Can You Identify These Cheesy Foods?

FOOD & DRINK

By: Bambi Turner

6 Min Quiz

Image: Alex French Guy Cooking via youtube

About This Quiz

Can you tell a pizza from pimento cheese or a croque monsieur from poutine? Know the difference between Tex-Mex favorites like enchiladas or quesadillas, or Italian classics like ravioli and manicotti? If you think you can recognize all of these dishes, you might have what it takes to ace this cheesy foods quiz!

There are a few sentences you'll rarely hear uttered in this life; "I just have too much money." "She's just too beautiful." And when it comes to food, "There's too much cheese in this dish." Like money and beauty, too much cheese is pretty much never enough. 

Turns out, humans have been making cheese for around 4,000 years, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. The practice started in Asia, then spread to Europe, then to America, when the Pilgrims brought cheese over to the New World on the Mayflower in 1620. From there it spread west, with Wisconsin becoming a top U.S. cheese-making center by the 20th century.

Today, a full one-third of all milk produced in the U.S. goes to making cheese, and Americans are chowing down on around 34 pounds of cheese per person each year. That's a whole lotta cheddar!

Of course, all that cheese isn't eaten alone. Much of it is mixed into recipes ranging from desserts to main dishes to classic comfort sides. Think you can name the cheesiest dishes on the menu? Take our quiz to find out!


Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Mac and cheese includes elbow noodles coated in gooey cheese and butter. This versatile dish is a great way to get a little green with your cheese, by throwing in some spinach or broccoli, or leave out the veggies and heap on the cheddar for extra deliciousness.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

What's better than a juicy hamburger with all the fixins'? How about a burger topped with a few slices of melted cheese? The hamburger​ you know and love was likely invented around the 1880s, and it wasn't too long afterward that a brilliant cook came up with the idea to add cheese.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

From thin crust to deep dish, New York to Chicago style, there's no secret that Americans love their pizza. The best part -- you can use almost any cheese on the market to create an ooey gooey pizza all your own.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

What's better than a stick of thick mozzarella? How about if you bread it and throw it in a deep fryer until it's golden brown? If your mouth watering yet?

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

You could make a quesadilla the old-fashioned way -- slip some meat, beans and cheese between two corn tortillas and fry them up -- or you could leave out all those extras and just focus on the cheese. It's your choice.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Forget the burgers and cold cuts -- all cheese lovers need is a few slices of bread and some yummy cheese slices. Fried in a pan until the inside is melted and the edges are crispy and browned and you've got yourself a dish that's as good for snack time as it is for dinner. For the ultimate combination of savory goodness, serve alongside a bowl of steaming hot tomato soup.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Poutine takes plain old French fries to a whole new level. This beloved Canadian dish originated in Quebec, and features hot fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Prefer your cheese melted? Fondue is more than a meal -- it's an experience. Bond with friends and family over a pot of melted cheese and some bread and meat for dipping.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Have your cheese Tex-Mex style with a dish of delicious nachos. Start with a bed of crispy chips, then add layers of veggies, meat and beans before drowning the whole thing in melted nacho cheese.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Queso is cheese in its purest form -- melted and flavored with herbs, spices and veggies. Use it as a dip for chips -- or go nuts and pour it over tacos and other dishes.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

The national dish of the country of Georgia, khachapuri is an old-school cheesy favorite. Take fresh made dough, top with cheese and eggs, then bake. Many diners use a rip and dip approach, pulling off pieces of the warm bread to sop up the cheesy goodness on top.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Forget about arguing over who makes the best cheesesteak. Instead, agree to disagree and direct your focus toward the cheesy deliciousness of this sandwich, made from chopped steak, onions and American, Provolone or simple Cheese Whiz.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

The cheese ball comes in many fine forms. For those who prefer their cheese to be poppable, look for deep fried balls coated in breadcrumbs. If you prefer a slower approach, pick up a cheese ball appetizer -- which consists of a huge creamy ball that can be deconstructed as a dip or spread for crackers and veggies.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

The cheese plate is the ultimate in pure cheese nirvana. Made from a variety of cut cheeses and spreads, it usually comes with dips like mustard and chutney, as well as sliced meats and crackers.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Like French fries for their salty goodness? Kick them up a notch by adding cheese. Go with shredded cheddar, melted nacho sauce or queso depending on your mood, or top with tomato sauce and mozzarella for some cheesy pizza fries.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Ravioli are essentially small dumplings that can be filled with pretty much anything. True cheese lovers know, however, that the best combination is a ricotta filling, with melted mozzarella and grated parmesan on top.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Paneer is all the rage in southern Asia, and it's the most common cheese used in Indian cooking. ​This unaged cheese is set using acidity, which involves adding things like vinegar or lemon juice during production.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Extra cheese on your pie not cutting it? Skip the boring old crust and splurge on a stuffed crust pizza, which has a pocket of melted cheese hidden right in the crust.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Manicotti translates to little sleeve in Italian -- and if you're ever wondering what to put inside that pasta sleeve, cheese must just be the answer. Go with traditional ricotta and top with a bechamel sauce -- with some freshly grated parmesan for good measure.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Two competing Minnesota restaurants claim to have invented the juicy lucy in the 1950s. If you love cheese, you'll be too busy chowing down to worry about the history of the dish, because this hamburger is stuffed full of melted cheese.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Why settle for plain old breadsticks or garlic bread when you can kick it up a notch? Cheesy bread combines hot, chewy breadsticks with the glory of the melted cheese topping. If you order this culinary wonder from your favorite pizza joint, it may even​ come with a yummy dipping sauce.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Au gratin potatoes combine thinly​ sliced taters with cream, butter and plenty of cheese for a layered comfort food that will soothe what ails you. Choose from popular cheeses like cheddar or gruyere, or live it up with the cheese of your choice.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Baked ziti is Italian comfort food at its best. This dish features short, hollow lengths of pasta mixed with sauce, beef and plenty of cheese for a gooey good time.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Chicken parmesan is​ a hearty dish that includes breaded chicken topped with hearty tomato sauce and melted cheese. Cheese options range from mozzarella to parmesan or provolone.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Pimento cheese is a southern staple, and a classic part of The Masters golf tournament celebration. This classic dip features cheese, mayo or salad dressing and yummy pimento peppers.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Like your cheese with a dose of spice? Pick up jalapeno poppers, which are deep friend jalapenos bursting with gooey cheese -- and sometimes also wrapped in bacon.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Croque monsieur is French for "mister crunch," but this baked or fried ham and cheese sandwich also has plenty of melty cheesy goodness. Want something more? The croque madame is the same recipe, but also comes with a fried egg perched on top.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Enchiladas are a cheese explosion, Tex-Mex style. These corn tortillas are filled with beans, meat and cheese, then topped with a tomato-based sauced and sprinkled with even more cheese, which melts into a delicious mess of flavors that go perfectly with a side of rice and beans.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

The term sagnaki actually refers to a small Greek frying pan, but it is also used to refer to a fried cheese concoction cooked in the pan. The dish usually consists of feta or some other cheese common in the Greek diet.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

What do you get when you combine mashed potatoes with a ton of cheese? A French dish called aligot, which can be eaten on bread or as a fondue-like dip.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Cheese is almost always used in savory dishes, but it can also be used to make one mean dessert. Cheesecake is made using a graham cracker crust, a layer of sweetened cream cheese filling and a fruity or chocolate topping.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

A cheese souffle is a delicate egg-based dish filled with light pastry layers and flavorful cheese. Souffles are popular desserts, but when filled with meat and cheese can also serve as a filling meal on their own.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Lasagna is a pasta concoction with plenty of layers, making it easy to add an irresponsible amount of cheese. Many lasagna recipes call for large quantities of ricotta and mozzarella, with an extra layer of melted cheese covering the entire dish for good measure.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Cheese plays a starring role in a caprese salad, which consists of alternating layers of fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes, all drizlled with olive oil and flavored with basil and other herbs.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

If you bake or fry it, it's officially known as a croque monsieur, but when you eat it cold, it's a good ol' ham and cheese sandwich. This simple meal can be made using almost any type of cheese, but slices of American are a popular option in the U.S.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Like baked cheesy recipes, but trying to eat less meat? Get your cheese fix with eggplant parmesan -- a dish made by topping breaded eggplant with tons of yummy cheese.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Provoleta is a traditional South American dish made using a special brand of Argentinian provolone. The meal consists of small discs of the cheese topped with chilies, spices, and oil.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Want a pizza with maximum portability? Try a pizza pocket, also known as a calzone, which features gooey cheese and sauce all wrapped up in a neat and convenient pocket of dough.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Raclette comes from the French word for "to scrape." This all-cheese dish consists of large chunks of melted cheese that are scraped onto the plate with a knife, then eaten with bread, meat or potatoes.

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Can you identify this cheesy concoction?

Want a dish that's got more cheese than anything else? Try stuffed shells. These pasta casings are jam packed with ricotta, then topped with parmesan, mozzarella or a selection of other cheeses.

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