FSR August 2023

SPONSORED BY BEL BRANDS USA

“Versatility is the perfect word for spreadable cheeses.”

sin products in the past: in mashed potatoes, on a salad, folding it into sauces or soups, on top of a burger, or in a gnocchi. Weir also recom mends the Boursin IQF Frozen Cheese Cubes as a way to get perfectly por tioned cheese onto a pizza bursting with flavor—the product was created by Bel Brands USA in the company’s ongoing quest to give chefs solu tions-oriented foodservice formats of its time-tested lineup of products. In a further nod to those IQF cubes—as well as to Boursin’s daypart versatility—OBrien recently designed a breakfast pizza with strawberry pre serves and Boursin IQF Cheese Cubes, arugula, and pistachios. “It’s a really simple dish and one you could do with fresh strawberries to upscale it,” OBrien says. “The sweet and savory elements paired together really nicely. The creaminess of the Boursin almost has that goat-cheese-like consis tency—it maintains its creaminess despite the heat.” Each spreadable cheese has the

potential to spark fusion-style inno vation, too, Weir says, adding that each works well with Latin American flavors in particular. For example, he recently created a Chili Relleno Philly Cheesesteak with Price*s Pimiento and roasted mushrooms. “You can use all of these prod ucts in Mexican fusion dishes in ways that might be somewhat unexpected,” Weir says. “Both Merkts and Price*s can be a great base for a queso. And aside from those Mexican flavors, Boursin can be a great substitute for feta in something like a Kebab—it can elevate the flavor profile of a Medi terranean dish and really add that flavor punch.” One final trend that the Bel Brands USA lineup has covered is the increas ing appetite for plant-based cheeses, which Datassential says have grown 110 percent on menus in the past four years. In fact, Bel Brands now o—ers Boursin Dairy-Free Garlic & Herbs among its vegan options. OBrien was introduced to the product when it first came to market and was immedi ately impressed. “The flavor of Boursin Dairy-Free is outstanding,” OBrien says. “The consis tency is also super creamy. It behaves as though it is a dairy product.” In this way, it is the perfect exten sion of the Bel Brands USA portfo lio: Craveable, versatile, and com forting, it can be used in any number of applications in order to drive foot tra›c. Each Bel Brands USA prod uct is packed with flavor and perfect for kitchens looking for easy-to-use ingredients that streamline back-of house operations. “Spreadable cheeses like the Bel Brands lineup is a nostalgic food group, if you will,” OBrien says. “Because that’s what it is—they’ve created almost their own food group. The flavors of each product are cra veable and flexible, so there’s a lot of exploration you can do.” ❖ For more flavor with less labor, visit BelBrandsFoodservice.com.

BEL BRANDS USA (2)

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

AUGUST 2023