Bushra Griffith
Queso panela is a versatile Mexican cheese with a mildly tangy flavour and a creamy texture. It's a cow's milk cheese with a firm, flexible texture that doesn't melt when heated, making it ideal for grilling, frying, and baking. It can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads to sandwiches, soups, and even grilled with salsa. Its unique texture and mild flavour make it a popular ingredient in traditional Mexican dishes like quesadillas, chiles rellenos, and Panela a la Mexicana, a vibrant breakfast dish with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and a fried egg. With its low-fat content and ability to absorb other flavours, panela cheese is a versatile and healthy option for cooks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Firm, flexible, semi-soft, smooth, and moist |
| Taste | Mild, slightly salty, and tangy |
| Melting properties | Does not melt, only softens when heated |
| Colour | White |
| Type of milk used | Cow's milk |
| Use cases | Can be crumbled on top of a salad, grilled, fried, baked, or eaten plain |
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What You'll Learn
Panela cheese as a salad topping
Panela cheese is a versatile Mexican cheese with a mild flavour and soft texture. It is an excellent choice for adding to salads due to its unique characteristics. Here are some ways to use panela cheese as a salad topping:
Crumble or Grate as a Topping
Panela cheese can be crumbled or grated over a salad as a topping. Its mild, milky, and tangy flavour adds a delicious touch to the salad without being overpowering. The cheese also has a soft and crumbly texture, making it easy to sprinkle over other ingredients.
Fry or Grill for a Crispy Topping
Panela cheese's high melting point makes it ideal for grilling or frying. When cooked, the cheese crisps up and turns golden brown without melting, creating a crunchy texture that complements the softness of the salad ingredients. You can fry or grill the cheese in slices, cubes, or crumbles, and then add it to your salad for a warm and crispy element.
Marinate for Enhanced Flavour
To take your salad to the next level, try marinating the panela cheese before using it as a topping. Create a marinade by combining oil with herbs and spices of your choice. Poke small holes in the cheese to help it absorb the flavours better, then coat it with the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. After marinating, you can bake, grill, or fry the cheese before adding it to your salad for a burst of flavour.
Pair with Complementary Ingredients
Panela cheese pairs well with various ingredients that can be incorporated into your salad. For example, nuts like pistachios add a crunchy texture and a boost of flavour. Cumin seeds bring warmth and earthiness to the dish. Fresh herbs like cilantro, lemon zest, and lime zest add a bright and aromatic touch. Experiment with different combinations of ingredients to create unique and tasty salads with panela cheese as the star topping.
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Baked panela cheese
Ingredients:
- Panela cheese
- Olive oil
- Herbs and spices of your choice
- Keto tortilla chips, rustic bread, or corn chips for serving
Method:
Start by draining the cheese and setting it aside. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil with your chosen herbs and spices. Create small holes all over the cheese to allow the seasoning to absorb better. Place the cheese in the bowl and coat it thoroughly with the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the cheese marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or even overnight for a more intense flavour.
When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 190°C or 375°F. Place the marinated cheese in an oven-safe dish and bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 20 minutes. The cheese will become soft and gooey, but it won't melt completely, retaining its shape.
Remove the baked panela cheese from the oven and let it cool slightly. Serve warm with keto tortilla chips, rustic bread, or corn chips for dipping. Enjoy the delicious, creamy, and indulgent treat!
Tips:
- You can adjust the amount of herbs and spices according to your taste preferences.
- If you're short on time, an hour of marination will still deliver a tasty result, but overnight marination will enhance the flavour even more.
- As the cheese cools, it will start to firm up, so it's best enjoyed warm.
- If you can't find panela cheese, you can use queso blanco, queso fresco, or even feta cheese as substitutes.
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Panela cheese in soups
Panela cheese is a Mexican firm, fresh, semi-soft, white cow's milk cheese that is fantastic for baking, grilling, and frying. It is a versatile cheese that can be crumbled on top of a salad, enjoyed by itself, or used as a sandwich filling. It is also a great substitute for halloumi.
When used in soups, panela cheese adds a creamy texture without dissolving. This is because it softens when heated but does not melt entirely. Its unique texture allows it to absorb the flavours of the soup without losing its form.
To prepare the cheese for soups, you can cut it into cubes or thick slices. If you want to add extra flavour, you can marinate the cheese with herbs and spices. Poke little holes all around the cheese to help the seasoning absorb better. Place the cheese in a bowl with the oil and spice mixture and coat the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.
When adding the cheese to the soup, reduce the heat to low and add the cheese cubes. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the cheese softens. You can also grate the cheese and sprinkle it on top of the soup as a topping.
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Fried panela cheese
Panela is a versatile Mexican cheese that can be fried, grilled, baked, or crumbled on top of a salad. It is a semi-soft, white, cow's milk cheese made from skim milk. It is firm, flexible, and does not melt when heated.
To fry panela cheese, start by patting the cheese dry with a paper towel to minimize splattering during cooking. Next, heat butter, bacon fat, or oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. You can also use a high smoke point oil of your choice, or even no oil at all, depending on the flavour you want to impart. Once the pan is hot, add the panela cheese, ensuring it gets a good layer of melted fat underneath. Fry the cheese for about 3 minutes or until it forms a crust, then flip and cook for another minute or so, until both sides are nicely browned and crusty. If you are frying sticks or croutons, turn them to get a crust on all sides.
The ideal level of frying varies from person to person. Some prefer their fried cheese lightly golden and melty, while others like it crispier and darker. You can also coat the cheese with corn starch before frying to help it retain its shape. Once cooked, sprinkle the fried cheese with dried herbs if desired. Serve with keto marinara sauce, salsa, or lime juice and cilantro as a simple appetizer, or use it as a salad topping. Fried panela cheese can also be used as a base for eggs Benedict or as a tortilla in dishes like huevos rancheros.
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Grilled panela cheese
Preparation
Before grilling, panela cheese can be marinated in a mixture of oil and herbs and spices. Poke holes in the cheese to help the seasoning absorb better. Coat the cheese in the mixture, cover it, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or even overnight.
Grilling
When grilling panela cheese, it is important to note that it holds its shape well. You can grill slices of the cheese until they are browned on both sides, typically about 1-2 minutes per side.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it as a simple appetizer with lime juice and cilantro.
- Spread it on tortilla chips or crackers.
- Use it as a sandwich filling or add it to a salad.
- Serve it with warm tortillas and a roasted tomatillo and poblano salsa. Grill the tomatillos and poblanos first, then puree them into a salsa to give it a roasted flavor. Add an onion and cilantro topping for extra freshness and texture.
With its mild and fresh flavor, grilled panela cheese is a versatile ingredient that can enhance a variety of dishes.
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Frequently asked questions
Panela cheese is a versatile Mexican cheese with a mild flavour and a firm but smooth texture. It can be sliced, cubed, grated, crumbled, baked, grilled or fried. It softens when heated but does not melt, making it a great addition to hot dishes.
Panela cheese goes well with fresh fruit, corn chips, rustic bread, tortillas, salsa, and eggs. It can also be used in salads, soups, sandwiches, quesadillas, and tacos.
Panela cheese can be used in a variety of recipes, including Panela a la Mexicana, which combines the cheese with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, a fried egg, and refried beans. It can also be stuffed into mushrooms with chorizo and cream cheese, coated with oil and spices and baked, or layered in a lasagna with roasted vegetables.
Panela cheese can typically be found in the Latin food section of most grocery stores. It may be labelled as queso blanco, queso fresco, or queso canasta.
