Manchego cheese is one of the most popular products from Spain. It’s made with sheep’s milk and is usually used in making various Spanish dishes, including tapas. Additionally, Manchego cheese has a creamy texture and buttery flavour. It’s perfect for various gatherings, and even for a regular day. If you’ve been to Spanish restaurants, you might’ve tried a few dishes that have Manchego cheese.
Meanwhile, if you have a lot of Manchego cheese in your refrigerator, and you’re planning to make it the star of your tapas night, there are many things you can do that feature this great cheese. In this article, we’ll give you some recipe ideas that you can use for your tapas night.
1. Marinated Manchego Cheese
One of the most popular ways to create tapas is to marinate the main ingredients. And since Manchego cheese is the star of your night, start by cutting the cheese into small cubes. Prepare other ingredients, such as chopped garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, orange peels, and red pepper flakes.
Prepare the dish by heating a small pan, and adding the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, orange peels, and red pepper flakes. Let them simmer for about 3 minutes, and remove from heat. Let it cool.
Next, prepare a jar, add all the cubed Manchego cheese, and pour the heated oil in it. Marinated for a couple of hours or a few days. Don’t forget to remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving.
2. Manchego-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
If you love the flavour of piquillo peppers, then you’ll also love its combination with Manchego cheese. In making this tapa, prepare fresh or canned piquillo, shred the Manchego cheese, room temperature cream cheese, chopped parsley, garlic, and smoked paprika.
First, in a bowl, mix the manchego cheese, cream cheese, parsley, garlic, and smoked paprika. Next, stuff the piquillo peppers with the cheese mixture. You can either serve them chilled or use a fire torch to add some char.
3. Manchego Croquetas
Another staple in Spanish cuisine is the croquetas. As you know, the Spanish croquettes are made of bechamel. However, in this version, you’ll just need to incorporate shredded Manchego cheese into your bechamel, chill it in the fridge, and once ready, you can form them into balls, and coat them with flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden brown, and then serve.
4. Manchego and Jamón Serrano Platter
If you’re having a wine night, and you’re looking for the easiest way to serve Manchego cheese, the charcuterie or cheese platter is the best option. Prepare your ingredients by slicing them into thin, bite-size pieces. Aside from the Manchego cheese, you should also add Jamón Serrano. Crackers, and fruits. Of course, don’t hesitate to add more kinds of cheese and ham, depending on your preferences, and the available ingredients.
5. Manchego and Honey Bruschetta
Bite into a sweet savoury tapas by making Manchego and honey Bruschetta. Instead of the regular tomatoes, shave or slice Manchego cheese as much as possible. In addition, prepare some honey, slices of baguette, and some crushed walnuts.
First, toast the slices of baguette. After that, top each with shaved or sliced Manchego cheese, drizzle some honey, and top with some crushed walnuts. Since this is for tapas night, make sure that the baguette slices are small.
6. Manchego and Chorizo Empanadas
Empanadas require a little more effort, but they’re worth it. If you don’t have the time to create a dough from scratch, you can use puff pastry. For the filling, prepare shredded Manchego cheese and diced chorizo, and combine them. Fill the dough with the mixture, fold, and seal with egg wash. You can also brush the top of the empanadas with egg wash, and bake until golden brown.
7. Grilled Manchego Cheese
If you love grilled cheese, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t add it to your tapas menu. Instead of traditional grilled cheese, you can use Manchego cheese and artisan bread. Like the traditional way of making grilled cheese, you also need butter or olive oil.
Meanwhile, the key to the perfect grilled cheese is to let the cheese melt completely. If you want to add more flavour, you can spread some fig jam.
8. Roasted Vegetables with Manchego
If you want to add a vegetable option to your tapas menu, you can make roasted vegetables with Manchego cheese. To make this dish, you should first prepare various vegetables, such as zucchini, red and green bell peppers, eggplant, and sweet potato. In addition, add some herbs, salt, and olive oil before roasting them. Once the vegetables are roasted, add the shredded Manchego cheese, and return it to the oven, until it melts.
Final Thoughts
Hosting a Manchego cheese tapas night is a great way to celebrate the versatility of this ingredient. Whether you’ve been to Spanish restaurants before or it’s your first time exploring the taste of this cheese, you’ll surely enjoy every bite of the tapas.
