Best Substitutes For Swiss Cheese

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Swiss cheese commonly stands tall as a poster ingredient for many foods, and for good reason. It has flavors and textures suitable for a variety of cooking methods, and there are many varieties. Nevertheless, you might not have completed your recipe or want to exchange it for other things.

Fortunately, alternative cheeses like mozzarella and provolone can still provide you with the same high quality found in Swiss cheese. First, though, what is Swiss cheese, and how are you supposed to know which cheeses serve as viable substitutes?

That’s where we come in. We looked high and low to find the best options to use in place of Swiss cheese. We think you will appreciate what we found. You can use these cheeses in recipes that call for Swiss cheese, and we’re confident that the results will speak for themselves.

So let’s first examine Swiss cheese, so we know what we’re working with, and then we will proceed to share our top substitutes.

What Is Swiss Cheese?

Many varieties of Swiss cheese have similarities to Emmenthal, a cheese that is made from milk. Emmenthal is known for its mild taste. What’s more, it is also slow at melting, making it ideal for a wide variety of recipes that call for such.

Moreover, Emmenthal has a yellow color and texture that is semi-hard. Certain kinds of Emmenthal also have holes that Swiss cheese is well known for. Emmenthal is also the most common kind of Swiss cheese that you find in grocery stores and supermarkets.

But there are other types to choose from, as well, including:

  • Tomme Vaudois
  • Tete de Moine
  • Appenzeller
  • Belper Hern
  • Share Maxx
  • Schabziger
  • Jarlsberg
  • Vacherin
  • Gruyere
  • L’vitaz

As you can see, there are many different kinds of this cheese to choose from. But when it comes to substituting Swiss cheese in recipes, you can usually get away with using the alternatives that we found. So with that, let’s jump into our findings so you can determine which one will work best for your needs.

Best Substitutes

If your Swiss cheese runs out and your recipe requires it, or Swiss cheese is simply too expensive, but you need it for your various dishes, you can replace it with any convenient substitute. Please note that in certain recipes, each recipe has the best features than some others. Therefore, it is important to understand how to match the substitutes with different cheeses.

Fontina

This Italian cheese is made using fresh and unpasteurized milk. This helps to give it a buttery taste. And its soft texture makes it a wonderful alternative to Swiss cheese in foods like sandwiches. As it matures, the straw color gets deeper, and the texture becomes dry.

There are small holes throughout, just like Swiss cheese. And there is a slight hint of nuts, mushrooms, and honey, based on how it is used.

In addition to sandwiches, fontina is also suitable for almost all other recipes, especially Italian dishes. And it is somewhat easy to spread and features a high melting point. This makes it very slow even when cooking.

Cheddar

Cheddar cheese is hands-down one of the most readily available kinds of cheese in the world. It has a firmer texture and a richer taste than that of Swiss cheese. Nevertheless, cheddar has a variety of flavors, is suitable for many dishes and recipes.

And because you are able to grate it, cheddar cheese is far more versatile. Cheddar cheese was originally a type of English cheese made from milk.

Mozzarella

If you love pizza, then you are no stranger to mozzarella cheese. You will also be happy to know that mozzarella is a great alternative to Swiss cheese.

Although originally made with water and milk, the kinds that you find on the market today are made using milk. As such, they taste a lot like Swiss cheese.

Mozzarella cheese is white in color, but it features a shiny appearance and a soft texture. Because of its impressive melting properties, you can use it in recipes such as Reuben sandwiches and quiches.

Burrata

Its saltiness might make it look less like an alternative to Swiss cheese, but burrata is a wonderful substitute for many recipes and dishes. On the one hand, it is an incredibly versatile soft cheese that you can find on the market.

On the other hand, its smooth texture and creamy taste are due to its combination of cream, mozzarella, and stracciatella. Even though it is delicious, the taste is very mild and will not overwhelm the recipe.

However, burrata is more expensive, but if you have some on hand, it can be a fine substitute for recipes that require Swiss.

Provolone

Here is yet another Italian cheese; the famous provolone is more of a last resort when you must replace Swiss. Although Provolone cheese is easily found in markets alongside cheeses such as Monterey Jack and Cheddar, the flavor isn’t quite like Swiss.

Provolone is slightly sweet but has a strong aftertaste, but its texture is fair. Therefore, to make this cheese work, you need to combine it with the same amount of cheddar cheese to match the flavor of Swiss cheese. Or use it directly in Lorraine quiche, cordon bleu, chicken Valdosta, and pies.

We’re not the biggest fan of this option, considering how well the other alternatives work. But we’re happy enough with provolone in a pinch. It does work well if you don’t have any other options to fall back on.

Just keep in mind that the taste is going to be different from that of Swiss. As such, it might interfere with certain recipes, so watch closely and test it to see whether it’s going to work with your dishes and recipes.

Cook Gem Is Your Source for Substitutes and More

We have many more wonderful food substitutes that are sure to come in handy in your cooking ventures. We also regularly discuss vegan-friendly ingredients and food options to help you maintain your vegan diet.


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