Mintel International Group recently revealed that ethnic foods garner $75 billion annually in the U.S. Consumers’ two favorite ethnic cuisines topping the list were Italian and Mexican—both of which commonly include cheese as a main ingredient. Technomic’s Flavor Consumer Trend Report also took note of this, citing that the popularity of cheese sauce specifically grew by 42 percent in the U.S. last year.

To capitalize on these growth trends, Knouse Foods offers a full line of Lucky Leaf^® Cheese Sauce. Made with the finest dairy products, Lucky Leaf Cheese Sauce is available in a multi-serve format (106 oz. can) in a variety of flavor options that include Kickin’ Queso, Queso Blanco Cheese Sauce, Aged Cheddar Cheese Sauce (low fat option), Cheddar Cheese Sauce (mild option) and Nacho Cheese Sauce (mild and low-fat option). The Cheese Sauces are easy to use, shelf stable and cost effective, so chefs and operators can simplify back-of-house operations, deliver consistent results and increase profit potential with every meal.

Appeal to patrons’ palates for ethnic cuisine and diversify any menu using Lucky Leaf Cheese Sauce. Consider these recipe ideas for the top two cuisines and across all dayparts:

 

	ITALIAN	MEXICAN
Breakfast	Crostini Italiano: Poached eggs are served on herb-flavored crostini, topped with prosciutto slices and Cheese Sauce and mixed with chopped artichokes, roasted red peppers and parsley.	Omelet au Queso: A simple egg omelet is topped with Cheese Sauce, mixed with sautéed vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, onions and tomatoes) and run under the broiler for omelet au gratin.
Lunch	Pasta Alfredo: Al dente fettuccine is tossed in Cheese Sauce along with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ground white pepper and a touch of nutmeg topped with a sprinkling of snipped parsley.	Lemon Salmon: Salmon is grilled or roasted and served topped with Cheese Sauce and flavored with cilantro, lemon juice, lemon zest and toasted pumpkins seeds to garnish.
Dinner	Besto Pesto Pie: An unbaked dough round is spread with Cheese Sauce and dribbled with prepared basil pesto sauce, chopped tomato and roasted sliced pepper, then topped with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses before baking.	Meat Enchiladas: Spicy meat filling made with enchilada sauce is stuffed into corn tortillas, rolled and served on top of a hot, chunky tomato-scallion salsa, then topped with hot Cheese Sauce and garnished with minced cilantro.

 

“Lucky Leaf Cheese Sauce is extremely versatile and allows culinary professionals to remain on-trend and satisfy consumers’ increasing demand for ethnic menu offerings,” said Todd Michael, Foodservice Sales Director for Knouse Foods. “Your patrons will appreciate the irresistible smooth cheese flavor and texture, and you’ll appreciate that our Cheese Sauce is ready to use and provides variety and quality that is second to none.”

Knouse Foods is an established grower-owned fruit cooperative and food processor for apple and fruit related products. The cooperative includes fruit growers in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the Mid-West. Known for its environmental stewardship, Knouse Foods is committed to ensuring all of its products meet the highest standard for taste, quality and consistency. Product brands include Musselman’s^® and Lucky Leaf^®. For more information, visit www.knousefoodservice.com.