As a resident of Wisconsin, I take my cheese consumption very seriously. So when my family shops at Costco, one area we never skip is the cheese section. There are just so many delicious, budget-friendly options to choose from. But with so many options, how do you know which ones are truly good buys?
To find out, I spoke with Madelyn Varela, a Cleveland-based cheesemonger, former cheesemaker, and founder of Cheezy Talk with Madelyn, where she has nearly 675,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. For her, having a basic understanding of cheese prices is incredibly useful. As she explained, cheeses that are particularly good buys are often sold at much lower prices at Costco than at specialty shops. “Costco can buy a significant amount and get it at a lower cost, just because of the mass quantity that they buy, where it’s difficult for smaller retailers to do that,” Varela explained.
In a recent Instagram reel, Varela identified six cheeses that were particularly good values:
Credit: Simply Recipes / Upland Cheese
Pleasant Ridge Reserve ($21.89 per pound): An aged, raw-milk cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows by Wisconsin’s Uplands Cheese Company. It is the most-awarded American-made cheese in history. “Less than $20 for almost a pound of this is insane,” said Varela.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Emmi USA
Emmi Le Gruyère Switzerland AOP Cheese ($13.99 for a 16-ounce package): Varela recommends using this cheese in dishes such as mac and cheese or au gratin potatoes.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Kerrygold
Kerrygold Dubliner ($6.99 per pound): A hard aged cow’s milk cheese from Ireland. At $6.99 per pound, it’s an incredible deal for this crowd-pleasing cheese.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Meredith Dairy
Meredith Dairy Marinated Goat Cheese ($15.99 for a 19.4-ounce container): “It’s very beautiful on a cheeseboard,” Varela says. “You don’t need to take it out or anything. You just open the top of the jar [and] place the container on the board.” According to Varela, this marinated goat cheese is also great for cooking and tastes delicious in an omelette, quiche, or spread on toast.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Jarlsberg
Jarlsberg ($7.49 per pound): A sweet, nutty cow’s milk cheese from Norway. This cheese is a great option for a cheeseboard and also melts beautifully in a warm ham and cheese sandwich.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Costco
Kirkland Signature Sartori Cabernet Soaked Bellavitano ($10.99 per pound): It has a nutty, tangy, fruity flavor and a “nice boozy note from the wine,” says Varela.
Tips for Keeping Costco Cheeses Fresh
One downside of many of the cheeses sold at Costco is that they come in large quantities. Varela cautions that customers shouldn’t be swayed by the price. She says the best time to buy Costco-sized blocks of cheese is around the holiday season or when you’re planning to entertain and need plenty of cheese for cheeseboards or recipes. “When you buy cheese, you typically want to buy what you’ll eat within a week,” Varela explains. “Because as soon as you open that cheese, the quality degrades.”
Some types of cheese, particularly hard aged cheeses, lend themselves to longer storage. And there are a few things you can do to help keep them fresh. “I would recommend investing in a vacuum sealer,” Varela says. “You can buy really inexpensive ones that work just as well, and portion out your cheese to what you’re going to eat and vacuum seal those portions individually. That’s going to maintain that quality and freshness.”
No vacuum sealer? Try this clever trick to seal them. Otherwise, portion out and wrap the cheese in parchment paper or cheese paper for longer storage, she says. Bottom line: Go in with a plan, store your cheese right, and leave no cheese to waste.
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