Cheeses That Are Good on Cheeseburgers

by Katie Sweeney 1

When I think of classic cheeseburgers, orange cheese, like slices of America or cheddar cheese, come to mind. This cheeseburger is found in every fast food joint across the nation, but if you're making a cheeseburger at home, why not think outside the box and melt on a different kind of cheese? Here are some unexpected suggestions:

• Pimento cheese: Spread a liberal tablespoon or two of the Southern condiment, which is made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and pimentos, on top of pork or beef burgers. It will melt onto the patty and provide the burger with a nice creaminess.
• Parmesan cheese: It's commonly associated with pasta, but why not shave some of this cow's milk cheese on a burger? Parmesan would pair with a burger that's seasoned, like meatballs, and topped with tomato sauce instead of ketchup. Or, for a special crunch, bake disks of grated parmesan until brown and put the cheese crisps on the burger just before serving.
• Nacho cheese: Bobby Flay's burger, with a creamy nacho cheese sauce, was the talk of Rachael Ray's Burger Bash last year at the New York City Wine and Food Festival. It won him the people's choice award and will win you raves with your family.

Keep reading for more cheesy ideas!

• Brie: Fill a burger with brie and you've got a gourmet version of the Jucy Lucy!
• Mozzarella: Add bits of pepperoni to the patty mixture before grilling it, then top with mozzarella cheese. The flavors imitate those found in pizza.
• Manchego: This sheep's milk cheese from Spain is hard and salty, but also great for melting. Put it on top of a pork burger with roasted red peppers.
• Blue cheese: A favorite among high end restaurants, stilton, roquefort, and gorgonzola are delicious on beef burgers that are topped with sautéed mushrooms.
• Pepper jack: Add a fiery kick to a burger by melting on a thick layer of pepper Jack cheese.

When making cheeseburgers, what kind of cheese do you prefer?

Source: Flickr User joshbousel