We’ll never give up classic flavor combos like cheddar and apples, or smoked gouda and apricot jam—we all need a quick fix for entertaining, or for when we just want a tried-and-true comfort food. But gourmet cheese lovers have been feasting on cheese and seasonal fruit together for centuries, and it’s time to innovate. 

When it’s snack time, we like to taste-test Daiya’s new plant-based cheeze blocks with everything but the kitchen sink. We’ll smear a spoonful of sweet chutney on cheddar, or heap earthy beets and smoked gouda on tangy rye bread. Then we close our eyes and just wait for it: that magic hits where the sweetness, tanginess and creaminess combine. The reason these Daiya blocks are so rich and smooth? A little miracle ingredient called oats. This wholesome grain adds the luscious bite and warmth on the palate that every turophile craves.

This fearless snacking is how we make each bite perfect. Medium Cheddar, Jalapeño Havarti, Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda, and Classic Mozza—each taste tells a different story. This cheese awakens culinary memories in us, with rich historical traditions.

If you like your cheese as chill as can be, keep on cubing, slicing, and dicing (though we love to just tear off big hunks with our hands). Drizzle a crusty baguette with EVOO and tuck your cheesy hunks inside with some fresh arugula and a dab of pesto. But if cooking shows are your besties, and you need every bite to whisper ‘umami’ seductively in your ear, get ready to experiment. We got you.  

Mo’ cheddar, mo’ better

Flavor combos: cheddar and chutney

We love this rich, rustic cheddar that’s easy like Sunday morning. A flavorful, ready-to-please cheese that you can eat straight out of the package, Daiya’s Medium Cheddar pairs nicely with slices of Honeycrisp apples or red Anjou pears, served up on fig jam-slathered crackers or toast. But to get your creative juices flowing, we’ve taken a page out of a classic English ploughman’s lunch to create an appealing sandwich that will power you through your day. Start by lathering chutney and vegan butter on thick bread, then add sumptuous slices of Daiya cheddar, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a bit of crispy, fresh lettuce. Serve whole or slice into quarters for tea sandwiches, and pair with a side of cornichons or pickles and crispy kettle chips. If you’re feeling those country gastropub vibes, have this rustic sandwich with a pastoral English ale or a fresh, classic Pimm’s Cup.

Swap it like it’s hot

Flavor combos: havarti, fruit, and spice

Havarti is one of our favorite cheeses. Buttery and balanced, it’s a winning combination when married with spicy chili flavors in Daiya’s new Jalapeño Havarti cheeze. If there’s anything this Jalapeño Havarti makes us crave, it’s backyard shindigs. For this kebab, grab some skewers and spear fresh fruit and Jalapeño Havarti cubes. Go with the sweetness of your local seasonal fruit, whether that’s the bright, refreshing taste of pineapple, the sugary sunshine of watermelon, the dulcet tones of fuzzy peaches, slightly tart strawberries, cotton candy grapes, or bountiful citrus—havarti loves them all, and jalapeño adds the spice!

It’s all gouda

Flavor combos: gouda, beets, and rye

Smoked Gouda is agreeably sweet and slightly nutty while maintaining just enough assertive flavor, which makes it the perfect complement in rich, hearty dishes like vegan mac n cheese, vegan meat roasts, potato casseroles, and even pizza. But did you know that smoked gouda makes a knock-your-socks-off smørrebrød? The versatile Danish-Norwegian toast is a classic that should be in your repertoire, if it’s not already. Here’s the secret to its popularity: its dense rye toast base starts you off healthy, and the rest of the ingredients let you be as indulgent as you’d like. Topping your toast isn’t just an easy way to make a meal—it’s also the best way to show off the bountiful colors of spring produce coming your way.

Get jacked

Flavor combos: Monterey jack, radishes, red pepper, and chili crisp

Buttery-smooth and tangy-sweet, Monterey Jack is that meal helper you love—it basically goes on everything. While you might be tempted to automatically melt this cheese for topping a burger or sprinkling on tacos or nachos, it’s easy to eat straight out of the fridge for snack time. Fill a crispy gem lettuce cup with hummus, then add some roasted red bell pepper and seasonal watermelon radishes, and shred some Daiya Monterey Jack right over the top. Drizzle your Monterey Jack cups with halos of fragrant chili oil and top with crunchy chili crisp and toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. And done! You’ve got a dozen mini masterpieces perfect for entertaining company or streaming your favorite show.

The history of hot pot is fascinating—and contested. Common legend has it that it was a Mongolian food, but when the province of Anhui claimed it was the home of hot pot, it sparked a controversy. 

What we do know is that from Yunnan to Guangdong to Sichuan, this style of feasting is all about the experience of gathering around a bubbling pot and cooking various ingredients in one or more broths. That’s pretty much where the similarities end though, since broths can be as mild as miso, or as spicy as the fiery broths at Sichuan-founded chain Haidilao.

If your fridge has leftovers, there’s no need to hit the store for anything expect the broth ingredients—and even some of those can be substituted. In other words, don’t hesitate to swap in the veggies or noodles in this recipe, since baby bellas are just as succulent as brown beech mushrooms in this broth, and pretty much any kind of noodle works. Vegan meats also cook up just as flavorfully as the tofu in the recipe. This is the perfect way to zero-waste your fridge, so use up all those leftovers in a big hot pot party.

Happy feasting!

Have a bunch of leftover parsley, oregano, or sage wilting in a glass jar? Our vegan meatball sub has got you, with many herbs easily swapping in for basil. Need to use up half a giant can of white beans or pintos? Swap ’em in for the black beans in our vegan meatballs recipe. These recipes are that forgiving, meaning you can experiment and rest easy knowing that fewer food items are going into your waste bin.

And more than that, we find rolling up these vegan meatballs to be just plain fun. There’s something akin to a kindergarten art project about getting in there and shaping up these little mounds of goodness. Everyone loves a good old nostalgia-inspiring meatball, but these new-school meatballs show us how to flex our flexitarian muscles while rolling up tiny sustainable kitchen miracles.

Vegan meatball sub

This plant-based version of the classic Italian-American sando rolls up Impossible vegan ground beef, holding it all together with breadcrumbs and flavoring it with a slew of Italian seasonings. If you ever questioned sandwiches for dinner, make this one with some fresh Italian bread and a heaping of vegan parm. Cue the film Moonstruck, and you’ve got the perfect themed evening.

Vegan meatballs

You can be picky about beans when you’re eating them solo, but this recipe forgives you if you want to slide in a substitute for the black beans or chickpeas. Add walnuts and mushrooms to the mix, adjust the texture as needed with breadcrumbs, and you’ve got a proper meaty texture with just the right mix of umami-packed elements. Do these little wonders up with some pasta or go Swedish with mashed potatoes and whatever jam you have on hand.

Potato balls

These potato balls are a little more work, but we’ve got a word to the wise for you. Add a little vegan ground beef to the center, and you’ve got a complete, protein-packed meal. Plus, if you’ve got a baby deep fryer, an air fryer, or a wok, these are easier to get cooking. Get out that potato ricer or masher and get going on these fragrant, hearty babies spiced with paprika, nutmeg, and pepper.

The banana blossom “fish” tacos with corn salsa are deceptively complex, making use of canned banana blossoms and corn’s convenience. It’s all about the savory, tart, and spicy seasoning here, courtesy of garlic, lime, and chili.

Then, there’s the dairy-free pesto. Swap the freshly grated plant-based parmesan cheese with one that’s premade to cut down on time. Serve this with pasta, or toss it with leftover rice and roasted vegetables for an easy clean-out-the-fridge meal.

Last but not least, is the spinach pasta, which is ready in under 30 minutes and uses silken tofu to elevate the sauce’s texture to divine levels of creaminess. And, you don’t even have to chop and onions or garlic—this recipe makes use of spice cabinet staples. Let’s not waste any more time: here are three easy plant-based weeknight dinners that we fall back on whenever life gets busy: 

Plant-based ‘fish’ tacos

The unique, pull-apart texture of banana blossoms makes for a surprisingly fish-like texture.

Homemade dairy-free pesto

All you need is a blender and roughly 10 minutes to throw this simple, versatile pesto together. Use it for pasta, leftover rice, or toss it with roasted seasonal veggies for a delicious grain bowl.

The creamiest spinach pasta

When in doubt about what to make, choose pasta. This rich, creamy dish is packed with plenty of carbs and healthy greens.

Peanut butter has been around for ages. According to the National Peanut Board, the earliest reference to the delicious, creamy spread dates back to the Ancient Incas and Aztecs, who ground roasted peanuts to make a paste. But the peanut butter that we all know and love today can be traced back to three innovators: Marcellus Gilmore Edson, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yep, the same man behind Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes), and Dr. Ambrose Straub. Edson patented peanut paste in 1884. Kellogg patented a method for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. And Straub patented a machine to make peanut butter. Thank goodness they did…

The food paste, which is made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts, can be served crunchy or smooth. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, folate, magnesium, copper, and manganese. And it also contains eight grams of protein per two tablespoons.

Americans love their peanut butter. We eat about 700 million pounds of it a year. A jar of the peanutty concoction can be found in 94 percent of households’ kitchens. It’s also popular in the UK, Germany, and France.

Looking for more ways to indulge in this heavenly spread? In an ode to peanut butter goodness—from savory to sweet—here are three recipes to take your peanut butter addiction to the next level.

Pumpkin Peanut Stew

Pull up a chair to this hearty stew, which features pumpkin, broccoli, and—you guessed it—peanut butter.

Curry Peanut Tofu Bowl

For a combination of some of the most flavorful ingredients, look no further than this curried peanut tofu bowl. The poke bowl is packed with black rice (which you can sub with brown or sushi rice), spinach, edamame, carrots, cucumber, and red cabbage. This nutritious, edible rainbow is lathered in a creamy peanut curry dressing. It’s nutty, rich, and extra tasty.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate just go together. This sweet treat recipe combines two of our favorite ingredients for a taste bud-pleasing dessert that is so plant milk dunkable.

Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are typically beige, but they can also be found in red, green, and black varieties. Au naturel, chickpeas have a creamy, almost nutty flavor, but they have an amazing versatility that makes them perfect for a huge range of dishes.

They’re also cheap, often readily available, and nutrient-dense. Whether tinned or dried, chickpeas are a rich source of protein and fiber along with iron, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, selenium, and B6, also known as folate, which supports other vitamin absorption.

There are hundreds of ways to prepare chickpeas, from egg-style scrambles to omelets, bean burgers to desserts, as well as cocktails and even ice cream. (Plus the Middle Eastern and vegetarian staple of hummus, a tried-and-tested classic for pack lunches or parties.)

Here are some of our very favorite chickpea recipes.

The very best chickpea recipes

Aquafaba meringue

This basic recipe is a veganized version of classic French meringue, making it the perfect choice for whatever meringue-based sweet treats you’re cooking up. It uses aquafaba, which is the viscous liquid in which chickpeas have been soaked, cooked, and stored. (You can also substitute juice from cannellini or soybeans, but chickpeas are arguably the best choice.)

Thanks to its emulsifying and binding properties, aquafaba can easily replace egg whites in almost any recipe, including meringue. While you can use it straight from the tin, reducing it on the stove makes it thicker, easier to whip, and closer to egg whites in consistency.

Butter chickpea curry

Chickpeas are a staple ingredient in Indian cooking, and this modified version of a traditional chicken makhani dish (commonly known as “butter chicken”) makes them the star of the show. With a tangy, creamy, tomato sauce, butter chickpea curry makes a deliciously nutritious, low-impact main meal for any night of the week.

Fun fact: traditional butter chicken curries were used as a tasty way to finish off leftover tandoori chicken from previous meals. So get out those dried chickpeas that have been in your cupboard since 2019 and get cooking!

Chickpea tuna salad

Like many chickpea-based recipes, this tuna salad is quick, healthy, delicious, and useful for anything from a lunchtime sandwich to a sushi dinner for friends and family. It’s also easily customizable, and adding some fresh chilis or dried nori seaweed (for a surprisingly authentic “fishy” flavor) can shake things up a bit. It even works for casseroles and pasta bakes!

While it feels like a tired old saying, there is truth in it. When we sleep, we fast. So when we eat first thing in the morning, it kickstarts our metabolism again and gives us a boost of energy. But, let’s be honest, breakfast isn’t just about preparing for the day. It’s also about taste. Arguably, breakfast foods are some of the most delicious, particularly when washed down with a steaming cup of caffeine-loaded goodness. 

From fluffy tofu scramble to crunchy fulfilling oatmeal cookies (yes, cookies for breakfast!), we’ve gathered four simple yet flavorful recipes to break your fast with. In fact, they’re so good, you’ll want to eat them for lunch and dinner too. And who’s to say you can’t? The rules are there are no rules. 

Those grand gestures are the reason why this holiday results in excessive waste, with hundreds of millions of roses grown for Valentine’s Day and thrown in the trash by the end of the week. Waste Expo estimates that each year, consumers purchase 36 million heart-shaped boxes, 180 million greeting cards, 198 million roses, 881,000 bottles of sparkling wine, and 58 million pounds of chocolate for one single day—generating more carbon emissions than driving around the world 3,993 times. Sadly, much of it will go to the landfill.

But wait! That doesn’t mean we—or your main squeeze—are letting you off the hook! You can honor Saint Valentine in a more ethical way—by sourcing local flowers and fair-trade chocolates, DIYing gifts and cards, and whipping up sweet treats. The ancient holiday was called the Feast of Saint Valentine, after all. 

So get in that kitchen and make something—and when selecting chocolate to bake with or gift, look for vegan, fair-trade chocolate that knows its source. The best part about these desserts is that they’re so delicious, they’re guaranteed to be zero-waste—you’ll devour them in one sitting.

Easy, last-minute Valentine’s Day desserts

With more Americans thinking about sustainability and eating plant-based than ever before—including NFL players like Cam Newton—this is the perfect time to try out some delicious meat-free dishes and wow your guests with your skill in the kitchen.

Enjoy a three-bean chili complete with dark chocolate for depth of flavor and umami, spicy peanut-garnished kung pao cauliflower, jackfruit tacos, and the mother of all mac-n-cheese burgers. Still got room for more? How about that creamy spinach-artichoke dip, perfect for chips, bread, crackers, fresh veggies, and anything else you can imagine scooping it with.

Get ready for a truly super Sunday with these vegan super bowl recipes.

Vegan Super Bowl recipes

Umami three-bean chili

Searching for the perfect three-bean chili? Well, look no further than this delicious, nutritious, and vegetable-packed surefire hit. Best served with rice or chips (why not both?), plant-based sour cream, avocado, fresh coriander, and chili flakes.

Kung pao cauliflower

This veganized kung pao recipe swaps chicken for cauliflower and makes a fantastic alternative to stir-fry and curries. The ginger and spices mean it packs a punch, but it also has a richness thanks to the coconut cream and maple syrup. Garnished with peanuts and green onion, kung pao cauliflower makes a great everyday recipe as well as a shared meal for the Super Bowl.

Mac and cheese burger

If you need a showstopping dish to impress all of your meat-eating friends and family, this vegan mac-n-cheese burger is the one. It combines plant-based chicken patties with creamy macaroni for a meaty, cheesy, double-decker feast.

Jackfruit tacos

Jackfruit is dense, fibrous, sweet, and a fantastic alternative to pulled pork. These tacos combine jackfruit with veggies, spices, vegan sour cream, and avocado for a healthy, flavorsome, and easy-to-prepare meal, making it a great recipe for anything from the Super Bowl to Valentine’s Day.

Spinach artichoke dip

Swapping dairy for nutritional yeast, cashews, and almond milk means that this artichoke dip is just as cheesy and delicious as you remember, but without the impact of traditional animal-derived ingredients. Best enjoyed bubbling hot and straight from the oven.

Vegan stuffed peppers

Packed with spiced zucchini, tofu, mushrooms, and quinoa, these stuffed peppers are a surefire hit. Top it with as much dairy-free cheese as your heart desires, kick back, and enjoy the game. We may or may not have dreamed about how good these are.

Potato balls

Potatoes? Vegan bacon? Deep-fried? Slathered in ketchup?! Need we say more? Golden potatoes are mashed up and combined with spices like paprika, nutmeg, and pepper to form heavenly, snackable balls that we may or may not be whipping up now as we speak.

Vegan meatball sub

What’s a meatball love note without mentioning the glorious meatball sub? This plant-based version features Impossible Foods vegan ground beef. Breadcrumbs serve as a binder; garlic salt, Italian seasoning, parsley, basil, and garlic give it a crave-worthy taste. Throw these meaty meatless meatballs between bread, cover them with marinara and vegan parmesan cheese, and throw it in the oven until perfectly melted. It’s the vegan meatball sandwich of your dreams…

Vegan meatballs

These plant-based meatballs have a meaty texture and umami flavor thanks to the teamwork of black beans, chickpeas, mushrooms, and walnuts. Serve them alone own with marinara sauce or over pasta with plenty of grated plant-based parmesan.