How to make Fromage Fort, a simple sensational cheese dip

Clean your cheese drawer to make delicious Fromage Fort. Serve hot or cold, a simple, sensational cheese dip or elegant appetizer.

If you are a cheese eater, you probably have leftover pieces that just sit there…waiting.

What to do with leftover cheese?

You think, there’s really not enough to do much with the hodge podge.

what to do with leftover cheese

inside my cheese drawer

STOP SCROLL
Voila! (french for there you are)

Fromage Fort, (french for strong cheese) is one way the French use leftover cheese. The beauty of this recipe is that nearly any cheese will do.

Best cheese for fromage fort

Any. Cheese. Will. Do.

The more variety, the better for this recipe. Use bits and pieces, knobs and chunks, shreds and shards of Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, Provolone, Fontina, Mozzarella, Camembert, goat cheese and blue cheese. I think blue cheese is a must, but a little goes a long way here. Blue can make the strong even stronger.

Last week I gathered all the odds and ends in the cheese drawer and repurposed it into a cheese dip which is also a company-worthy appetizer. I love making something out of nothing to reduce food waste so my frugal side couldn’t be happier!

How to make fromage fort

The ingredients

  • ½ pound cheese, trimmed of nonedible rind
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 12 tablespoons white wine
  • dash freshly ground pepper
  • dash of cayenne

Cut cheese into similar sizes.

what kind of cheese can be used in fromage fort? Try what you have.

coarsely grate or shred cheese

coarsely chop cheese for fromage fort

Pulse in food processor until everything is in small pieces

Add wine, pepper and cayenne, blend until smooth

Fromage Fort in food processor

Blend wine and spices until creamy

(Check out more recipes and tips to use what you have on hand and reduce food waste.)

how to use fromage fort? Spread on toasted crostini

How to use Fromage Fort

Fromage Fort is as versatile as it is delicious.

  • Serve it as a cheese dip with crackers or veggies. Snazz it up with artisan fruit crackers
  • Spread it on toasted bread slices and serve at room temperature.
  • Top a burger.
  • Spread it on baguette slices and then broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Broil in a heat-proof dish until the top is browned.
  • Fromage Fort can also be frozen. Wrap it tightly, thaw in refrigerator before serving at your next soiree.
  • Pairs well with cocktails, such as the Grapefruit Martini.

Can you freeze fromage fort?

Yes, er, oui. Seal in a container and freeze up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge.

Click on the green box to learn more

How to freeze cheese

If you don’t have enough cheese to make your Fromage Fort now (that’s too bad!), freeze cheese in an airtight container. When you are ready to use your cheese, place the cheese in the refrigerator and allow to thaw. For the most part, frozen cheese shreds easily, but when it thaws it crumbles, which makes it perfect of this recipe. Cheese can be frozen up to 6 months.

What about mold on cheese?

Mold on cheese isn’t always bad, it depends on the cheese.

  • Hard and semisoft cheeses sold in chunks or blocks such as Cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Colby, Gouda, Asiago, Edam, Brick, and Havarti. It’s safe to eat hard and semisoft cheeses that have mold on them because the mold cannot penetrate too deeply into the cheese.
  • Cut away at least 1 inch around the moldy area. Be careful that the knife doesn’t touch the mold, then you’re introducing more mold! Use a clean wrap or storage container.
  • Packaged shredded, sliced or crumbled cheese Throw out the entire package because the mold could have easily spread throughout the entire package of cheese, even if doesn’t appear obvious.
  • Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese. It is not safe to soft cheeses that have developed mold. The mold may have spread below the surface of the cheeses.
  • Some soft cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie, have a mold in the rind that is not harmful and is safe to eat. But if additional mold develops on these types of cheeses you toss it.

Looking for something hardier? Use a variety of cheeses in my favorite grilled cheese sandwich. Or check out more than a dozen ways to make toast special. Use Parmesan in these easy Parmesan Pepper Crisps.

P.S. Hungry for more healthy living tips and recipes? Sign up for my newsletter here.

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tray of fromage fort crostini

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Fromage Fort

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5 from 1 review

Clean your cheese drawer to make delicious Fromage Forte. Served hot or cold, no one will know you repurposed cheese to make such an elegant appetizer.

  • Author: Judy Barbe
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1.5 cups 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: food processor
  • Cuisine: French, American

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ pound cheese, trimmed of nonedible rind
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 12 tablespoons white wine
  • dash freshly ground pepper
  • dash of cayenne

Instructions

  • Cut cheese into 1/2-inch cubes and grate the hard cheeses, such as Parmesan. In a food processor, drop garlic into feed tube of running food processor to mince it. Turn off machine and add cheese. Pulse 8-10 times. Add wine, pepper and cayenne. Blend until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour for a firmer consistency. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 cup
  • Calories: 110

Fromage Fort | Repurpose cheese into an elegant, easy vegetarian dip or spread. Real food naturally. www.LiveBest.info

Fromage Fort | Repurpose cheese into an elegant, easy vegetarian dip or spread. Real food naturally. www.LiveBest.info

Comments

  1. I forgot about this recipe. Used to make it all the time in New England. Gotta do it again – so yum! I think my recipe used to use a bunch of butter. Like this better.

    1. Author

      Hi Serena,
      Yes, this is better without butter…more flavor. Have some in my freezer now. Thanks for the note!

  2. Ohmygoodness! Needed to use up some garden fresh tomatoes…thought about a tomato tart…the recipe called for a feta cheese layer…no thank you – I’m not a feta fan. I had chunks of swiss, white cheddar, and colby left over from a snacking fest. I was just shy of 1/2 lb., so I added a strip of string cheese. I am beyond thrilled at how tasty, and creamy, these little orphaned chunks of cheese, paired with a splash of wine turned out !! Please do yourself a favor – try this – DELISH!!






    1. Author

      Isn’t it great how ‘orphaned chunks’ turn into something even better?! Thanks for the note, Cheri!

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