Cheddar Cheese Tidbits

This week's ingredient comes at the request of my youngest son, so it may come as no surprise to learn that it's better tasting than it is healthy. Cheddar cheese does have some nutritional value though. A 1-oz. serving contains 7g. of protein, Over 200mg. of calcium, and 27.4mg. of potassium. One serving of cheddar cheese is a mere 113 calories, however, about 45% of those calories is fat.

Cheddar is very high in saturated fat. In order to burn off the amount of calories in one serving you would have to do 28 minutes of yard work, 15 minutes of running, or 20 minutes of leisurely cycling. Personally, I think it's worth it. :-)

You'll find different schools of thought on storing cheddar cheese. The best thing to do is to buy it as far in advance of it's "best before" date as possible and put it in the frig immediately. I like to either buy it already shredded in large quantities, divide it into freezer bags and freeze it or buy a large block and grate it myself, then freeze it. It seems to freeze better when it's grated. I've tried freezing the whole block and it doesn't work as well. It's weird when it thaws out. The only cheese I really have success doing that with is Parmesan. But that's for another week. ;-) If you have any really yummy recipes that highlight this versatile cheese, I'd love to hear about them. I'll share some of my favorites here as the week progresses. In the meantime, say "cheese"! :-D