Touchdown Thursdays: Jalapeno-Lime Marinated Cheese Salad

A cheese salad?!  Yep… All cheese… All the time!

This salad turned lifesaver after a tubing trip this summer, and I’m sure it will do the same at your football gatherings.

The lime, jalapeno and cilantro in this salad pack a serious flavor punch.  And then there’s cheese.  Creamy, beautiful, wonderful cheese.  I’d like to amend Ben Franklin’s statement… Beer AND cheese are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

My only recommendations are that you let this guy marinate.  It IS a marinated cheese salad of course.  But seriously, the longer you let these ingredients get friendly, the happier they and you will be – the cheese gets softer, and the pickling really happens.  I put this in a plastic container and shake it, frequently.  I know that sounds weird but in my mind it helps evenly distribute the pickling liquid.

The leftovers are great on a real salad, yes, the leafy nutrient kind.  I’m dying to put some on a ham, turkey, salami sandwich and press it – panini style.  Chances are, it’d be pretty awesome!

Jalapeno-Lime Marinated Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 (8-ounce) packages sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Tortilla chips

Directions:

In a shallow dish, place cheeses and jalapeño pepper.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, cumin, and garlic, whisking to combine. Gradually whisk in oil. Stir in bell pepper and cilantro. Pour over cheese.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Serve with tortilla chips.

From Taste of the South Magazine