TREND BITES:
Melted Cheese
Whether it's a simple ingredient or an indulgent snack, cheese is beloved by many and used in a variety of meals. It's also something Wisconsin is known for, so it's near and dear to us here at Brakebush. Our expertise might be in chicken, but we're in the heart of Dairyland and we love exploring as many chicken and cheese pairings as possible!
More cheese, please!
According to Datassential, cheese is on over 90% of US menus—and 63% of the time, it's paired with chicken! How could this already incredibly ubiquitous ingredient be used MORE than it already is? It's all about the increase in cheesy descriptions of menu items. While "cheese" on menus is staying at its steady 90%, there's an increase in words that describe the cheese. Operators are playing up the ooey gooey cheesiness of their entrees and appetizers to make them even more enticing to customers who read their menus or see photos on their social media.
Craving Cheesy Buzzwords
The terms "melted" and "gooey" are the most common descriptors of cheese on menus and in social media posts, with "gooey" gaining the most traction at a 21% increase in menu mentions over the past four years. Influencers and menu makers capture their audience's attention with warm, stretchy cheeses, garnering the desired social media engagements and restaurant visits. Words like melted, gooey, stretchy, and stringy are strongly associated with indulgence and, when paired with a photo of a satisfying cheese pull, can showcase the texture of the cheese and evoke cravings.
Popular menu items with "melted" and "gooey" cheese include Mexican-inspired dishes like quesadillas, burritos, and nacho-style flatbreads. To serve your own cheesy, Mexican-inspired dishes, try this Cowboy Caviar Quesadilla or this Queso Fundido Con Pollo.
Try these chicken and cheese recipes!
Grilled Cheese and Game Day
Melted cheese plays a big role in two things that brighten our winters: comfort foods and sports. According to the University of Georgia's research, people naturally crave comfort foods in the winter as a response to the colder weather and decrease in sunshine. Our chefs developed a fun take on grilled cheese, which is a comfort food adored by consumers of all ages, by pairing gooey cheese with our tangy Buffalo-Style Diced Chicken in this Buffalo Grilled Cheese.
Of course, chicken and cheese appetizers go hand in hand with the sports parties in the early months of the year. Whether your customers are gathered to watch football, basketball, or hockey, they're going to want appetizers for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Offer a few mouthwatering chicken wing options (We have 20 to choose from!) or serve a cheese-loaded gameday LTO like these Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders.
Chicken products perfect for cheesy dishes!
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