Cheese isn’t just for crackers, pizza and lasagna. With all the specialty cheeses out there and the different ways to use the cheeses you already love, it’s easy to work this nutritious dairy product into your diet.

Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium, as well as vitamins A and B12. The calcium in cheese may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis (bone loss). In addition, certain cheeses, such as Cheddar, Swiss, blue and Monterey Jack, have been shown to reduce the risk of cavities.

• Cream Cheese: Use flavored cream cheese as a sandwich spread, or mix it with herbs and serve as a dip
• Cottage Cheese: Add your favorite herbs and spices and use as a topping for baked potatoes, or as a sandwich filling with lettuce or watercress
• Queso Blanco: This cheese softens when heated but doesn’t melt, so use it for stuffed chicken breasts, stuffed peppers, enchiladas or burritos
• Brie: Slice it thinly and add to roast beef sandwiches. Bake it in puff pastry with your favorite jellies or preserves.
• Colby: Shred it and add to dough for a rich cheese biscuit, or use it in sandwiches made with ham, salami, mayonnaise or hot mustard
• Havarti: Shred it, melt it and use it in fondue. Slice it thin for sandwiches with cucumber and fresh dill, mashed dates or mango chutney.
• Monterey Jack: For sauces, use just enough heat to melt it and add it as the last ingredient. As a topping for a baked dish, sprinkle grated Monterey Jack over the top a few minutes before removing the dish from the oven.
• Provolone: Slice it onto sandwiches, or shred it and sprinkle over pizza
• Cheddar: Slice it onto a cheeseburger. Grate it over baked potatoes, chili or salad, or add it to casseroles, scrambled eggs and potato dishes.
• Parmesan: Grate and add to soups, pasta and rice, or use as a seasoning in vegetable dishes
• Romano: Shred or shave off slivers to make salami sandwiches. Use it to stuff tomatoes, mushrooms or other veggies.
• Blue Cheese: Toss hot green beans with crumbled blue cheese, and top with chopped walnuts or cashews. Use crumbled blue cheese in dips, sauces, spreads and dressings for vegetables and fruits. Mix it with ground beef for gourmet hamburgers.

You probably sprinkle grated mozzarella on your pizza, but have you tried adding it to pasta? Ricotta is a key ingredient in lasagna and manicotti, but it’s also a sweet treat when baked in puff pastry.

So go ahead and experiment by using old favorites in new ways. Introduce new cheeses to your family in fun, creative dishes.