We Can't Get Enough Marinated Cheese

CHEVOO Herbes de Provence marinated goat cheese

Part of the magic of marinated cheese is its sheer simplicity. Take a fresh cheese, add some olive oil, throw in some herbs, and voila, you have marinated cheese. Humans have been making marinated cheeses for centuries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Experts believe that Ladotyri Mytilinis, a Greek marinated cheese, has been made since Ancient Greece on the island of Lesbos and Angus Cameron, marketing manager of Meredith Dairy, notes his company was inspired to create marinated cheese by a Persian cheese that was put into a clay pot and covered with oils and herbs.

“Marinated cheese was pretty much invented a very long time ago, as a way to preserve cheese when you didn't have any refrigeration,” explains Pierre Guérin, president and co-owner, Belle Chevre Inc. “One way to preserve your milk was to make fresh goat cheese. You really have two choices,” he continues, “for goat cheese, you could do a hard cheese, but you could also preserve some of the fresh goat cheese into olive oil, which really preserves the cheese.”

Why Marinate Cheese?

Preservation
Texture
Flavor

Today, thanks to refrigeration, oil preservation is no longer necessary, but marinated cheeses do tend to last longer than non-marinated goat cheese in the fridge. Durae Hardy, director of marketing at Laura Chenel, notes that she loves getting the bulk size of the company’s marinated cheeses available for food service, and storing it into her fridge, where it lasts indefinitely.

The combination of fresh cheese and oil works well because of the textures. Hardy notes that the olive oil complements the cheese without overpowering it and adds a luxurious textural element to the cheese. Guérin adds that the oil combines with the cheese to make it creamier and richer, compared to the typical crumbliness of goat cheeses. On top of that, the combination creates a rich flavor that you can play around with by adding herbs and spices to the oil.

Given that roughly half of the goat cheese sold in this country is flavored, it’s no wonder that marinated goat cheese is a crowd pleaser.

Laura Chenel Focuses on Quality

It’s a common marketing phrase: “Location, location, location.” But for Sonoma, California-based cheesemaker Laura Chenel, the secret to their success with marinated cheeses is the freshness of the ingredients.

Hardy says that their method of making cheese is so simple that it is extraordinarily hard. She explains, “There can be no mistakes made, and there can be no shortcuts made to have a perfect taste.” It’s more fragile than cow’s milk and if it is not handled carefully, it impacts the taste and can create that infamous funky goat flavor.

The company’s milk suppliers only store the milk for 2 days before the trucks show up to take it to the Laura Chenel cheese-making facility. In addition, all of the dairies are within driving distance, Hardy explains. So when the milk arrives at the creamery, the company immediately begins making it into cheese. Hardy calls it “artisan cheesemaking at scale.” That freshness gives Laura Chenel’s base cheeses a fresh, clean, and delicate taste. It’s the basis for all of their recipes across the company, not just the marinated cheeses.

However, unlike other Laura Chenel cheeses, the company uses a slightly lower moisture recipe for the marinated cheeses. After it is air dried, the cheese is sliced into discs and hand packed into the oil, which is flavored, and then dried herbs may be added to it.

Laura Chenel marinated cheese photo credit Janet Fletcher_Planet Cheese

Laura Chenel offers three flavors of marinated goat cheese, Thyme Rosemary, Jalapeño Chili, and Black Truffle. Thyme Rosemary is the original flavor that is almost as old as the company, which dates back to 1979 and is the most popular of the marinated cheeses. “It’s garden-inspired and really crowd-pleasing,” says Hardy.

The other two marinated cheeses are flavors for the “more adventurous at heart.” Hardy explains that people either love or hate truffles. So if you are a truffle lover, the marinated cheese is perfect since it contains both truffle oil and bits of truffle in the olive oil. Jalapeño Chili is Hardy’s favorite, noting, “You have to be a little on board with spice.” She loves the unexpected combination of the creamy goat cheese with a spicy oil.

Laura Chenel’s marinated cheeses can be used in various recipes, many of which are listed on the website. Hardy loves them on pizza, especially in the summer noting that you can add both the discs of cheese and the oil to the pizza and can add the oil marinade to anything you like.

One more unusual use of the marinated cheese came from someone at one of the consumer shows that Laura Chenel attended. A fan of the product told Hardy that they baked a sweet potato and poured the entire container of the marinated cheese into it. In general, the marinated cheeses are very versatile and can be used for practically anything from a cheese board to cooked dishes. “I have been known to sit at my desk and just eat a jar of our marinated cheese for lunch,” Hardy admits.

Belle Chèvre Creamery Innovates Infusion

Alabama-based Belle Chèvre Creamery takes a different approach to making its marinated cheese, CHEVOO. In its recipe, the herbs, spices, and other flavors are often added to both the cheese and the oil.

CHEVOO was created by Australian expats Gerard and Susan Tuckin in Northern California in 2015. The name comes from its ingredients: chevre (CHE) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). That’s where you get the name: CHEVOO.

But the pandemic brought the company down until co-owners Foster McDonald and Pierre Guérin purchased the cheese and all its cheese-making equipment and recipes and brought CHEVOO back in 2022. Guérin reported that they just got the brand back on the shelves at Kroger’s in September of 2024.

Currently CHEVOO offers five marinated cheeses: Smoked Salt & Rosemary, Dill Pollen & Garlic, Herbes de Provence, Italian Black Truffle, and Urfa Chili & Lemon. Guérin explains that they add the herbs or spices to the cheese and then flavor the olive oil. He shares that the method yields a more interesting flavor.

For instance, CHEVOO’s original flavor, Smoked Salt & Rosemary, includes the smoked salt in the cheese and the rosemary in the oil. (Basically the order of ingredients tells you where the ingredient is found, the first is in the cheese and the second in the oil). Herbes de Provence is incorporated into the cheese and garlic into the oil for that flavor. The only exception is the Italian Black Truffle where the truffle is only in the cheese, not in the oil.

In addition to having several flavors, CHEVOO cheese comes in tiny cubes “that are small enough that you put them straight on the salad or take them out of the jar and put them on corn-on-the-cob,” Guérin explains.

The company believes that the cheese should not just be for special occasions but also for everyday meals to make the food a little bit more special. The company’s tagline “How do you CHEVOO?” embodies the many uses of the cheese in cooking. Guérin notes a few different ways to incorporate the cheese into dishes, such as putting the cheese in salad and using the oil for the dressing; eating it straight with crackers or French bread or putting it on vegetables. It also goes well on steaks or fish in lieu of butter. The company has partnered with Instagram influencers to create inspiring cheeseboards.

Meredith Dairy Keeps It Simple

While CHEVOO and Laura Chenel offer several types of marinated cheeses, Australia-based Meredith Dairy keeps its marinated cheese sweet and simple. The company makes two marinated cheeses: Marinated Goat Cheese and Marinated Sheep & Goat Cheese. Both types are flavored with garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Like Laura Chenel, the quality of the milk is key for Meredith Dairy. The milk comes from their own animals and is made daily into their various cheeses and other dairy products.

Cheese expert Janet Fletcher, shared about the differences between the two cheeses in a post on her blog, Planet Cheese, “In Australia, where it’s the top-selling marinated cheese in a crowded niche, the product is 100 percent goat’s milk. Meredith adds the sheep’s milk for the U.S. only; it makes the cheese creamier, says Griffith, and (I’m guessing) a little less tangy, in keeping with American taste.”

Either way, both are extremely delicious on their own as well as ingredients in a variety of dishes. The best recipes are the ones that showcase the quality of the cheese and its ingredients. Cameron says, “I love a salad with rocket [otherwise known as arugula], cherry tomatoes, red onion and Meredith goat cheese. Maybe a bit of avocado too. It’s super simple, but it's versatile, fresh, and delicious.”

Meredith Sourdough Toast with Marinated Goat Cheese

There’s great potential with avocado and Meredith goat cheeses. Cameron recommends taking a smashed avocado, adding a small splash of the olive oil marinade, a squeeze of lemon, and some salt and pepper. And of course, include the Meredith cheese. But Cameron advises, “Don’t overcomplicate it.” Another suggestion is a salad with watermelon, marinated cheese, and a bit of oil and mint. It’s perfect for summer, Cameron points out.

When asked about unusual uses of their cheeses, Cameron notes that he’s seen some out-there combinations. For instance, he recalls “a local boy was caught dipping his chocolate chip cookies into the jar.” He reports that he and others tried dipping cubes into chocolate, which works well.

And after the cheese is used up, he suggests taking the remaining oil and adding one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a bit of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, and then shaking it up into a delicious salad dressing.

Cameron notes that folks are very passionate about Meredith Dairy’s cheeses, “We had a couple from Melbourne get matching tattoos of the 320g jar on their arms. We would have never expected people to love it that much, but here we are.”

Cheeses to Marinate in Oil at home

Goat cheese
Mozzarella
Pecorino
Feta
Manchego
Labneh

Marinated feta photo credit depositphotos

While some people prefer buying their marinated cheeses, others may want to try making it at home. Fletcher, who has written several cookbooks, notes that most people think of using fresh, moist cheeses as a base for the marinated cheeses. She’s used mozzarella as well as a log of chevre as a base and offers a delicious recipe for Marinated Ciliegene, or mozzarella balls, on her blog. “That’s something you can do at home. If you want to just buy a log, cut it up and marinate it with your own seasonings,” Fletcher says. “I think you're going to get a fresher flavor because you can use fresh herbs and you can use extra virgin olive oil.” Most brands use a combination of olive oil and other oils that, unlike extra virgin olive oil don’t have long-chain fatty acids to prevent the oil from congealing in the refrigerator.

Fletcher says Pecorino is another candidate for marinating. “You slice it into triangles, and you marinate it, and it takes a little longer for the marinade to penetrate, but it's quite delicious,” she notes. As for seasonings, she recommends using fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary, as well as fresh citrus peel and garlic. And be sure to use some good extra virgin olive oil. Another tip, to cleanly cut goat cheese logs into slices, use unflavored dental floss, rather than a knife.

Other popular cheeses for marinating in oil include feta, Manchego and labneh balls. In each case the cheese takes on a different texture or flavor when marinated.

Cameron cautions, “Hygiene is very important for clean-tasting fresh cheese.” He notes that even if your kitchen is exceptionally clean, it will still not be as clean as a cheese factory. “Making it at home could introduce mold, bacteria and yeast, which will reduce shelf-life and add nasty flavors. Plus it can be challenging to get the right combination of flavors that won’t overpower the cheese or the oil.”

Summer is a great time to experiment with fresh marinated cheeses, either commercially available or your own creations. Easy and versatile, they are perfect for casual meals and entertaining.