The second I heard about Daiya’s new pepperjack flavor I knew I had to try it.  Spicy cheeses were my favorite in my pre-vegan days so I was excited to try out a whole new selection of hotter vegan recipes.  I was pleasantly surprised to find how much this flavor tastes like the real thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Daiya’s cheddar and mozzarella, but they do have a bit of an aftertaste that’s not fooling any omnivore.  The pepperjack flavor, on the other hand, might just slip by undetected.

First: Nachos!

directions: 1. place chips on plate. 2. make mess on top.

A pretty easy recipe, I topped my nachos off with salsa, diced tomatoes and jalapeno pepper slices after heating the Daiya in the microwave for about 2 minutes to melt it over the chips.  These things were so tasty that I ate most of the plate myself, despite having made them for my parents and the Omnivore.  Thankfully, making seconds takes…well, seconds!

Next: Inside Out Grilled Cheese!

not pretty, but pretty tasty!

I can’t take credit for this idea.  I discovered it among the entries for Daiya’s Get Cooking Contest and thought it sounded so yummy that I had to try it with the pepperjack flavor. Here’s the how-to from the contestant:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5noNH-wuLH0]

Very messy, but totally worth it!  I added a slice of tomato inside mine and it really brought out the pepperjack with a less spicy contrast.  Enjoy!