Besides their God-given talent for being the absolute best, Trader Joe’s has a special talent for inventing brand new amazing food products that seem utterly useless until we try them and realize we’d been missing them our whole lives. An example of this phenomenon is “bread cheese,” and fans of garlic bread will be especially excited to learn that their previously-discontinued Garlic Bread Cheese is making a comeback.
So what exactly is “bread cheese”? Is it bread? Is it cheese? Neither? Both? Basically, it’s a block of pre-baked cheese that feels and tastes like “squishy, melty, mozzarella-like cheese” when you microwave it, according to Sporked writer Danny Palumbo who tried their Pizza Bread Cheese version and loved it. He said, “Think of it like eating the inside of a mozzarella stick without the breading.” Okay. I kinda get it now?
So how does Mr. Trader Joe himself describe this cheese? Well, according to the package, it is “mild cow’s milk cheese seasoned with garlic powder & baked until golden brown.” Good lord! Essentially, it’s cheese that was baked until browned and bubbly, then cooled off, then presented to us for consumption (or worship, let’s be honest, it’s a garlic bread-flavored cheese for cryin’ out loud). On Instagram, @traderjoeslist described this cheese as “firm cheese that retains its firmness and becomes chewier when cooked in a frying pan or on the grill.” Weird! But also, divine?
So how do people actually consume the stuff? Danny microwaved his Pizza Bread Cheese and dipped it in ranch. A commenter on the @traderjoeslist post said she likes to grill it and serve it with hot honey. Genius. And @traderjoeslist recommends putting it on salads, toast, or bruschetta. It seems like the possibilities truly are endless for this laws of physics-defying cheese. I may just have to go pick up some of this new Garlic Bread Cheese this week, because y’all know I’m always looking for any excuse to visit my beloved Trader Joe’s.
