It was fantastic on burgers (see Burger Mini-Panini Slider Bonanza!) and added a great punch of flavor to fish patties (see Crispy Fish Panini) – it’s about time I give Old Québec Vintage Cheddar its proper due in a Cheese, Please! post.

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If you come to dinner at my house, there’s a really good chance you’ll encounter a “dress-your-own” component in at least one of the courses.  The main reason is that I firmly believe that dinner guests are entitled to be served something they’d like to eat!  How many times have you been invited to someone’s house and, as appreciative as you are for the invitation, you just don’t dig lamb, or super-spicy food, or Paula Deen butterbombs?  I just can’t bear the thought of doing that to friends (although I know I probably have…sigh).  And while you can’t make all of the people happy all of the time, I think the dress-your-own approach, where you give folks the choice of how to dress up their food, at least raises the chance that they’ll like what they eat.

Even though it was just the two of us for the 4th of July this year (three, if you count the young lady having oatmeal and puréed pears), my husband and I had a blast dressing up our mini-panini hamburger sliders with some “new” cheeses, a variety of condiments and other fun toppings.  Why eat just one burger when you can take on a bunch of little ones?!?  I’m going to have to go back and write up the individual cheeses we used – Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar, Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes Original Blue – for the Cheese, Please! series, because they were all fantastic.  But for now, I’ll tell you a little more about the delicious combinations we came up with.

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Red Dragon, with its robust cheddar, mustard and ale flavors, would make a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich on its own (read my “review” of this great cheese!).  In fact, I broiled a few open-faced ones for breakfast last week!  But since the point of my Cheese, Please! series is not only to find great cheeses for panini but also to identify delicious complementary fillings, I looked to hearty roast beef and fresh, peppery arugula to round out my Red Dragon panini.

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For this next installment of my Cheese, Please! series, I decided to do a little “research” at my local cheese shop, Venissimo. I told the ladies behind the counter that I was looking to expand my repertoire of cheeses that might melt well in panini and the samples started rolling in one after another.  It was terrific!

When we got to a sample called “Red Dragon” I braced myself for a dose of muy caliente, burn-my-lips-off, four-alarm spiciness.  I’m pleased to report my lips are still intact. It turns out the name actually is derived from the red dragon emblem on the Welsh flag.  The cheese itself actually isn’t hot.  Phew!

Covered in bright red wax, Red Dragon is a Welsh cheddar-style cheese made with mustard seeds and Welsh ale.  It’s got a buttery flavor combined with a sharp, tangy bite that I found to be really appealing.  It’s almost like having your condiment and your cheese all rolled into one, with the inclusion of the mustard.  I knew right away that it would taste great on any sandwich where I might normally use cheddar and mustard – such as with roast beef, ham or turkey.

Since Red Dragon is made with beer, it’s known to pair well with beer too.  I’ve seen recommendations for both pale and dark ales.  My recommendation would be to try it with both.

Click here for my Red Dragon, Roast Beef & Arugula Panini recipe!

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What better way to learn about different cheeses for panini than from a cheese shop? I recently had the most wonderful time “cheese-ing” with my sister at Venissimo in Mission Hills.  They brought out an endless stream of meltable options for us to try: Raclette, Etorki, Gruyère, Habanero Jack, Red Dragon…I could barely keep up with my notetaking with all of this goodness coming my way.  In between nibbles it occurred to me that you all would love the experience just as much as I did.  So I decided to pull together a Cheese Shop Directory. Go ahead and give it a try!  Find a shop in your local area, taste some samples and bring home some great “new” cheeses to take your panini to the next level.

> Find your local cheese shop in the Cheese Shop Directory

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I may have a new favorite sandwich.  Now, I have enjoyed all of the panini on my blog or I wouldn’t have written them up (trust me, there a number that will never be repeated!), but today’s Emmental, Honey & Ham Panini was especially tasty.  Can’t-put-it-down good.  And it all hinged on the terrific flavor and texture of the Emmental cheese.  I’m definitely glad I decided to expand my cheese repertoire and launch my “Cheese, Please!” series.  If you missed it, you can read my post about the wonderful Emmental here.

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In my recent Panini Happy reader survey, I asked what your favorite sandwich ingredients were.  Would you believe how many of you responded, “Cheese, cheese and more cheese!”?  Wow! Well, I love cheese too.  Although sandwiches don’t have to contain cheese to be deemed “panini”, you’ve probably noticed that pretty much all of mine do.

So I’ve decided to make cheese the focus of my panini for a little while and start a new series called “Cheese, Please!”.  I’m filing it under Panini 101, since an exploration of panini ingredients should definitely be part of one’s panini education   My primary criterion: meltability.  If it tastes good and melts well, then it’s probably a great candidate for inclusion in panini.  We’ll learn a little about each cheese, where it’s from, how it’s made and what to pair it with.  And, of course, I’ll do a panini recipe.  First up: Emmental!

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