Some segments of your home’s refrigerator come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: The “Cheese Drawer.”

Cheese. It’s delicious, it’s available in infinite varieties and formats, it’s packed with protein, and it has the ability to improve the flavor of almost anything it touches. And here in “America’s Dairyland,” cheese has long been a key component of Wisconsin’s identity, economy, and all-around culture. Being the state’s tastiest point of pride, it’s only fitting for many Wisconsin residents to keep a cache of cheese in their dwellings. Some of us even see fit to store our collection of cheeses in a specially designated section of our refrigerator.

No, the “Cheese Drawer” isn’t a uniquely Wisconsin thing. That would be a brazen and foolish thing to assert about a food that’s been enjoyed throughout the world for centuries. However, I’ve lived in Wisconsin for pretty much my entire life and it’s neither brazen nor foolish to say the almighty Cheese Drawer thrives here in our fair state. You might have one. Heck, some of you might not think you have one until you take closer stock of your fridge’s organization and realize you’ve isolated all of your cheeses into one area. And if you don’t have one, 1. We’re sorry you don’t, and 2. We suggest you change that if your food budget, your personal diet, and the square footage of your home cooling appliances allows.

“So what is a Cheese Drawer,” you ask? I mean, it’s in the name, but it’s basically a portion of your refrigerator that’s specifically reserved for cheese in all its amazing forms. While other items like cured meats and deli cuts also find their way into this segment of the fridge on occasion, this protected and temperature controlled area of your icebox belongs to cheese by and large. All sorts of cheese.

Having recently returned from an extended family weekend up north and being a few days out from hosting some out of town guests, my household’s Cheese Drawer is especially well-stocked at the moment. Though that might read like I’m bragging, I assure you that I’m only mentioning the deluge of dairy delights currently in my fridge as a way to talk about just a few of the cheese types one might encounter in a Wisconsin Cheese Drawer.

Blocks and Slices

Whether it’s for sandwiches, burgers, or just grabbing a piece for a quick snack, slices and blocks are Cheese Drawer standards.

Shredded and Grated

They’re versatile, inexpensive, and they get the job done.

Curds

No explanation needed.

“Company” Cheese

You know what I mean, right? I’m talking about the kind of stuff you have around for when people come over or you have on hand to bring to group gatherings elsewhere. Cheese spreads. String cheese. Things you bake to serve warm. The list goes on.

“Fancy” Cheese

Relatively speaking, of course. Whether adding it to a charcuterie board, using it in a recipe, or just having it around to break the day-to-day norm, “fancy” cheese is an important part of the Cheese Drawer when you have the cheddar (figuratively speaking!) to spend on something…gouda.

Obviously, this is just a small sampling of what can be found in a Cheese Drawer. Perhaps the most beautiful thing about Cheese Drawers is that no two look exactly alike. That’s especially true in Wisconsin, where there’s an endless supply of incredible, scrumptious, and award-winning local cheeses that run the gamut of flavor, form, and freshness. And once you stock up on your favorites, you’ll have somewhere special to put ’em.

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About The Author

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Co-Founder and Editor

Before co-founding Milwaukee Record, Tyler Maas wrote for virtually every Milwaukee publication (except Wassup! Magazine). He lives in Bay View and enjoys both stuff and things.