Raclette Cheese: Perfect Pairings For A Melty Feast

Raclette is a Swiss dish that involves melting cheese and scraping it onto bread or boiled potatoes. It is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, pickles, and cured meats. Raclette cheese is made from cow's milk and has a distinctive smell and sweet, salty, nutty flavour. It is often used as a melted cheese with white wine on meat and vegetable dishes. It can also be used on pasta, pizza, and sandwiches.

So what goes well with raclette cheese?

Meat and bread

When it comes to meat and bread, there are several options that go well with raclette cheese. Here are some ideas:

Meat

Raclette is a traditional Swiss dish that is often served with cured meats such as ham, salami, or prosciutto. Bacon is also a popular choice to accompany raclette cheese, and can be sliced and served on the side or cooked on the raclette grill. If you're cooking at the table, you could also try grilling sausages along with your cheese.

Bread

Bread is a must-have when serving raclette. The best type of bread to use is a French baguette or small bread rolls. You can scrape the melted cheese onto the bread, or dip the bread into the melted cheese if you're having fondue.

When hosting a raclette party, it's a good idea to provide a variety of meats and breads, along with other ingredients such as boiled potatoes, pickled items, and vegetables. This way, your guests can create their own combinations and enjoy the interactive and social experience of sharing a raclette meal.

Salads

Green Salad with Vegetables

A simple green salad with leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, or arugula can be a refreshing accompaniment to the rich raclette cheese. You can add some sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, and bell peppers to the salad for extra flavour and texture. Additionally, you can include some sliced onions or pickled red onions for a tangy twist. For the dressing, a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a hint of Dijon mustard can tie the salad together.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and adds a depth of flavour to the salad. You can choose vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Simply toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them in the oven until tender. Once they are cooked, let them cool slightly and then arrange them on a bed of mixed greens. Drizzle with a tangy vinaigrette or a creamy yogurt-based dressing. This salad provides a nice contrast to the melted raclette cheese.

Potato Salad

Potatoes are a classic pairing with raclette cheese, and a potato salad can be a delicious and hearty option. Boil some small potatoes until fork-tender, and then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Add some chopped green onions, celery, and parsley to the potatoes. For the dressing, mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a splash of vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together, and you have a creamy and flavourful potato salad. This salad goes well with the melted cheese and provides a nice contrast in temperature.

Bean Salad

A bean salad can be a protein-packed and colourful addition to your raclette cheese meal. You can use canned beans such as kidney beans, cannellini beans, and chickpeas, or cook your own from dried beans. Toss the beans with some diced red onions, chopped bell peppers, and chopped fresh parsley or basil. For the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. This bean salad offers a variety of textures and flavours that can stand up to the richness of the raclette cheese.

Fruit Salad

A fruit salad can provide a refreshing contrast to the savoury and creamy raclette cheese. Choose seasonal fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, and oranges. Chop the fruits into bite-sized pieces and toss them together. You can also add some chopped mint or basil for an extra flavour boost. If you like, you can drizzle the fruit salad with a simple dressing made of honey and lemon juice. This salad will cleanse the palate and provide a sweet finish to your raclette cheese experience.

Sausages and vegetables

When preparing vegetables to serve with raclette, thin slices are best. Mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions are all great options as they take on flavour well and have a texture that works perfectly with the creamy, melted cheese. Potatoes are also a classic side dish to serve with raclette. Boil them until they are fork-tender, and then keep them warm until serving.

If you're looking to add some spice to your meal, sliced jalapeno peppers or other spicy peppers can be a great addition to the vegetable selection. Just be sure to let your guests know that there's an extra kick to the dish!

When it comes to sausages, a variety of options can work well. Classic sausage types such as bratwurst, kielbasa, or Italian sausage are all great choices and will pair nicely with the raclette cheese. If you're feeling adventurous, you could also try something more exotic like a chicken apple sausage or a spicy andouille sausage. Just be mindful of the spice level, especially if you're serving the raclette with other spicy elements like jalapenos.

To elevate the dish even further, you can offer a selection of mustards and sauces to accompany the sausages and vegetables. A tangy Dijon mustard or a sweet and savoury honey mustard can add a nice contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. A homemade tzatziki sauce, made with yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper, is also a perfect pairing and will help to refresh the palate between bites.

White wine or light beer

Raclette is a traditional Swiss dish made of melted cheese served with boiled potatoes, pickles, and cured meats. The cheese is traditionally melted near a fire and then scraped onto bread or potatoes. A dry white wine or light beer is the perfect pairing for raclette cheese if you are hosting a raclette dinner party.

The Swiss, Germans, and Austrians eat raclette regularly in winter, and it has become an increasingly popular dish to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve. Raclette is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is originally from Switzerland but is also made in France and the US. The cheese is famous in Mediterranean dishes and originated in a mountainous area between Switzerland and France. Raclette has the distinctive smell of Swiss cheese and the taste of soft French cheese.

Raclette cheese is the traditional choice for this dish, but if you can't find it, you can use another kind of Swiss cheese, like Emmental or Gruyere. Even cheddar will do in a pinch—you just need a good cheese that melts nicely. If you're not in a hurry and want to host a traditional raclette party with a giant Swiss raclette wheel, you can order the cheese online.

For a raclette dinner party, the cheese is typically served with boiled or steamed potatoes and various charcuteries. Small white potatoes, Yukon gold, or fingerling varieties are ideal. Some pickled items like cornichons, gherkins, olives, and pickled onions are also great to serve on the side. Along with cured meats like ham, salami, or prosciutto, which are also usual accompaniments.

A modern twist on the raclette dinner could include cooking sausages or veggies on top of the grill, if you are cooking at the table instead of under the broiler. You could also keep it simple with a salad served on the side.

Other types of cheese

There are several other types of cheese that go well with raclette cheese. Here are some options:

Gouda is a traditional cow's milk cheese with a mild and tangy flavour. It melts very well, making it a good option for raclette dishes.

Havarti, a Danish-style semi-soft cow's milk cheese, has a buttery, sweet, and acidic flavour. It can be grilled or melted, making it versatile for raclette dishes.

Muenster is an American semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a pale colour and smooth texture. It usually has a very mild flavour and soft, creamy texture. Muenster melts very well, making it ideal for raclette dishes.

Cheddar, a firm cow's milk cheese, ranges in colour from white to yellow or orange. It has a creamy consistency with a few holes and offers acidic and nutty flavours. Cheddar melts very well, making it a suitable option for raclette.

Gruyère is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese that ranges in colour from ivory to yellow with scattered holes. Its flavour varies from sweet and slightly salty to earthy and nutty, depending on its age. Gruyère melts very well, making it a good choice for raclette dishes.

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