By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Dec 08, 2016 at 3:01 PM

If you love delicious chocolate fudge, you may want to ditch your traditional recipe in favor of this version, which uses the rich flavor of cold pack cheddar to boost the creaminess quotient.

Sound strange? Trust us, it's a fantastic variation on the classic.

Cheese fudge

Prep time: 10 minutes

Servings: Makes one 8-inch square pan

Ingredients:
8 ounces Wisconsin cheddar or port wine flavored cold pack cheese spread
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions: Line 8-inch square pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of extra on sides.
In bowl of electric mixer, combine cold pack cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Add cocoa powder; mix to combine. Fold in chopped pecans. Spread mixture into pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Gently remove from pan and transfer to work surface. Cut into 1-inch squares for serving. Keep refrigerated.

More recipes

Find more great recipes – including a great hashbrown casserole that's perfect for New Year's Day brunch – in the 2016 holiday issue of Grate. Pair. Share., an online magazine dedicated to all things Wisconsin cheese.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.