How To Help America Eat Through Its Cheese Surplus

How to eat through America's cheese surplus

America's got a good problem on its hands: a stockpile of more cheese than it's had in more than 30 years. According to a report from Bloomberg, we've got Europe to thank. Dairy prices in Europe are so cheap right now and production so high that exports to Asia and the Middle East have increased significantly in recent years. They've left sales from the U.S., with its strong dollar, in the dust. Cheese exports from Europe increased 13 percent in the last year, while exports from the U.S. increased only 9 percent.

Not only is the U.S. exporting less cheese, but it's importing more from Europe for precisely the same reason everyone else is: It's cheap.

So how can you help handle the national stockpile of cheese that we have on our hands? You know where we're going with this . . .

Here are 11 of our best cheesy recipes so that you can do your patriotic duty and chip away at what Bloomberg calls "CheeseMountain."

PS The country also happens to be importing a lot of European butter, too, perfect for your grilled cheeses.

Starting your day off with a bagel grilled cheese is the best decision you make. You won't need a nap or anything after one . . .

Mac and cheese is an obvious choice for a cheese pile. And for this classic comfort food, simplicity is the best. Let the cheese speak for itself.

Spring may be here, but a beer and cheddar soup is always in season. See you at the bottom of the bowl.

If you want to be really patriotic about it, make a doubly whammy of a grilled cheese, with cheddar and Gruyère.

And since you're going to want to feed a crowd, and not just yourself, familiarize yourself with the ways of baked Brie: IN A BREAD BOWL.

Get your vegetables (tomato sauce, that is) with the cheesiest chicken Parm you can find.

And get even more vegetables with this Belgian endive and blue cheese gratin. It's healthy . . . somehow.

Don't overlook the classic French onion soup, which we've perfected in the slow cooker, for ultimate ease and satisfaction.

And while you're in French territory, make a croque-madame and never look back.

When all else fails, or really whenever you want, make nachos with cheese sauce. Make lots of nachos with lots of cheese sauce.

Wash it all down with what else: a Nutella grilled cheese.