We’re giving the trendy checkerboard cheese spread recipes floating around a gut-healthy, high-protein upgrade with Lifeway Farmer Cheese. Our Checkerboard Farmer Cheese Spread is bursting with fresh flavors from juicy, sweet watermelon pieces and creamy, mild Lifeway Farmer Cheese—the spreadable cheese you never knew you needed! Our cultured cheese is perfect for creative, seasonal cheeseboard recipes like this one since it’s versatile, yet offers a gourmet, luscious flavor that everyone will adore.
Checkerboard cheese spreads are ideal for summer parties, appetizers, a day at the pool, or just a fun afternoon snack at home. Since they’re made with a curated pattern of fruit and cheese, they’re a fun way to give an average cheeseboard a seasonal upgrade that tastes great and is great for you!
For our recipe, we cut up pieces of watermelon into cubes since its bright color and vibrant flavors are synonymous with summer. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is a perfect pairing for melons since it’s light and refreshing, but still filling thanks to it being an excellent source of protein to go alongside the fruit. Even better? Our farmer cheese is made with live and active cultures and no gums, thickeners, or emulsifiers making it gut-friendly and easy to digest!
A light drizzle of balsamic vinegar (or glaze) is all you need for the final touch since its sweet, tangy flavor brings the other flavors together perfectly. Serve this checkerboard cheese spread with healthy chips, crackers, or whatever other side you enjoy, and feel free to mix and match different fruits here, if you want. Pineapple, cantaloupe, papaya, mango, and other fruits that slice well into cubes would all be excellent choices and contribute different color patterns to your board.
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 10 mins Servings: 6Ingredients
- 2 cups Farmer Cheese
- 1 mini seedless watermelon
- drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
- optional: other fruits of choice*
- side pairings: chips and crackers of choice**
Directions
- Cut and slice the watermelon up into cubes.
- Take Lifeway Farmer Cheese out of the package, and form into cubes with a knife or mini silicone spatula. Carefully place it onto your cheeseboard in a checkerboard pattern, as shown in the photos, alternating with the pieces of watermelon.
- If you're using additional fruits, mingle them interchangeably with the watermelon and farmer cheese.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or glaze), and serve with crackers and chips, if desired.
- *Additional fruit ideas: pineapple, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, and other fruits easy to cut up into cubes.
- **For gluten-free brands of chips and crackers, try Simple Mills and Mary's Gone Crackers!
