Back in September, Cheese Underground partnered with cheesemaker Brenda Jensen at Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby, Wisconsin to develop a new flavor of her Driftless cheese.

Deliciously simple, consisting of just sheep’s milk, culture, rennet and salt, Driftless is a light, creamy and spreadable fresh cheese that routinely sweeps (for the last four years running) the Fresh Sheep’s Milk Cheese class at the American Cheese Society competition. Available in an ever-evolving blend of flavors, including perennial favorites Basil & Olive Oil, Tomato & Garlic, and Honey & Lavender, as well as seasonal flavors such as Pumpkin, Maple, and Cranberry & Cinnamon, Brenda was looking to develop a new flavor and turned to you, my alert blog readers, for suggestions.

Dozens of ideas from across the country poured in, ranging from morel to bacon to merlot and cocoa. But perhaps my favorite suggestion was from David, no last name or address given, who suggested Brenda make a Driftless with marijuana and call it “Cheese Exotica”.

One gets the feeling that David lives in California, as he suggested that in the Golden State, one must only show a document to freely buy cannabis-infused edible products “which greatly help those who prefer GI ingestion. There are recipes for canna pesto, etc, and cheeses are so varied (blue vs. bland –I very much enjoy strong dessert cheeses that take over your brain) that folks can be creative.  I trust but have not done the research that Wisconsin has humane cannabinoid laws. And, yes, while the market is limited to those who consume the flavorant (perhaps 10% of the population), there are other cheeses favored for artisanal (snob) value.  Imagine the overlap of cheese snobs who distinguish canna cheeses. Just saying. Never seen this. Love cheese. Folks from Wisconsin seem reasonable. Carry on.”

Sadly, David, the reasonable folks in Wisconsin have no such favorable medical marijuana laws, so Brenda had to choose her top eight favorites that did NOT include weed.

Brenda even created prototypes of her top eight non-pot favorites, which were sampled during the Meet the Cheesemaker Gala during November’s Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, and let folks vote for their favorite.

The winner? Allison Smith from Helotes, Texas, who suggested the completely legal flavor combination of Horseradish, Garlic & Onion. As the winner, Allison received a tub of the new Driftless flavor, made special by Brenda, as well as a complimentary one-year membership to Wisconsin Cheese Originals. Congratulations, Allison, and thanks to everyone who sent in their suggestions for legal and non-legal cheese flavors.

You can find out How to Make Cannabis Rice Crispy Treats here!

How to Make Weed Nacho Cheese

Weed nacho cheese is a great recipe to add to the collection. This recipe allows you to infuse cannabis into other great recipes that you would usually not be able to. This recipe is very simple and only takes around 30 minutes from start to finish!

For this recipe, it’s especially important that you check out the potency calculator at the bottom of this post. It will help you determine the mg of THC in 1 cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp of your infused nacho cheese. Since this recipe, for the most part, is just making an ingredient that can be used in other recipes it’s important that you have an idea of the potency. Something to keep in mind though; there are lots of other variables involved so the potency calculation is just a rough estimate.

Here’s What You’re Going to Need

To make weed nacho cheese, you’re going to need cannabis milk. However, this is not an ingredient that you can buy at your local supermarket. You’re going to need to make this at home. If you don’t know how to make this, we have a comprehensive guide to making cannabis milk here.

This recipe also requires some equipment, but nothing out of the ordinary.

• Large pot
• Oven
• Whisk
• Stove

Weed Nacho Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 cups cannabis milk
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground dried chipotle pepper
• 1/4 tsp chile powder
• 1/4 tsp cayanne powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 pound cheddar cheese shredded
• 1/4 pound montery jack cheese shredded
• 1/4 pound muenster cheese shredded

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and all the flour is incorporated, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Slowly pour cannabis milk into the butter mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, ground chipotle, ancho chile powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Reduce heat to low and add Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and Muenster cheese, a handful at a time; stir until thoroughly melted. Season with salt to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 412IU | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 1mg

HOW TO MAKE CANNABIS CHEDDAR CHEESE

Making cheese is a labor of love. It is well worth the time that it takes as the results are incredible. Cannabis Cheddar Cheese is the combination of two amazing flavors. Imagine the cooking possibilities for this cheese? Follow our recipe to create you very own cannabis cheddar cheese at home.

Let’s consider the possibilities…

The potential of this cheese is a little overwhelming. This is because cheese pairs well with just about anything.

Here is a list of ideas that might convince you to make cannabis cheddar cheese:

1. Cannabis Grilled Cheese
I can almost taste it. Gooey, melty, cannabis cheese between two pieces of golden toast, simmering in cannabutter.

2. Weed Infused Mac & Cheese
Delicious, savory noodles, bubbling canna-cheese with a crispy browning top.

3. Marijuana Nachos
Crunchy, salty, nacho chips with homemade weed cheese smothering over warm ground beef.

4. Canna-Cheeseburger
Picture this weed infused cheddar oozing out the side of a burger with perfect seasoning and flavor.

This is why you might want to make your own cannabis cheddar cheese:

Cheese making is a historical culinary feat that is widely popular. Perhaps even more so than what is commonly known. There are cheesemaking competitions spanning the entire world. There are even cheese experts, Fromagers, that possess an in depth, astute knowledge of cheese.
Of course, we’re not going to give you the knowledge of a cheesemonger, but we can help you obtain appreciation for the craft.

In addition, creating your cannabis infused cheddar cheese allows you to completely understand and control what is in your cheese. If you pick up a brick of cheese from the grocery store, the ingredients aren’t always clear. Long unfamiliar words and chemical compounds are enough to deter anyone from purchasing a cheese product. Create a cheese that is made with straightforward, whole ingredients.

Start Your Cannabis Cheddar Cheese Now!

Follow this recipe to create an amazing marijuana cheddar cheese. This weed edible is one for the books. Let us know how your recipe turns out on social media, or in the comments below.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 L) Cannabis milk
• 1.8 gallons (7 L) fresh, raw milk
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) mesophilic culture
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) liquid animal rennet
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) fine sea salt

Instructions

• Pour both milks into your stockpot and heat it over medium heat until it reaches an even temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sprinkle the mesophilic culture over the surface of the milk and whisk it in, making sure that it is thoroughly combined and dissolved.
• Let the cultured milk ripen for 1 hour.
• Slowly pour the diluted rennet into the milk, whisking continuously as you add it and for at least 5 minutes after all the rennet has been added.
• Let the milk set for 1 to 2 hours untill a curd develops firm enough for you to cut cleanly with a knife.
• Use a long knife to cut the curds into 1/4-inch cubes. The cubes do not have to be perfectly even, but they should be approximately the same size.
• Let the curds sit for an additional 15 minutes.
• Gradually raise the temperature of the milk until it reaches 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Stir the curds with a long-handled spoon every few minutes to prevent them from matting or clumping. Do this for 30-45 minutes. And you will see the curds will begin to shrink considerably.
• Pour the contents of the pot through your cheesecloth-lined colander. Rest the colander over a clean sink, basin, or the empty stockpot. Drain for 15 minutes stirring accosionally.
• Turn the curds onto a chopping board and cut them in 5 evenly sizes. And put them back in the pot.
• Fill a sink or basin with 102°F water and place the pot and curds into it. Keeping the temperature of the curds right around 100°F, turn the slices every 15 minutes for the next 2 hours. This is the cheddaring process and will give your cheese its unique flavor and deliciousness.
• After 2 hours, the curds will be shiny and very firm. Remove them from the pot and cut into ½-inch cubes. Place back in the pot, cover, and place in the sink filled with 102°F water.
• In 10 minutes, stir gently with your fingers or a wooden spoon. Repeat twice more.
• Remove the pot from the sink and add salt. Stir gently once more.
• Line the cheese press with a piece of cheesecloth and carefully place the curds into the press. Wrap the cloth around the cheese and press at 10 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cheese from the press, unwrap, and flip the cheese. Re-wrap using a fresh piece of cheesecloth, and press at 40 pounds of pressure for 12 hours.
• Remove the cheese from the press, unwrap, and flip the cheese. Re-wrap using a fresh piece of cheesecloth, and press at 50 pounds of pressure for 24 hours.