Cheese, colby

Colby is a mild, semi-hard cow's milk cheese with a pale orange color and a softer, moister texture than cheddar, since it's washed with cold water during production to rinse away some of the lactic acid. It melts smoothly and is a common choice for sandwiches, burgers, and grilled cheese, and it's often sliced for snacking or shredded into Colby-Jack blends for tacos, casseroles, and omelets. Its flavor is buttery and mild rather than sharp, which makes it a good match for crackers, apples, or a simple charcuterie board where you don't want the cheese to overpower everything else.

Look for a wedge or block with a uniform color and no cracking at the edges, and keep it wrapped tightly in wax paper or plastic in the coldest part of the refrigerator, where it will keep well for a couple of weeks once opened. A cup of diced Colby runs 394 calories and delivers 23.8 grams of protein along with 53% DV calcium, so a few ounces stirred into a bean and rice bowl or melted over vegetables adds both protein and calcium to a plate without much extra work. Because it also carries 604 mg of sodium per 100 g, it pairs best as a flavor accent rather than the base of a dish, especially alongside naturally low-sodium sides like fresh fruit or plain vegetables.