Aside from Parmesan there’s no cheese that you can assume to be in my fridge. I’m loaded up on mozzarella right now for pizza making so I’d include that, maybe some provolone to add some interest. Cheddar would make my wife happy. Does American count? I’m having a harder time coming up with five than limiting myself to five!

Cheddar, real English, -everything

Mozzarella - pizza

Camembert - nibbling after dinner with a glass of wine

Feta - spanakopita, yotam ottolenghi's oven chips! (So naughty but good)

Stilton- best blue cheese.

So, this is cheese, right? Not milk? So I could make my own ricotta, hoop cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, etc.? I'll forego rennet and specific cheesemaking supplies because with that, theoretically, I could make any cheese.

1. (Don't laugh!) American (quality, not plastic singles). It has the calcium stearate that makes melty gooeyness and it can transfer it to other cheeses and sauces.

** I'd rather have romano or asiago than parm, but whatever, as long as I can have the rinds, too.

2. Emmenthaler--works on pizza in a pinch, and who doesn't love good Swiss cheese?

3. Delice de Bourgogne

4. Extra sharp cheddar

5. Aged gouda

I can do a lot with those cheeses, but I think being limited to five cheeses is mean! And how come you get pairs?

Couldn't we just make it the cheeses we have on hand?

I could manage with your choices, Lars.

ricotta

mozzarella

sharp cheddar

swiss

parmesan/asiago

Sharp cheddar

Feta

Swiss

Mozzarella

Havarti (my favorite snack, Havarti on a Triscuit)

Extra Sharp Cheddar but not English

Parma di Reggiano

Swiss, aged

Smoked provolone or gouda

Mozzarella

Feta

Cheddar

Mozzerella

Provolone

(Hangs head)

Cream cheese

American

I need them all...

Cheddar

Feta

Cottage :)

Cream

Swiss

ETA, I'm in a dairy county and the locally made cheeses are cheddar and cottage cheese. I often drive past the Chobani yogurt plant around the holidays. :)

Extra Sharp Cheddar

Something Parm-ish (Parm, Asiago, P-R)

Brie (something soft to nibble)

Provolone

Kraft American Deli Deluxe Singles

I'd have a hard time keeping it to only five :-) But the following are the ones I'd get freaky about if I ran out completely and couldn't easily get more.

Kraft American Deli Deluxe Singles - my go-to for grilled cheese and melts

Cotswold - my favorite snacking/nibbling cheese

Blue cheese - any kind...Rouquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Maytag. Blue cheese is just a cheese staple in my life.

Herbed chevre - for salads, bruschetta, quiches

Medium cheddar - mostly for cooking

Since Lars excluded Parm, I left that off but there is always some sort of hard aged Italian around.....parmesan, asiago, pecorino romano, etc.

Manchego, gorgonzola dolce, Greek feta if I have ripe tomatoes, a mild French goat cheese, and cream cheese I guess. I do need a sixth – Monterey Jack.

Except for the cream cheese, I'm the only one who likes these, so really I'd have to stock different ones. We have almost no overlap of our favorite cheeses.

Since Parmesan is a given (thank goodness!) I'd choose the sharpest cheddar, any kind of bleu, feta, smoked gouda and panela.

I listed some of them in pairs because I could have one or the other - not both. If I can't have Mozzarella, I could substitute Fontina.

In reality, I do have more than five in my refrigerator at the moment, and that includes both feta and Roquefort, but I don't use them as much as the others. I also have Romano and Gouda in addition to Parmesan. I have some Oaxacan string cheese as well, but I consider that to be pretty much identical to Mozzarella.

It seems like cheddar is on everyone's list except Christine's, but I could substitute Monterey Jack or Gouda for that in my list. These seem to be the most versatile and easy to use cheeses.

Okay, I can kind of see the substitution of mozzarella vs. fontina, but provalone/asiago threw me off.

So, for a good lasagna, I use at least mozzarella, fontina, provolone, ricotta and romano. Each has a different role. I also use a combination of cheeses for pizza, bourekes, mac and cheese or pasta with cheese sauce, fondu, or really any cheese dish. Even on a sandwich.

For my list, I chose five different, very flavorful cheeses, but it's in combination that cooked cheeses shine.

6 weeks ago, (wow how time flies), we were a bit low on cheeses. Always have a bit of this and that. Small 1/4 pound favorite amounts from the cheese monger or a block of cheddar from Costco. No worries as I could always make my own but no milk available.

We could do without...until we realized how much we rely on some cheeses if even so little. The circled was what we had. Parm, a pound of motz, and half pound of butter. (just last night finished the parm. the rind is in the freezer for soups).

No one back then was social distancing or wearing masks. We went for on-line delivery services having not done much of that before. Secured a date but most of the order was missing key ingredients. Ordered igourmet, then a fancy food wholesaler opened up to home delivery, (thank you Baldor!)

That was a couple stressful days. Looking what room we had in fridge/freezer. We went for long shelf life. Cryovac packaging, or wax coatings. So thrilled I did that. Fridge and freezer are not stuffed at all. Something comes out and a bit goes in.

I have an advanced order from igourmet coming end of next week. Even well stocked, most of what we have has a shelf life, un-opened, next sept/fall.

Sad times. Stay home, be safe.

I could get 6 gallons of milk next Friday but would have to plan a cheese making day once delivered. I have dry goat, reg milk, and buttermilk in the freezer. I could keep the milk in a cooler with ice packs for a few days. Wondering if I could get excited about cheese making right now. Though nice to have the knowledge and experience if needed.

.

Humbolt fog

Sharp cheddar

Feta

soft goat (the kind that comes in a log)

Manchego

Pecorino instead of Parmesan

Mild cheddar

sliced American

Velveeta

Mozzarella

Monterey Jack

If I could add two more, it would be ricotta and cream cheese.

I did not bring my cheese-making ingredients with me, as I plan to spend more time sewing than cooking, but I do have my Foodsaver here, and that can help cheese last a bit longer, especially the softer cheeses like Mozzarella and Fontina. I do use it for Swiss and Gouda, unless I plan to consume those fairly quickly, and that is something that is somewhat difficult to predict.

I buy sharp Provolone, which I find has a similar flavor to Asiago, and so I can substitute Asiago in lasagna. I will have to buy ricotta if I plan to make it, as I am not equipped here to make it at this time.

Well, I would head straight to Trader Joe's and get:

Cheddar--that's the all-around cheese I use for frittata and other breakfast dishes when I don't really want to think about cheese.

Blue cheese--I nibble on that and my family likes it in salads and on burgers/steaks.

Gruyere--TJ's has a wonderful variety (I forgot the brand but know it when I see it). I like this with crackers and fruit.

Mozzarella for melting and to serve with basil/tomato/olive combos.

Pepper Jack--I don't care for this, but my family loves it on sandwiches.

My absolute favorite cheese is brie but I can polish off a wheel like no one's business, so I'd have to resist that during quarantine.

We have several different kinds of Brie at the moment, including Délice de Bourgogne, which is a triple cream cheese similar to Brie. My brother prefers Camembert, and so we have that also. We don't feel deprived as long as we have these, but we do have to drive to neighboring Rancho Mirage to get them. It's the same distance (5 miles) as the nearest Trader Joe's in Cathedral City. We haven't been there yet because I expect it to be more crowded, but we might have to pay a visit and see if they have the crackers I want.

I'll play!

Cheddar, mozzarella, any blue, any triple creme, Jarlsberg.

Pecorino Romano

Sharp White Cheddar

Parmesan

During the winter holidays I'd add Trader Joe's Baked Lemon Ricotta.

Colby

Swiss

Smoked Provolone

Romano

Colby

Not truly a cheddar but makes the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Ever: Mature Red Leicester (I have to get this from iGourmet)

Fontal - also from iGourmet - melts beautifully and is also good sliced on crackers

Colby-Jack

Those would be for me. For DH:

Velveeta

American

What can I say, I don't think he has any taste buds.

I did not list my other fave because it has no shelf life: Mozzarella di Bufula; if you don't eat it by the day after you get it, it's not so good.

Fun to see what everyone chooses!

I say

Brie or D’Affinois

Feta

Gouda

Swiss

Cream Cheese

The brie or d’Affinois is a must. If I could have only one, this would be it. The Feta is irreplaceable for salads and tomatoes, none of my other cheeses have that tangy taste. Cream is unique and absolutely needed for some recipes. I figure the Gouda and Swiss can be blended to make varying flavours, as could Cheddar and Swiss but I really like Gouda better than Cheddar. Oh gosh, maybe Gruyere instead of Gouda.

SWMBO says

D’affinois

Swiss

Sharp Cheddar

Goat

Gorgonzola

But she left in a mini huff when informed she could not have cream cheese without giving up one of those.

Ricotta

Feta

Manchego

Cheddar

Jarlsburg

Five only? That is a travesty.

sharp cheddar

Brie

Mozzarella

Feta

Pecorino

(In reality, right now we also have all of the above plus gruyere, comte, goat cheese, Boursin, machego, St. Nectaire, Port Salut, swiss, gouda, raclette, cottage, cream, jack, a mexican blend, medium chedder. I just used some rebluchon-like cheese for tartiflette)

Extra Sharp Cheddar

French Feta (always!)

Brie

Blue (such as Bleu d'Auvergne)

Parmesan

We have an awesome cheese store nearby where you can sample before buying. It can be pricey but well worth it. I do buy a lot of cheese at TJ's. Really fond of their Cotswold Double Gloucester and Havarti Dill.

Chloebud I am insanely jealous. Wish we had a TJ's anywhere near here. iGourmet has been out of Double Gloucester for months. I'm really craving some!

Edie, it's so good! I keep thinking it would be good melted into mashed potatoes. Gotta try that sometime.

pecorino

triple cream brie

feta

gruyere

mascarpone

Cheddar it can be medium, sharp or extra-sharp preferably all three

Danish blue cheese.

Emmenthaler

Goat feta

Brie

Edam

Gruyere (I use a lot of it)

Parmesan

Gorgonzola

Chaource (hard to find, so brie would be a second choice)

Mozzarella (for cooking, not on its own)

This thread made me think about cheeses I haven't had often but really like. Abbaye de Belloc came to mind. It's a sheep's milk cheese made in the French Pyrenees. I searched the web and found it's no longer here. Not banned; it's a raw milk cheese but it's aged. But the monks who make it decided not to jump through the hoops the FDA requires anymore. This is really too bad. The article I read is from two years ago so I'm hoping that was temporary, but I doubt it.

http://www.janetfletcher.com/blog/2018/3/10/gone-for-good