How could I not accept an opportunity to try a snack called Just the Cheese? The idea for crunchy, baked cheese came from–no surprise–a team of Wisconsin cheesemakers.
It’s an interesting story, by the way. Just the Cheese gained popularity during the Atkins Diet craze but faded with it, essentially being discontinued until 2017. That’s when, after some tweaking to the formula and packaging, the product was relaunched for people seeking low-carb, high-protein products (e.g. Keto dieters).
Just the Cheese comes in two formats and several flavors. The first version I tried was the bars. Each pack comes with two, totaling 150 calories, 8 g of protein and less than 1 g of carbs. I also consumed the minis, which are about the size of a penny. Each bag has 95 calories, 5 g protein and 1 g carbs. Of note, the crunchy, gluten-free treats are manufactured by Specialty Cheese Company in Reeseville, located east of Columbus.
- Let’s start with our namesake, the Wisconsin cheddar. I really liked it, as the cheddar was sharp enough to earn its name.
- I was wondering what the grilled cheese flavor would taste like. In actuality, it just tasted like regular cheese, which isn’t a bad thing.
- Meanwhile, you can really discern toasted cheese in the white cheddar version. In fact, it was probably my favorite.
- The jalapeno version was a little bit spicy, and you predominantly will taste the bits of jalapeno peppers.
- The garlic & chive was the most potent in flavor, even though I couldn’t see any chives on the crisps.
If you like cheese–and who doesn’t, in this state?–then Just the Cheese makes for a delicious snack that should satisfy your cravings.
Just the Cheese is launching in brick-and-mortar stores, and you can purchase the snacks on the website. A 16-pack of minis costs $23.84, and a 12-pack of bars costs $23.88.
Photo courtesy of Just the Cheese
