Fromage fort is a quick and delicious way to use up leftover cheese by combining it with herbs and white wine into a flavorful spread that can be served hot or cold with crackers or bread. No two batches are the same, meaning each time you make it, you can experiment with different cheeses and herbs for a flavor profile that's uniquely yours.
The beauty of fromage fort (meaning "strong cheese" lies in its versatility and powerful flavors. This French-inspired cheese spread is not only a great way to reduce food waste, but it also comes together with just a few ingredients. Respected French chef Jacques Pepin grew up eating this marinated cheese that his father made and put fromage fort on the map.
Creamy, savory, and customizable, it's perfect for your next gathering or as a snack to enjoy at home. And, who doesn't love a cheese appetizer? Serve it alongside fried goat cheese balls, fig jam baked brie, phyllo fried feta cheese, or ricotta crostini.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses up leftovers - You know all of those chunks of cheese you have leftover after a party? This is the best way to use it up for round two! Serve the spread with crackers or breadsticks or use it in these cheese tartlets.
- Quick & Easy - Just a few pulses in the food processor, and your spread is ready. The process is simple, and the taste is bold!
- Customizable - You can use almost any combination of leftover cheeses. Add your favorite herbs and spices for a personal touch and make it how you think it tastes best.
Ingredients
- Cheese. The star of the show! Use a variety of leftover cheeses, balancing mild and sharp flavors and a mixture of hard and soft cheeses.
- Salted butter. Adds creaminess and helps blend firmer cheeses. Skip if you’re using soft cheeses like brie or cream cheese.
- Garlic clove (optional). For a subtle kick of sharpness that enhances the savory flavors.
- Fresh Herbs. Brightens the spread and adds a burst of freshness. Use parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme, dill, or a combination.
- White Wine. Loosens the mixture and adds a slight acidity, which balances the richness of the cheese. Using a dry white wine is best.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste. Use them to adjust the seasoning and bring all the flavors together. Freshly ground black pepper is best.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheeses: Use any combination of hard and soft cheeses like cheddar, Gouda, manchego, blue, brie, Boursin, or cream cheese. Just be mindful of strong flavors—too much blue cheese can overpower the batch!
- Herbs: Switch up the herbs to suit your taste. Rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, tarragon or basil would also work wonderfully.
- Wine: Use any type of dry white wine like chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc. Or, swap the white wine for vermouth or even dry sherry if you like. For a non-alcoholic version, a splash of vegetable stock or water will do the trick.
- Add-ins: Feeling fancy? Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for a spicy kick or a handful of toasted nuts for texture.
How to Make This Recipe
- Step 1: Add the chunks of cheese, herbs, garlic, wine, and butter (if using) to the bowl of a food processor.
- Step 2: Pulse until the cheese spread reaches your desired consistency.
- Step 3: Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or cracked black pepper, if desired.
- Step 4: Transfer the cheese to a dish and serve right away, or refrigerate for a few hours (up to a few days) to let the flavors develop.
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Expert Tips
- Room temperature cheese. Bring your cheese to room temperature before processing. It will blend more easily and create a smoother spread.
- Taste as you go. Since no two batches are alike, tasting as you go is key. Adjust the seasonings or add more wine and herbs as needed.
- Don’t overdo the blue cheese. A little goes a long way. Adding too much blue or other strong cheeses can overpower the rest of the spread.
- Refrigeration. While you can serve fromage fort immediately, letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight enhances the flavors significantly.
How to Serve Fromage Fort
This cheese spread can be served hot or cold in several ways. Enjoy it with crudités, crackers or grissini, spread onto focaccia bread or baguette slices and broiled, or spread onto a sandwich. You can also pair it with fruit like apples or grapes for a sweet and savory contrast.
It would also be great paired with herb-roasted olives or mixed into crab-stuffed mushrooms for a heartier spread.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a standard blender or stick blender. You can also mash the cheese by hand with a fork or potato masher. It’ll be a bit chunkier but still delicious.
You can use any mix of cheeses (whatever you have on hand or leftover) —just try to balance mild and sharp flavors and hard and soft cheeses. Avoid using a heavy amount of powerfully flavored cheeses, like blue cheese.
Unless you're using the exact same cheeses in the exact same amounts each time you make it, it's going to taste different (and that's the beauty of this recipe). Taste as you go and adjust to make it how you enjoy it!
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let it sit out for a few minutes before serving again for the best texture.
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
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📖Recipe
Fromage Fort
Ingredients
- 1 lb cheese cut into 1” chunks
- 1-2 tablespoons salted butter if not using soft cheeses
- 1 clove garlic grated (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs roughly chopped (parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme, dill)
- ½ cup white wine dry is best
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the cheese, butter (if using), garlic, herbs, and wine to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to break it down.1 lb cheese, 1-2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 clove garlic, 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs, ½ cup white wine
- Continue pulsing until the desired texture is achieved. You can keep it chunky, or make it very smooth (this is up to you). Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired, then pulse again to combine.Salt and pepper
- Serve at room temperature with crackers, grissini, breadsticks, or bread slices. Or, spread the cheese onto slices of bakery bread and broil until melty.
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