SaurabhA classic recipe people go for with leftover turkey is the turkey sandwich. And to make a good turkey sandwich you have to go through your ingredients carefully. For example, what sauce are you going to use? What else should you add? What cheese are you going to use?
When it comes to cheese, you have a lot of options. Then the questions turn into do you want to taste the cheese to melt? Do I want to taste the cheese? And so on. You’re probably going to spend an entire day deciding which cheese to use if you have options.
In today’s article, we will help you to choose the best cheeses for a turkey sandwich so that you don’t get confused!
Best Cheese for Turkey Sandwich
The choice of cheese depends on how you want your turkey sandwich to taste.
You can use many types of cheeses if you want to feel the taste of that cheese. This comes under ‘aged cheese’. However, you can also use a variety of mild cheese, if you don’t want to know the taste of the cheese.
Here’s a list of the best cheese you can use in your turkey sandwich.
1. Gouda cheese
The gouda cheese is a sweet and creamy cheese that is yellow in color originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the oldest European cheeses dating back to the 12th century.
The flavor is bland and creamy unless it is aged gouda in which case it is saltier and harder in texture. A slice of mild gouda cheese is better in your turkey sandwich if you don’t want to be aware of its taste.
Mild gouda cheese melts into your sandwich easily. You will not feel its strong taste. However, if you do want to enjoy the taste of the cheese, use an aged gouda cheese.
It has a butterscotch or caramel flavor and a firm texture. Gouda cheese doesn’t overpower the ingredients in your sandwich but you will still be aware of cheese’s presence.
2. Edam cheese
Edam cheese is a semi-hard cheese that originated from the northern region of the Netherlands. It is also one of the most popular cheeses in Europe that became popular around the 14th-15th centuries.
This cheese has a smooth interior texture and rich yellow gold color. It is salty and savory in flavors and goes perfect with snacks.
Mild Edam cheese has a creamy texture and milder undertones while aged Edam cheese is creamy and nutty with surprises of saltiness here and there.
If you want a milder taste of cheese in your turkey sandwich, this is one of your options as Edam cheese doesn’t overpower your ingredients either.
3. Colby cheese
Colby cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk that originated in the United States. It is an orange color cheese with a nutty flavor. It is often mixed with monetary cheese.
This cheese is usually not used for cooking. However, you can use it with many appetizers and snacks. Aged Colby becomes dry and cracked. So, it’s better to eat it when it’s young.
Colby cheese is one of the milder cheeses and easily melts when you grill the turkey sandwich. It also doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients in your sandwich.
4. Havarti cheese
Havarti cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk.
It was created by Hanne Nielsen, a woman from Denmark. And it was once called Danish Tilsit. This cheese has a springy texture with a sweet and acidic taste.
Havarti is also a mild cheese which will be the perfect cheese for your grilled turkey sandwich as it will not overpower the taste of your other ingredients.
5. Swiss cheese
Swiss cheese is any variety of cheese that was made in Switzerland. It looks like Emmental cheese and comes under Swiss-type or Alpine cheese.
Most Swiss cheeses feature holes called ‘eyes’ which makes them easily recognizable. But there’s also a Swiss cheese without eyes. It is called ‘blind’.
Swiss cheese is yellow in color and smells nutty. It is smooth and tastes sweet, nutty, and mild. Moreover, the less salt content makes it an ideal choice for those wanting a less salty cheese for their turkey sandwich.
The cheese will melt right into your sandwich and will not overpower the rest of the ingredients in your turkey sandwich.
6. Muenster cheese
Muenster cheese is made from pasteurized cow milk.
It is a semi-soft cheese that has a light texture and is a pale yellow almost white in color. It is buttery in taste. Note that you don’t confuse Muenster cheese with Munster cheese.
Munster cheese is French. Muenster cheese, on the other hand, is American. Also, Munster cheese has a sharp and smokier flavor whereas Muenster cheese has a buttery flavor.
Muenster cheese can develop a pungent smell as it ages. However, it is the ideal cheese for your sandwich. This cheese is mild and will not overpower the other ingredients in your sandwich.
7. Parmesan cheese
Parmigiano Reggiano, usually known as Parmesan, is a hard Italian cheese.
It has a nutty flavor that can be sweet, salty, and bitter all at once. It has a crumbly, gritty texture and a light to dark yellow tint color. This cheese is made from cow milk herd from the same area.
Parmesan cheese is an aged cheese. Therefore, it will provide a strong taste to your sandwich. If you want to avoid this, you can mix your parmesan with one of the milder cheese.
8. Pecorino Romano cheese
Pecorino Romano cheese is Italian and made of sheep’s milk.
You can find 6 varieties of this cheese. They all differ from each other depending on their age. The flavor of Pecorino Romano is slightly acidic and almost peppery. The harsher the taste, the more mature the Pecorino is.
Pecorino Romano cheese is also an aged cheese. Therefore, it will provide a strong taste to your sandwich. If you want to avoid this, you can always mix your Pecorino Romano cheese with one of the milder cheeses.
9. Cheddar cheese
Cheddar cheese, also known as cheddar, is a hard cheese that originated in England.
It is made of cow’s milk and has a slightly hard texture when aged. It has a smooth texture when it’s mild. Its color ranges from white to light yellow and has a sharp taste.
Note that cheddar brings a sweet-sharp flavor to your sandwich. It is used with smoked turkey. And as with any aged cheese, cheddar cheese will also provide a strong taste to your sandwich.
10. Brie cheese
Brie cheese is soft and made of cow’s or goat’s milk. It originated from northern France. It has a mild, buttery, and creamy taste and is pale in color.
This cheese works well with a turkey sandwich. It provides a nutty and fruity flavor to your turkey sandwich but will not overpower the taste of other ingredients.
You can always mix your Brie cheese with one of the milder cheeses if the taste is strong.
11. Monterey Jack cheese
Monterey Jack, also known as Jack, is a white, semi-hard cheese made of cow’s milk in CA. It has a mild flavor and sweetness. It has a creamy and buttery texture.
Monterey Jack cheese’s mild buttery flavor is perfect for your turkey sandwich especially if grilled. Since this cheese is mild, it will not overpower the other ingredients in your sandwich.
12. Pepper Jack cheese
Pepper Jack Cheese is a type of Monterey Jack Cheese. It has a light and buttery flavor. This soft- cheese is more on the spicy side due to ingredients like pepper and chili.
This cheese has a strong and spicy flavor. And it will not ruin your meal. On the contrary, it will enhance the taste of your turkey sandwich.
Then again, if you think the cheese is overpowering you can always mix it with a milder cheese.
Related Questions
Does turkey work with cheese?
Yes, turkey does work with the cheese. Furthermore, the cheese enhances the taste of the turkey in the sandwich.
Which cheese is best for cold sandwiches?
A softer cheese like Muenster cheese or Havarti cheese makes great choices for a cold sandwich. These two kinds of cheese have a buttery taste and will go with any sandwich.
What condiments are good on turkey sandwiches?
Mayonnaise, cream cheese, and cranberry sauce will go with your sandwich hand in hand. These condiments will make your turkey sandwich taste good.
