Chipotle Mexican Grill’s mission burritos and tacos are legendary. This restaurant company has also been around since 1993.

Chipotle’s ability to combine the right ingredients to deliver great meals sets them apart. Upon ordering, the company also prepares your burrito or taco in front of you.

Interestingly, you can prepare Chipotle’s burrito at home, in your kitchen. All you need is knowledge of the right ingredients to produce a burrito with a similar taste as the one sold at the restaurant itself.  Now, here’s the question.

What Cheese Is Chipotle Using? 

The first thing you need to understand is that Chipotle operates in different countries and tailors its foods to suit customers’ demands. Chipotle only uses Monterey Jack, which consists of enzymes, salt, starter cheese culture, and pasteurized milk in their United States’ location. At Chipotle’s Canadian restaurants, the cheese used includes a blend of White Cheddar Cheese and Monterey Jack.

Meet Chipotle Mexican Grill 

Since its inception, Chipotle Mexican Grill has been delivering according to its motto, “food with integrity.” Steve Ells, Chipotle’s founder, got the inspiration after learning about the food production system in America. He became more interested in serving foods that were naturally produced.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in New Port Beach, California, USA, Chipotle Mexican Grill specializes in mission burritos and tacos, prepared before the customer upon order approval.

At the time of writing, the company operates in over 2,622 locations and generates over $5 billion in revenue yearly. Chipotle Mexican Grill operates in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada.

At some point, most people believed McDonald’s owned Chipotle Mexican Grill. Though there was some connection and business interest, McDonald’s doesn’t own Chipotle. The fast-food giant McDonald’s only invested heavily in Chipotle back in 1998. And by 2001, McDonald was already Chipotle’s biggest investor.

By 2005, McDonald’s investment in Chipotle started to show. It enabled Chipotle to grow from 16 to over 500 restaurants within a short time. But in 2006, McDonald completely divested from the company.

Origin Of Chipotle’s Monterey Jack Cheese 

Monterey Jack’s origin has been a subject of debate over the years. While many believe the cheese originated from Mexico, others hold contrary view. Monterey Jack cheese has no ties with Mexico. It’s a semi-hard American cheese.

Monterey Jack originates from the central California coast. It’s famous for its slight sweetness and mild flavor and produced via cow’s milk. You can eat the Monterey Jack cheese alone or have it combined with Colby or Cheddar. Colby is also an American cheese.

Chipotle’s Monterey Jack Must-Know Culinary Use  

Chipotle Monterey Jack has several traits that make it possible to use together with other dishes. And you can eat it as a snack. This cheese boasts impressive culinary uses, which we are going to discuss right away.

Blends well with other dishes:

One culinary benefit Monterey Jack has is that it blends well with several other dishes. These include mashed potatoes, macaroni, shepherd’s pie, casseroles, and cheese.

Monterey Jack toasted on wheat bread will send shivers down your spine. You can combine this with chopped tomatoes and cucumber. Ensure they are properly sliced for better toasting.

Monterey Jack can also be added to omelets, fondues, pizzas, topping soups, folded into biscuits, toasted sandwiches, and baked pasta dishes. It will improve the flavor of each meal and add more richness.

A Handy Tip: Monterey Jack’s flavor makes it a wise addition to melted sauce and soups. It just gives them that extra flavor once added. When combined with classic grilled cheeses, Monterey Jack gives the food a unique flavor.

Great for snacking:

If you’re looking for a healthy snack, Monterey Jack is a wise choice. Monterey come produced using pasteurized milk, and this has loads of proteins and calcium to nourish your body. Calcium is great for maintaining healthy bones, while protein helps with bodybuilding.

So, you can consume Monterey Jack as a snack alone or have it combined with crackers for some extra flavor. A combination of Monterey and Colby also makes a perfect snack.

Substitute for Parmesan and Cheddar

Monterey Jack can serve as a substitute for Cheddar and even Parmesan. What makes it a great substitute for Cheddar is its mild flavor. It just transforms how your food tastes once added.

Aged Monterey Jack freshly picked can make a great substitute for Parmesan cheese on pasta.

A Handy Tip: Don’t use Monterey Jack in place of Mozzarella. Jack is usually aged a bit longer, and it boasts lesser moisture than Mozzarella. Added to a Pizza, Mozzarella would melt nicely and blend in. Jack might dry up quickly and burn.

Can be melted on Mexican dishes

Since it’s semi-hard, Monterey Jack is super easy to use. You can have it sliced or melted on several dishes, including many famous Mexican dishes.

A Handy Tip: Monterey has a bland and buttery flavor. It also boasts a considerable amount of moisture content.

Monterey Jack And Its Health Benefits

Health-conscious individuals know how important getting the right amount of nutrients from each meal they consume is to the body. When you eat the right amount of nutrients, which the body needs, you will live healthier and stronger, physically, and mentally.

In addition to the unique flavor, Monterey Jack comes packed with great health benefits. Let’s look at them.

• Monterey Jack contains a considerably high amount of nutrients that the body needs to function optimally. These include vitamin A, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B12, and riboflavin. For example, Vitamin A reduces one’s risk of acne, encourages a healthy immune system, protects the eyes, bones, and promotes healthy growth. Zinc helps the metabolism and immune system to function properly. It is also crucial for wound healing, including one’s sense of smell and taste.

• Monterey Jack floods the body with high-quality protein when consumed. And as research has shown, protein lowers blood pressure; increases muscle mass, and reduce appetite. It also aids in weight loss and it’s essential for bodybuilding.
• The type of milk used in creating Monterey Jack doesn’t change its nutrient content. It comes packed with the nutrients milk contains naturally, and one of them includes calcium.

So, when you consume Monterey Jack, have in mind that you’re not just consuming an ordinary cheese. Jack comes packed with amazing nutrients that would help nourish and replenish your body’s nutrient content.

Origin Of Chipotle’s White Cheddar Cheese

The Cheddar cheese, used by Chipotle, originates from England, in a tiny village called Cheddar. This cheese has been in existence for many years. The first cheese made out of Cheddar was in the 12th century. Today, this versatile and sharp-tasting cheese is produced in different parts of the world. It also comes in varied colors, such as yellow and white.

Chipotle’s White Cheddar Must-Know Culinary Uses

There are several dishes, including ways to combine Cheddar cheese to give your taste bud the flavor it craves. Here are some great culinary uses Cheddar has.

• Combines well with fruits: A combination of Cheddar and fruits like watermelon, apple, and pears makes sense. Cheddar boasts a sharp taste, a reason it combines well with the fruits earlier mentioned.

• Like Monterey Jack, Cheddar combines well with omelets, sandwiches, and pizza and au gratins. Other amazing combination includes Cheddar with shepherd’s pie, nachos, mashed potatoes, soups, dip, and sauces.
• You can also decide to consume Cheddar as a snack or have it combined with crackers.

White Cheddar and Its Health Benefits

Cheddar, whether white or yellow, has numerous health benefits. Besides protein and calcium, Cheddar comes packed with vitamin K, particularly vitamin K2.

Vitamin K helps you maintain healthy bones and heart. It helps to prevent calcium from being deposited in the veins and arteries’ walls.

Cheddar cheese comes packed with a high amount of protein and calcium. One ounce of Cheddar contains a gram of carbohydrate and 6.5 grams of protein, and calcium.

A Handy Tip: You can incorporate Cheddar cheese into your diet, even if you have diabetes. But you should only consume it in moderation. And try to incorporate as many healthy foods as possible.

Cheddar cheese also comes loaded with other essential nutrients. These include zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A, and Vitamin B12.

Conclusion

Chipotle Mexican Grill uses the Monterey Jack and white Cheddar cheese. They have been making quality and delicious foods, including famous burritos and tacos for years now.

So, now that you know the type of cheese Chipotle uses, you can start making your burrito at home. Both Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese are healthy and can be added to a range of foods.