Pretzel Baguettes and Cheese of the Month: Red Dragon with Mustard Seeds and Ale

It's no secret that I love bread and cheese. I may have even shared my unnatural love for mustard a time or two. Imagine my surprise when I found this Red Dragon Mustard Seed and Ale Cheese for sale at my Whole Foods. There was only one wedge left and it had my name written all over it. As I stared at the cheese, admiring it's red casing and it's visual appeal, I started to daydream about all the ways I could use it. I must have been off in another world, which happens a lot by the way, because the cheesemonger was talking to me and I didn't hear him. He said "We have a pretzel baguette that goes great with that cheese." MAMA SAY WHAT?

Imagine my delight at the words he spoke! Pretzel baguette. That's genius, I thought to myself, as I squealed in delight running to the bread section. However, he also mentioned "if we have any left", which kinda of made my stomach sink a little. It must have been my lucky day because there were several pretzel baguettes sitting in the basket and I was in love with them. I picked up two baguettes at $1.99 each and went happily to see the cashier.
We know that pretzels pair well with mustard and we also know they pair well with cheese, but cheese with mustard - yum!

Results/Notes: This is a classic combination. Both the pretzel baguette and the mustard seed and ale cheese were wonderful. The baguette was just like a soft pretzel, but in loaf form; soft and chewy. The cheese is a tangy Welsh Cheddar, made from pasteurized milk, mixed with mustard seeds and ale. It is creamy and almost spreadable at room temperature. Besides pairing well with the pretzel baguette, this cheese would be a great addition to any sandwich that would otherwise call for mustard. I think it would also be great melted into Welsh Rarebit or even added into some homemade macaroni and cheese. This is a great combination for any Superbowl parties coming up. All in all, it was fairly inexpensive. The baguettes are only $1.99 each and my wedge of cheese was about $4. A somewhat healthy and unique snack for around $5. These two goodies get a definite "thumbs up" from me and I will seek them out each and every time I happen to get to Whole Foods.

If you don't happen to have a Whole Foods in your area, you can buy this cheese online at Amazon, here. More often than not, you can ask your cheesemonger for specific items and they will order them for you without the added shipping charges.

In case you would like to try your own pretzel baguette, there is a link to a recipe here. I haven't tried this recipe, but I would definitely like to.

This is the first in my series for Cheese of the Month. Each month I am going to try a new cheese and feature it alone or in a recipe.