Looking for something fun to bring to your Father’s Day barbecue this Sunday? To help you avoid showing up with yet another bowl of macaroni salad, we’ve compiled a list of eight fantastic DIY cheese recipes that are sure to be a hit at any cook-out. The best part? You can make these cheeses with Dad! You’ll love how easy they are to make, and he’ll love spending time with you. It’s a win-win!
Ricotta
Don’t let the name fool you—this recipe for “Rainy Day Ricotta” is a great activity to do no matter what the weather might be! With only four ingredients and three easy steps, this recipe will leave you plenty of time to enjoy some quality time with Papa Bear.
Fresh Chèvre
This recipe for homemade chèvre comes to us from Nancy Vineyard and Bob Peak of the Beverage People Company in Sonoma County, Calif. This creamy goat’s milk cheese is the perfect canvas for whatever herbs or flavor combinations your dad might love, so feel free to make it your own!
Squeaky Cheese Curds
One of the most popular recipes, these cheese curds are super versatile and go great on anything from a fresh salad to a classic poutine. Make sure to eat these ASAP, as aging them for even a day would cause them to lose their texture.
Make-Your-Own Créme Fraîche
If you’re on dessert duty for dinner, there’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of fresh berries with a dollop of crème fraîche. Just like the cheese curds, this recipe can not only be used in a lot of different ways, but it’s easy on the wallet, too.
Burrata
What on earth could be more delicious than cheese stuffed inside another cheese? Classic burrata involves layering fresh cream inside folds of mozzarella, but this recipe takes it a step further by using ricotta instead of cream. Yum!
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese sort of has a bad reputation for being watery and flavorless. But this recipe shows that, rather than being disgusting diet food, cottage cheese is a wonderfully creamy cheese that should be celebrated—just like good old Dad.
Snack Cheese
Make your dad feel like a kid again by taking him down memory lane with this recipe for DIY Snack Cheese. This cheddar and American cheese blend goes perfectly with pretzels and crackers, or try freshening it up and serve it alongside apple slices.
Camembert
OK so technically, this would be a camembert-style cheese due to PDO guidelines and restrictions, but that doesn’t make this recipe and less delicious or fun to make! This guy will take 4-5 weeks to fully age, so this is more of a long-term father-son/father-daughter project.
Happy Father’s Day, everybody!
Julian Plovnick
Julian is a die-hard dairy lover from the Boston area, working for culture this summer as an editorial intern. When not studying English at Vassar College, Julian can be found binge-watching Top Chef (quiz him on any season and he’ll know the elimination order, no joke), refilling his coffee IV, or researching new ways to incorporate ricotta into his life.
