Taleggio is a semi-soft, washed-rind type of cheese with a tangy flavor and a strong aroma. The rind is thin as paper and usually with orange/yellow color.
On top of the rind, you’ll find that this cheese has a layer of mold that makes it even more delicious and exquisite.
Because this cheese is one of the most elite ones out in the market, it can be very hard to find it, or if you do, it would come with a pretty hefty price. So, what can you use as a taleggio cheese substitute?
Substitutes for Taleggio cheese are
- Brie
- Gruyere
- Fontina cheese
- Bel Paese
- Urgelia cheese
- Limburger
- Robiola
- Havarti
- Pont-l’Eveque cheese
Why did these cheeses exactly? Read about it in the article below.
Substitutes For Taleggio Cheese
Brie
Brie is a French cheese, and it is a type of semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It is soft and creamy, with a buttery taste. It is one of the most famous French cheeses all over the World, and for a reason.
Even though it has a strong smell, this delicious cheese actually has a mild taste and nutty undertones.
This creamy cheese can make any sandwich better by just putting a thin slice of it. If you want to get extra fancy with your brie sandwich, add a slice of green apple and just a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Brie is also a rind cheese like the taleggio cheese, even though is considered to be soft. The rind is white and is usually soft so this cheese can easily be melted.
Brie cheese is an excellent substitute cheese recommendation for taleggio.
Brie Cheese Burek Recipe
Coming from the Balkans, this has always been my favorite breakfast food. Burek is an oily pastry dish that kind of looks like a pie, and it is usually made from cottage cheese, spinach, or ground meat.
Today I want to make this recipe a little bit more authentic and teach you how to make pizza burek with brie cheese.
When I tried to find some new recipes, I’ve made this one time, and I was amazed at how the tangy taste of the brie incorporated into this amazing food.
The differences in taste with normal burek are that this pastry could get a little bit oily because of all the ingredients, and that requires more time to prepare it, and to bake is
Ingredients
- 1 package phyllo dough leaves
- 150 grams of brie cheese, cut into thin slices
- 150 grams of grated mozzarella cheese/any soft cheese(or a semi-soft type that melts)
- 1 large beaten egg
- 250 grams of tomato puree (you can make your own tomato sauce)
- Salt and black pepper
- 150 grams of marinated champignons cut in slices (optional)
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
- Find a round pizza baking dish and coat it with your vegetable oil.
- The next step is adding the first layer of phyllo dough leaves. Stack five leaves on top of each other and gently coat them with water or oil mixture. Now it’s time for adding the pizza filling.
- There are two ways you can do this, either mix all your filling ingredients and blend the egg within the mixture or add them one by one and try to not overfill.
- Repeat the process of adding five phyllo dough leaves and gently coat them with a water or oil mixture so the dough doesn’t get dry during the baking process.
- If you have enough phyllo leaves and filling left, repeat the process once or twice. Make sure you have enough leaves to put on top of the burek.
- Finish your burek by coating it one more time with an oil or water mixture.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius.
- You can eat this amazing pastry along with some Greek yogurt to calm down the oily taste.
Fontina
Fontina can variate from a semi-hard cheese to a hard one, depending on the aging time. The semi-hard fontina cheese has a milder taste and a creamy texture instead of the hard, aged fontina with a much stronger flavor and a more pungent aroma.
Fontina is truly a miracle of cheese. Every time I try it I never guess what it is because it is always different, with a different fruity or nutty taste.
There are a lot of Fontina cheeses that had been mixed with nuts, and fresh herbs and are just as delicious.
Fontina is an Italian cheese, originally coming from the Italian side of the Alps. Original fontina is very hard to find because it is made from raw cow’s milk and many countries have forbidden it.
Instead, you can find types and varieties of this cheese made from processed and pasteurized milk that are just as tasty.
What Can You Do With Fontina Cheese
- Mind-blowing sandwich with fontina and turkey- If you’re a fanatic of a strong, gourmet taste then this is the sandwich for you. Put some cold turkey breasts and circles of purple onion on a buttered baguette and some of the fontina cheese. To intensify the taste, I recommend using two types of cheese: brie and fontina. Instead of butter, you can use cream cheese with herbs in it.
- Pizza with fontina cheese and pesto sauce- This is a little bit different than your regular pizza and it’s definitely not for everybody. The ingredients are simple: olive oil, pesto and tomato sauce, fine mozzarella cheese, fontina, and garlic. Pesto is known to be a little bit difficult to digest, so make sure to consume it in safe doses.
- Pasta dish- A dish that is the most cheese-worthy of them all. Either put in a sauce or freshly grated on top of it, this cheese can be a great addition to any pasta dish recipe.
- Fontina cheese dip- Mix fontina cheese along with some blue cheese, taleggio, provolone cheese, and a little bit of gouda to tone down the pungent smell, and strong flavor. Put the bunch of cheese in a bechamel sauce also known as white sauce. Add some salt, pepper, chili flakes, and nutmeg to the mixture and let it melt through on low heat.
- Roasted eggplants- An excellent idea if you’re trying to eat low-carb but still want to enjoy something cheesy. Cut your eggplants in half (make sure you cut them vertically), put some tomato sauce, and sprinkle a mixture of mozzarella and fontina cheese. Top it off with a dash of olive oil and garlic salt. Bake at 365 degrees Fahrenheit until golden-brown and, until your cheese has melted through.
Gruyere
Gruyere can be either a semi-hard cheese or a hard one. It has a rich pallet of fruity undertones and nutty flavors.
It is covered in a natural brown rind with a hard and granular texture. Gruyere is a great companion in soups, salads, charcuterie boards, any type of cheese board, sandwiches, and various types of fruit. Even though Gruyere is a hard cheese type, it has great melting abilities.
Gruyere Cheese Uses
- Cheese Platter- Any cheese enthusiast would appreciate this table cheese along with some dry, white wine.
- Pasta dish- Run out of parmesan cheese? Mature gruyere cheese is an excellent substitute for parmesan, because of its granular texture and nutty taste.
- Fondue- For your next party, grab your fondue pot, some bread, and the two classic fondue-making cheeses, gruyere, and Emmental. Pair this dip with some hot roasted potatoes, bread, vegetables, pickles, or any type of cheese you find sufficient for dipping.
- Mac& Cheese- Put some gruyere in your favorite mac and cheese recipe for a more strong, intense cheese experience.
[Related Article: 6 Amazing Substitutes For Gruyere Cheese To Use In Your Recipes]
Bel Paese
Bel Paese is a perfect substitute for taleggio cheese because it has a mild, buttery flavor and it has extraordinary melting abilities.
It is a semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow’s milk that will give your dishes the same feel-good taste as Taleggio cheese.
You can put this cheese in pizzas, pasta, and even tacos or burritos.
Urgelia Cheese
This is a semi-soft Spanish cheese that is made from cow’s milk. I love this cheese because even though it’s buttery and mild, it still has a salty and bitter note to it. This cheese melts almost perfectly in everything you put it on.
Limburger
Limburger is a strong and smelly kind of cheese because a type of bacteria is added during the making process.
Even though this cheese doesn’t seem the type, it actually melts quite nicely, so you can incorporate it in various recipes.
Robiola
Robiola is an Italian type of cheese that is mostly used when making risotto and various pasta recipes.
Robiola can also be a decent table cheese because of its mild, but sour taste. I suggest pairing it with a glass of dry white wine.
Havarti
Havarti is a semi-soft cheese that originates from Denmark. It has a pale-yellow color and its taste is sweet and buttery.
This cheese usually comes already sliced in thin slices and it’s is a great addition for making all kinds of sandwiches and burgers.
Pont- L’eveque
It is a washed rind French cheese with a mild taste but a pungent smell. This is one of the ancient types of cheese that has been popularized in the modern world. This cheese is named after a bridge(Pont means bridge in French) in a small area in France.
Pont-l’Eveque is mostly cooked with potatoes (like Raclette) or baked by itself.
[Related Article: 7 Best Cheese Grater Reviews And Buying Guide]
Related Questions
What Kind Of Cheese Is Taleggio Cheese
Taleggio is a semi-soft, wash rind, Italian cheese. This popular cheese has a buttery flavor, punchy aroma, and a sweet smell.
What Is Taleggio Cheese Good For
With Its Italian origin, taleggio cheese belongs in every classic Italian classic dish like pasta, pizza, tomato soup. It can also be a great table cheese.
Is Taleggio Cheese Expensive
Yes. Taleggio cheese can be bought for up to 200$ a wheel.
Is Taleggio A Goat Cheese
No. Original taleggio cheese is made with raw cow’s milk and the commercial option for the USA is made with pasteurized milk because of safety issues. You can find many varieties in the market, including goat’s milk taleggio cheese.
Taleggio Cheese Recipes
Taleggio Grilled Cheese:
Ingredients:
- Grated taleggio cheese
- Feta cheese
- Butter
- Mozzarella or any other meltable cheese
- Pieces of ham
Preparation:
In a medium skillet, put one teaspoon of butter and let it melt. While the butter is preparing, take two pieces of bread and butter on only one side of them. On the buttered side of the bread, comes the mixture of feta cheese, taleggio, mozzarella, and pieces of ham. When you finished making your sandwich, put it on the skillet and let it toast until golden-brown. To add a bit of an umami note, add some rehydrated sundried tomatoes to your grilled cheese.
Is Taleggio Similar To Brie
Yes, brie is very similar to taleggio cheese. Brie is also a semi-soft variety like taleggio. They both have a buttery texture and an intense aroma.