Everyone loves cheese. It’s a perfect comfort food, a great accompaniment for a wine night and just about always the ideal topping to a dish. Our judges hopped on the cheese wheel and are pleased to announce the following five champions of the cheese category of the FoodChamp Challenge:

Congratulations to the Grand Prize winner, RRuiz! RRuiz’s winning cheese recipe was the Three-Cheese Green Curry Grits with Peppery Parmesan Shrimp. This cheese-inspired dish had our judges, Kari Karch, Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe and Beth Peterson, falling in love at first bite!

“I have a confession to make… I secretly think I was once a mouse reincarnated because at any given point, you’ll catch me nibbling on a piece of cheese. So needless to say, this is my favorite category for the World Food Championships and the Three-Cheese Thai Curry Grits were a huge hit with me. I love the fusion between Asian flavors and a Southern classic treat perfectly married into one union of cheesy harmony! Congratulations and looking forward to seeing your competitive skills coming to life in Vegas!” – Kari Karch

“I expected many different things to get submitted in the cheese category and I was right! Some good ideas and some questionable. Shrimp and Grits seemed like a good place to start for me and I would have expected some jack or mild cheddar and maybe a little sharp Italian added but this recipe blew me away. The idea of adding green curry to the grits along with cream cheese, jack cheese and sharp cheddar really was a big flavor play! And if that wasn’t enough they coated the shrimp in Parmesan before cooking. This is a big time cheesy dish and a great winner.” – Ray Lampe “Dr BBQ”

“Cheese, cheese, everywhere!  On the shrimp, in the grits, wow! This recipe takes cheese to a whole new level of cheesy goodness! The twist of curry laced cheesy grits takes this classic southern dish to a bold new place. Comfort with a green curry vibe makes everyone a little happier. This recipe made me smile and want to dig right in! What a Winner!” – Beth Peterson

See the full recipe here.

The following recipes were some of our judges’ favorites – and also winners of the FoodChamp Challenge:

Fresh Berry Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with Basil Whipped Cream by laurielufkin1

Here’s what Beth had to say about laurielufkin1’s recipe:

“Give me a bite of this sunshine nestled cheesecake.  I love that it is tucked into a pretty little canning jar! How cute is that?!? This is summer built right into an airy and fresh cheese cake. Citrus, Berries, basil with light and lovely Ricotta. This delicious dessert has every flavor I crave all wrapped into a prize winning treat!”

See the full recipe here!

Creamy Cheddar Corn Chowder with Garlic-Parmesan Croutons by Ronna123

 Here’s what Ray had to say about Ronna123’s recipe:

“I always order the soup and I make soup at home often so it’s no surprise that I gave the Creamy Cheddar Corn Chowder With Garlic-Parmesan Croutonsa serious look. But this isn’t a plain old chese soup that’s really just a  sauce. This is a nice corn soup with a creamy base and enhanced with veggies, cheese and even jalapeno. Yes please, I’ll have a big bowl.”

See the full recipe here!

Black Forest Ham & 4-Cheese Panini with Beer-Soaked Frizzled Onions by schmulie

Here’s what Kari had to say about schmulie’s recipe:

“Growing up in Austria and Germany as a child, I was introduced to the most delicious foods including Black Forest ham, the pretzel bun, and a plethora of fresh-made cheeses from the local farm. So it was kismet when I read this mouth-watering recipe brining me right back to my childhood! The combination of cheeses, ham, beer-soaked onions, and clearly a great deal of love had this fräulein yodeling that the hills are alive with the smell of gooey-cheesiness! Congrats and let’s Prost to your win in Vegas!”

See the full recipe here!

Lastly, though most certainly not least, additional congratulations is owed to BKRagazza, our final winner of the FoodChamp Challenge, cheese edition:

The Boss Hog: Smokey BLT Mac-n-Cheese

See the full recipe here!

Feeling inspired? The SEAFOOD category of the FoodChamp Challenge, presented by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, is on now! If you think you’ve got the catch of the day, head over to cookmore.com now through Sept. 10, and submit your recipe here.