Frigid Night Hot Cheese

 Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and what better to have it  hot and bubbly on a cold winter's night Thrtr' something about the goodness  steamy and oozing onto bread veggies or meat.Fromage is the ultimate chill chaser and it's perfect for these days ahead.

The people who do hot cheese the best are the Swiss. Fondue is not only a fun winter party food , it's also hearty and rib sticking,. Do you need a fondue pot to make the edish? No, but it does help. Usually most have copper bottom which aid in melting the cheese  perfectly. Amazon ha a wide range of them so you can buy one for a relatively decent price.The cheeses are nothing fancy, reflecting the Swiss love of everything homey and hearty.The recipe is a combo of two cheeses not one,. It; mixing The mild and addicting Gruyere with Swiss and adding in dry white wine like Reisling or Sauvignon Blanc. You could use a good Swiss wine such as Chasseleas or Roussette de Savoie. Garlic is also added for flavor aking with a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Crusty ,w arm French bread chunk are dipped into it biut you can also have potatoes and even apples(they have the same consistency to hold up tot he hot mixture). A smiliarn dish is Welsh rarebit made with cheddar cheese stout or ale and butter Worcester sauce and mustard are added for zing and it's pureed over toast. However you can also use thick slice of sourdough bread too.

What about the American classic grilled cheese and its' Gallic cousins croque monsieur and croque madames? These ooey gooey cheese treats have been warming cold stomachs for ages. A good grilled cheese starts with a good cheese or Swiss , and sturdy  slices of white bread (although you can Alsop use wheat ro seven grained too for a nuttier flavor)Butter the inside of the  sandwich while slathering mayo on the outside this gives the exterior a golden brown crispiness.. You could go the diner route ad add a slice of tomato to a few slices of bacon for more deliciousness. For some zing think about subbing Montery Jack in for the cheddar. The sandwich's French cousin the croque monsieur us an excellent Sunday brunch sandwich or a hearty week day bite. Gruyere cheese is used for the filling as is thinly sliced ham.It's fried in butter and topped with a bechamel or white sauce and grated comte cheese. If you can't find Comte, use Parmesan or Beaufort cheese. A great brunch variation is the croque madame which has a runny egg on top. This is the perfect  breakfast for dinner weeknight sandwich and more filling than Eggs Benedict.

Happiness is anything hot and cheesy. Make a warm fromage dish to combat this winter chill.It's a nice and tasty way to combat the cold.