Meister Banana Pepper Jack Cheese Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid or sponsored review. These are my own weird little opinions. I have no affiliation with either Costco or Meister. Nope-nopity-nope.
Do happy cows make better cheese?
If you see this cheese in your local Costco, you should buy it. Because I said so. Just do it.
As a single person on a budget, buying an entire pound of mystery cheese is always a bit iffy. Maybe not as risky as investing in Oil, or playing the slots in Las Vegas. But, a risk none-the-less. A cheese risk.
There is only so much cheese my hobbit-sized stomach can hold. Eating a giant block of cheese before it goes bad requires a substantial amount of cheese enthusiasm from me. Cheesethusiasm. I know some people think “all cheese is good cheese.” But I don’t. This could have gone very, very wrong.
So, I actually picked this up in the store, looked at the yellow-galaxy longingly, and then put it back on the shelf. And walked away. It wasn’t on my shopping list, and I didn’t need it.
I thought about it, though, while I did the rest of my shopping. The temptation burrowed into my brain, like a hungry termite. I came back later, wriggled my way through a gaggle of loitering cheese shoppers (tsk!), and grabbed my prize. Even then, I stared at it pensively for a few seconds, before slipping it sheepishly into my shopping cart.
I regret nothing. This is scrumptious cheese. It tastes better than other cheeses, and I don’t know why. It must be the happy cows.*
It has a mild, buttery flavor, and softer texture than I expected. Slightly sweeter than cheddar. It’s definitely not “spicy,” but it has a wonderful mild, peppery flavor that brightens the smoothness of the creamy body. This is very flavorful cheese, but not entirely from the banana peppers — the actual cheese is rich tasting and more satisfying than similar jacks I’ve eaten recently.
The cold texture has a delicate curd structure. I like curds.
When hot, it’s fantastically stretchy. Great melting cheese.
I was delighted to find so many colorful pieces of banana peppers in my cheese. They are thin and delicate fragments. Not an unpleasant texture, or gummy, or too fibrous. But very bright yellow. Very cheerful confetti. Tasty pepper confetti.
What did I do with my cheese?
I loved this cheese cold, right from the refrigerator. But I also enjoyed it melted on my egg croissant sandwiches. Behold.
And, I grated some over my steamed broccoli — which imparted a fabulous peppery-rich creamy flavor. That’s a filet of Costco’s frozen Mahi-Mahi in the background, if you were wondering.
Who is Meister Cheese Company?
When I started writing this review, I was only planning to babble about how much I liked stuffing this cheese in my gullet. I’d never heard of Meister Cheese before. Apparently, they are a 100+ year-old, family-owned, Wisconsin cheese company located in Muscoda. They are slightly-more-interesting than your average cheese company.
The Meister website includes information on their “environmental stewardship,” including a “Cows First [TM]” program, an anaerobic lagoon system to reduce natural gas usage, locally sourced wood chips to power their furnace, recycling wastewater, and converting whey into protein products — so that it isn’t wasted. Cool. Hey, if you have any cheese that is going to be wasted, you know where to find me!
I peeped around the internet to find other varieties of Meister cheese, such as:
- Horseradish Cheddar
- Muscoda Mayhem Colby Jack
- Hickory Smoked Cheddar
- Bruschetta Jack
- Dill Havarti
- Garlic Pesto Jack
And a bunch more. Flavored cheeses seems to be their thing. After writing this review, I did manage to get my hands on two other Meister cheese varieties. I wasn’t a big fan of the Wild Morel and Leek flavor (or texture). Maybe the cows weren’t as happy that day? But I did enjoy the Sweet Fire Mango Jack. Check back for a review of that.
Ingredients in Meister Banana Pepper Jack Cheese
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Cultured Pasteurized Milk
- Banana Peppers
- Salt
- Enzymes
Additional label information:
- Naturally Lactose Free
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
Nutrition Facts
I mean, it’s cheese. There are no surprises here. A one-ounce serving contains 110 calories. You get 8 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein. There’s also 15% your daily value of calcium.
Price and Servings
The one-pound block cost $6.49 at my local Costco. Since there are 16 servings per block, each serving costs a frugal 41 cents.
Shelf-Life
My cheese block had a sell-by date allowing approximately 11 months to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
*I guess treating your cows right really does make better-tasting cheese. I hope more Meister varieties manifest at my local Costco. This blog better start making money, so I can afford it. Hmmph.
The End.
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