Cold pack cheese

Cold pack cheese, also known as club cheese or crock cheese, is a type of cheese spread that is created by blending natural cheeses without the use of heat.

Cold pack cheese was first made by a Wisconsin tavern owner for snacking during the height of Great Depression. It is often made using Cheddar or Swiss cheeses as a base, using added spices, fruits, vegetables, or nuts as flavoring. Common flavorings include almonds, port wine, horseradish, and smoked flavor.

Being made without heat, cold-pack is not shelf-stable and requires refrigeration. Compared to cheese spreads made with heat, cold-pack better preserves the taste and texture of its constituent cheeses.

The FDA has standards of identity for the production of "cold-pack and club cheese", "cold-pack cheese food", and "cold-pack cheese food with fruits, vegetables, or meats." Any cheese except "cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, creamed cottage cheese, cook cheese, skim-milk cheese for manufacturing,[...] semisoft part-skim cheese, part-skim spiced cheese, and hard grating cheese" may be used. The added flavor(s) must not mimic the flavor of cheese.

As with most cheese spreads, cold pack cheese is a soft spreadable blend of cheeses that can be used in a variety of applications. It can be used as an ingredient in sandwiches, on top of hot foods, such as potatoes, as a base for a cheese sauce, or simply on its own, served with crackers as an appetizer.