dip to pair with lots of different types of toppings, go for a medium cheddar. If you plan to have this nacho dip be the star of the show, we recommend an aged cheddar, which will have a deeper flavor profile.

Gile / Carr Cheese Factory Mild Colby: Colby is a milder form of cheddar and balances out the flavors in this nacho cheese dip. Tender, lacy, and perfect for melting, this colby provides the perfect foundation to pop against the spicy green chiles and smoky paprika.

Get the recipe for this 10-Minute Nacho Cheese Dip here.

Conclusion

We hope you try out one of our cheesy creations and snack in the comfort of your own home. Don’t forget to share your snack creations with us on Facebook and Instagram. For more cheesy snack suggestions take a look at our meat and cheese pairing guide, or pair your snack with some wine options. Looking for something more filling? Give one of our handcrafted cheese board recipes a try, or pick from our selection of over 300 recipes featuring Wisconsin cheese

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