The Rare Winter Cheese To Pick Up At Trader Joe's — It Will Transform Your Potatoes

Regardless of the season, Trader Joe's is a popular place to shop for festive and niche food items. Though, apart from the standard lineup of unique Trader Joe's cheeses that deserve a spot on your next charcuterie board, there are also select cheeses available exclusively around the winter holidays. Especially if you've been on the hunt for a bold-flavored cheese that has supreme melting capabilities, look no further than raclette.

A signature food staple of certain Alpine communities in Switzerland, France, and some parts of Italy, raclette is a soft cow's milk cheese that has a nutty, somewhat earthy flavor similar to Swiss cheese. Yet, the term raclette comes from the French word "racler" which means "to scrape," signifying raclette's primary use. Sure enough, this semi-pungent cheese is primarily enjoyed melted and served over select foods like ham, pickles, and potatoes.

Fortunately, if you're looking for a comforting snack to keep you warm this winter, Trader Joe's is now offering 8.8 ounce packages of sliced raclette for $6.99 — a big deal considering this hard-to-find cheese isn't sold at most grocery stores. Better yet, why not use this seasonal cheese to upgrade your next batch of holiday potatoes? While most of the time, the best way to incorporate stinky cheeses into your cooking is to combine them with more mild-flavored varieties like Colby or mozzarella, raclette tastes delicious on its own when melted and poured over cooked potatoes. Not to mention, classic raclette potatoes are easy to make and can accommodate a variety of extra ingredients.

Besides using raclette to upgrade your favorite roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic, for a more traditional side, start by adding small, cooked red or gold potatoes to an oven-safe casserole dish. From here, add slices of raclette and then pop the dish under your broiler for up to five minutes. Once the cheese is sufficiently melted and bubbly, serve the potatoes with pickled cucumbers and diced ham. For something a bit different with a little extra flavor, scoop out some of the potato flesh and fill each skin with raclette and mixed herbs, then bake until gooey. 

If you plan on offering raclette to a large number of dinner guests, include this cheese in a self-serve fondue dipping station. Simply melt raclette slices in a small cast iron pan and then place the pan on a hot pad near all potential food pairings. Feel free to offer this cheese in tandem with another seasonal selection from TJ's like Trader Jacques' La Fondue. When heated, this succinct blend of Gruyère, Emmental, and Comté cheeses is another perfect melting cheese for serving and dipping. And speaking of favorable food pairings, serve TJ's raclette cheese and other melty varieties with crostini, buttery crackers, fresh fruit like apples or pears, nuts, and cured meats like salami or ham.