5 Fried Cheese Ideas For Restaurant Menus
Americans really do love their cheese! Over the past decade, per capita consumption of cheese has increased by 19 percent. So restaurants are wise to include cheese dishes on their menu. All the better if it’s fried cheese that’s served up fried and melty.
Fried Cheese And Why Everyone Loves It
Fried cheese dishes feel as American as apple pie and are so popular some states have their own favorites. But cuisine featuring fried cheese has been enjoyed internationally for thousands of years. Cheese is delicious in countless cuisines, whether it’s a garnish or the main event, cooked or uncooked. But there is something about cheese when it’s fried… the soft, melty texture, the flavors and caramelization, the warmth. Fried cheese is simply transcendent. Thankfully, there are many dishes that feature the sublime flavor of fried cheese that works well on restaurant menus.
Cheese Curds
Cheese curds are small, bite-size pieces of cheese. Often made from cheddar, fresh cheese curds are famous for the satisfying squeak they produce when bitten into. Cheese curds are extremely popular to order in restaurants as an appetizer or side dish, in which case the squeak is forfeited in order to fry them up in a light breading, the cheese gooey and melty inside, and often enjoyed with dipping sauce.
Although cheese curds are a cultural phenomenon, particularly in Wisconsin, cheese curds originated in Ancient Rome when the dish was called “Globuli” and the recipe included honey. The snack is so beloved in present times that cheese curds have their own national holiday on October 15th.
Mozzarella Sticks
Like cheese curds, mozzarella sticks are cheese fried in breading. As the name implies, mozzarella sticks are specifically made of delicious mozzarella and served in a slender “stick” shape. They are frequently served to diners with a side of marinara sauce for dipping, though they can be found in restaurants with any number of dipping options, including outside-the-box varieties like raspberry sauce. Much like cheese curds are surprisingly not a tradition straight from America’s dairyland, mozzarella sticks are not Italian. A French cookbook published in 1393 is the first known documentation of frying strips of cheese. In the 1980s, mozzarella sticks became a popular staple of casual restaurant chains. Once thought of as only a bowling alley snack, mozzarella sticks are currently enjoying a surge in popularity.
Fried Cheesecake
Everyone is familiar with cheesecake, the beloved baked custard made of cheese, eggs, sugar, and flavorings that are only limited by the chef’s imagination. Ancient Greeks were making simple cheesecakes, or “plakous,” as early as the fifth century BC. Since then, curd cheese was the dairy of choice until the 1930s, when cream cheese-based cheesecakes became all the rage in New York. In the 1980s, Cheesecake was practically its own character on the popular TV sitcom “The Golden Girls,” where it was featured over 100 times during the course of the series.
Today, fried cheesecake bites are showing up on the menus of restaurant chains across the country. Fried cheesecake is popular at county and state fairs. The dish is super easy to eat when served up as little bites. Regular cheesecake is delicious, but there’s hardly anything that’s not improved with frying. Cheesecake is no exception.
Fried Mac and Cheese
Speaking of which, mac and cheese is another well-loved cuisine that’s even more incredible when it’s breaded and fried into bite-size morsels. Fried mac and cheese can be served as is, or with dipping sauces. Consider ranch, blue cheese dressing, nacho cheese sauce, or something completely original to draw the attention of fried cheese fans.
Cheese Stuffed Tater Tots
Tater tots have long been an in-demand fried dish. But adding a gooey, cheesy center to the bite-size potato cuisine? Genius! Cheese stuffed tater tots are easy to make, exactly like regular tater tots. They just include one extra step of forming the tater tot around a small square of cheese at the center.
How Pitco Can Help
Getting a good fry that doesn’t burn the coating while still melting the cheese inside is easy with a Pitco fryer. Built with high-quality innovations, Pitco fryers are available in a wide range of options for all levels of foodservice operations.
Learn how Pitco can help your business serve the best fried food options – click below to get started.
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