Best Cheese w/ Chili con Carne?

[Ellyn]

Let's say the carne in question is beef.

I've been a horrible boor and just been using cheese spread because of its sharp and salty flavor that I think counteracts the spiciness really well.

But I'd like to use real cheese... Edam might be the closest, but it's a little expensive. Maybe extra sharp cheddar?

What would you use?

 

[crimsonghost747]

Just try different ones and see which is the best in your opinion? Edam is quite a lightly flavoured one, I think you'd be better of with something a bit stronger like gouda or cheddar.

I don't use cheese since I think it doesn't really fit well into the dish. But those two are the ones I'd try first.

 

[lizzief79]

There are two types of cheese that I use on chilli con carne. The first is cheddar. I grate it over the top and it melts into a nice stringy consistency. The other is Lancashire crumbly. I am not sure about the availability of this across the world though. It is produced in the area of the UK that I live. It has a crumbly texture that softens rather than melts when heated. It has a bit of a tang to the flavor.

 

[OhioTom76]

Personally, I would go with a Monterey Jack of some sort. Preferably a more aged one that is not so moist. I love the tanginess of it as well as the creaminess. It also adds a little more contrast visually. Even better would be a pepper jack cheese such as Cabot's Habanero cheese. It's basically an aged Monterey Jack with bits of Habanero in it. It is amazing because the cheese really counters the heat nicely and the peppery flavor stands out without it burning the crap out of your mouth. I love sharp cheddar, but I eat so much of it, that once in a while I look for some other alternatives for a change of pace.

 

[Jade]

I use sharp cheddar because it seems like the most common and it does blend well enough with chilli anyway. Sometimes I'd use or add some Laughing Cow cream cheese because it's my favorite and the flavor is muted enough not to interfere with the chili flavor.