The budding trees and blossoming flowers are telltale signs that, at long last, the first days of summer are nearing. The Memorial Day weekend is on everyone’s mind – soon enough, school will be out and summer vacation will begin! Celebrate the changing season with a cheese board featuring raw honey and apricot jam, or a simple Three-Cheese Flatbread with olive oil and fresh basil. Spring’s recipes are easily attuned for summer – whether making a light weeknight meal or bringing along on a summer picnic.

1. Wisconsin Three-Cheese Flatbread – by our guest blogger, Rachel, of Elephantine Blog – a simple treat and family favorite.
2. Wisconsin Cheddar Jack Grilled Cheese with Charred Onions & Guacamole – featured on Foodie website, TheKitchn, for National Grilled Cheese Month.
3. Sweet Potato-Cheddar Grilled Cheese – created by MacKenzie of Grilled Cheese Social, this grilled cheese is a new and slightly healthier variation of the classic.
4. The Sophia Grilled Cheese – standing out with sautéed Swiss chard, shallots and crisp apples.
5. Spring Cheese Board – a colorful combination of Wisconsin Cheddar-Blue, Brie and Gouda.
6. Wisconsin Mascarpone Yogurt and Blackberry Apple Crumble – sweet in the morning or as dessert.
7. Honey & Roasted Garlic-Baked Brie with Baguettes – a savory prelude to dinnertime.
8. Wisconsin Mac and Cheese – the addition of buttery Wisconsin Mascarpone makes this version extra creamy.
9. The Rosalie Grilled Cheese – bright roasted carrots and farmers’ market pesto add lots of spring flavor.

As summer approaches and we continue to gain daylight through springtime, take advantage of the early morning sunshine with a cozy breakfast. After a cup of hot coffee, try your English muffins toasted and smeared with whipped Wisconsin Mascarpone. Then top with fresh basil and a few slices of heirloom tomatoes. A colorful mix of sweet tomatoes, the savory aroma of chopped basil and a protein-rich bite of creamy Wisconsin Mascarpone is a delicious way to welcome a new day.

Wisconsin Mac and Cheese from Wisconsin Cheese Talk on Vimeo.

An appreciation for mac and cheese begins in childhood and only seems to grow, especially after one transitions from boxed ingredients to the real deal made with Wisconsin Cheese. Ever a warm comfort food, Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar brings bold flavor, while Wisconsin Mascarpone creates a creamy texture in our unique twist on a family favorite. Watch the recipe video and follow the link to see how to prepare this treasured meal of Wisconsin Mac and Cheese.

The month of April has come and gone, along with National Grilled Cheese Month. But don’t worry, you still have time to get in on the grilled cheese action with The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown! Enter your best recipe on GrilledCheeseAcademy.com through May 12, 2013, for your chance to win a $4,000 gourmet kitchenware set along with a host of other prizes.

Pictured clockwise: Naturally Ella’s Avocado, Mozzarella and Jalapeño Chimichurri Grilled Cheese; Wisconsin Cheese’s Grilled Ham and Cheese Ingredients; BS’ in the Kitchen’s Spanakopita Grilled Cheese; Grilled Cheese Social’s Ellie Green Bean.

Heidi, our guest judge for The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown and the voice behind the blog FoodieCrush, recently posed the question to her readers, “Are you a recipe winger or a follower?”

As a creative cook with a healthy appetite for cookbooks and food magazines, Heidi knows that the recipe development process can be very dynamic. So whenever a little recipe inspiration is needed, she turns to her favorite editions. Whether in print, online or from a tablet, Heidi has a keen appreciation for delicious recipes and incredible photography. (Just check out her Instagram photos, pictured below, and you’ll see what we mean!)

Whether you are a “recipe winger or follower,” we want to know what gets you into the kitchen. Which cookbooks, eBooks or magazines have inspired you to create a recipe for our Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown?

Show us with a quick snap of the lens, like Heidi’s shots, and you could be selected to receive a $50 gift card to Williams-Sonoma.

How to Enter:

Take a photo of your favorite recipe publications (cookbook, food magazine, etc.) that inspire you to cook with Wisconsin Cheese and share in one of the following ways:

1. E-mail photo to social@eatwisconsincheese.com
2. Upload photo to Tumblr and tag #WisconsinCheese
3. Tweet photo to @WisconsinCheese
4. Share photo on Instagram with tag #WisconsinCheese
5. Share a photo on Pinterest and tag @WisconsinCheese

• Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 15, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• One entry will be chosen at random as the winner.
• Winner will be notified by email, Twitter or Tumblr, based on entry method.
• One entry per household; US only.

And don’t forget to enter The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown. Mark your calendar and submit your recipe before the contest closes on May 12.

When it comes to dessert, fruit crumbles have always been my favorite. They’re infinitely adaptable, insanely easy to throw together, and as far as desserts go, they’re on the healthy-ish side.

Warm out of the oven with a dollop of honey-whipped Wisconsin Mascarpone yogurt, this crumble could be the most luxurious breakfast or the perfect end to lovely Mother’s Day celebration. No matter how you enjoy this delicious dish, it’s a win-win.

Sweet, sumptuous Wisconsin Mascarpone is our featured cheese this May. Soft and fresh, this variety of triple crème cheese is used in many dessert dishes, such as tiramisu, and is delicious as a simple spread or dip.

With less than two weeks left to dream up, dish up and submit your entry to The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown, we’re hoping some tips and tricks from Liz Delia, a 2012 runner-up, will inspire you. Her winning grilled cheese titled The State Fair, a Wisconsin Cheddar-filled masterpiece, might get your creative juices flowing as well.

Q: We know that great photography can really add to a new recipe’s appeal. What golden rules do you follow when capturing a recipe with your camera?

Liz: I’m no photography expert, but I know that when photographing food, lighting is the foundation. Indoor lighting tends to be really harsh, so I try to use natural light whenever possible. In fact, I try to photograph food outside if I can. If you can’t, just get near a window, which is what I did when photographing this nacho cheese dip for my blog (pictured below). Just let the natural light shine through! As well, I try to take photos of my food at eye level, as it seems to capture the image best.

Q: When developing a new recipe like The State Fair, did you draw inspiration from what was in your kitchen or did you imagine the combination of flavors first?

Liz: The way I arrived at my recipe for The State Fair grilled cheese was pretty typical for me. Whenever I’m making something for a special occasion, I try to think about my own background and how I can bring unique qualities of myself, where I live and what I enjoy into my food. Since summer was approaching, I drew inspiration from one of my favorite summer events, The State Fair, which meant pulled pork, thinly sliced apples, caramel topping and Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

Q: What, in your mind, makes a great grilled cheese recipe? Is it all about the cheese, the texture or the interesting additions?

Liz: For me, it’s all about the extras! I’m one of those people who enjoy “stuff” in my food, if that makes sense. Don’t be afraid to try new and interesting combinations; some of the strangest ingredients can be so complementary! I mean, who would have thought mango would be great on this pizza recipe? Or, perhaps on a grilled cheese creation?

Stephanie Bright’s recipe The Low Country took home the silver prize in The 2012 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Contest. Below Stephanie shares what went on behind the scenes and gives us some of her best recipe-creating tips.

Q: What golden rules do you follow when capturing a recipe with your camera?

Stephanie: First, I read the rules thoroughly! Some contests require you to show the qualifying product in the photo, so make sure you have read the rules, in detail. Also, I always try to take my photos in natural sunlight/daylight so that I do not have to use the flash. For any given recipe submission, I will take five or six pictures from every angle. For this particular recipe, I took pictures of the sandwich whole (from all angles) as well as the sandwich sliced in half (from all angles). Finally, I like to use a neutral plate in my photos to let the recipe speak for itself. I understand that a colorful place setting can be very eye catching, but I prefer simplicity to a busy/patterned plate that competes with my recipe. If I want to use a spot of color, I use an interesting charger, place mat or tablecloth.

Q: When brainstorming a new recipe like The Low Country, did you draw inspiration from what was in your kitchen or did you imagine the combination of flavors first?   

Stephanie: For this recipe, I did some major homework. I literally read through every recipe on the Academy’s website, taking note of titles, cheeses used and preparation. The first thing I noticed, as I’m sure anyone would, is that the titles of the sandwiches are so unique. I wanted my recipe to reflect something with which I was familiar and also have a great title; I’m from the South and I can definitely put together a Low Country boil. So, in this instance, my title came first and was the inspiration for my ingredients.

Q: What constitutes a great grilled cheese recipe in your mind?

Stephanie: Before I came across the Grilled Cheese Academy’s website, I thought that grilled cheeses were a toasted sandwich with cheese and ham (or bacon, if I had extra time). The sandwiches featured on the Academy’s website are not a simple accompaniment to a bowl of soup; these sandwiches are the main event at any meal. My mindset about a great grilled cheese has changed because there are so many great cheeses, and the pairings of these cheeses with different breads and meats are endless.

Q: What is your favorite way to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month?

Stephanie: I’ll be celebrating National Grilled Cheese Month this year by enjoying some of the wonderful recipes available from the Grilled Cheese Academy. First on my list this year? Trying The Bewitching…finally!  I have wanted to try it for some time, and National Grilled Cheese Month is the perfect time to do it.

Do you think your recipe has what it takes to be a champion grilled cheese sandwich? Now is your chance to test your creation! Visit GrilledCheeseAcademy.com to submit your recipe for The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown.

See more grilled cheese tips from last year’s contest winner Ally D’Antoni Phillips here!

Last April, Sara of SproutedKitchen.com created The Sophia, a scrumptious grilled cheese featuring tasty Wisconsin Gruyère, sautéed Swiss chard, shallots and crisp apples. Watch Sara’s video to see how The Sophia is made and find the full recipe here.

For more delicious grilled cheese inspiration and to enter The 2013 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown, visit GrilledCheeseAcademy.com.