Copycat Merkts Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread

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I have a major league addiction to Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread. Truth is, I can’t tell you how many are in my fridge. I can’t tell you how many boxes of rounds I have in my pantry. Well, sadly, there are times when I run out of spread and my local grocery runs out too. Sad times indeed. Time to make a copycat version of Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread at home! Delightfully creamy, lightly sharp, this is the cheese spread dreams are made of. We often have this with our weekday lunches. Served with crackers it’s a really great snack!

Add Some Kick

I usually use pepper jack cheese in my copycat Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread. Yeah, it might not be a true copycat at that point, but oh, oh me, that slight kick really is awesome. It’s not like that little bit of pepper made it super spicy, but just enough. Like I needed an excuse to smear more cheese spread on my crackers!

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I do recommend that you let the spread get happy in the fridge overnight before serving. If you prefer your spread a little more spreadable, let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes before using.

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3.60 from 5 votes

Copycat Merkts Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread

For a little kick, use pepper jack instead of Monterey Jack

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese spread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Calories 1284kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from The Cheese Knees

Ingredients

• 8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded, not pre-shredded
• 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese freshly shredded, not pre-shredded
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika plus a little more, for garnish
• ½ cup half and half you might need a tad more

Instructions

• Place all ingredients except for the half and half into a large food processor. Blend for 1 minute, stopping every 15 seconds or so to scrape the sides.
• Add the half and half and continue blending for 1-2 minutes, stopping every 15 seconds or so to scrape the sides. You want the mixture to be smooth. If needed, add more half and half. Ours comes out perfect without it and it matches the consistency of the real spread.
• Blend for 1 minute. Take the lid off and use a spatula to scrape down the sides.
• Transfer spread to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.
• Serve sprinkled lightly with more paprika.

Nutrition

Calories: 1284kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 111g | Saturated Fat: 63g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 326mg | Sodium: 4061mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3617IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 1790mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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