I'm making italian sandwiches on ciabatta rolls for an event. Any recommendations for a cheese like provolone that softens a bit at room temperature?

Hi Fitzml!

All below answers are awesome. Any mid-soft cheese would be delicious. American-style swiss, sliced gouda or fontina would work really well.

I'm also a big supporter of using processed cheeses like American!

Hope this helps!

- Justin from the Hotline team

How about Muenster?

There are imported Italian cheeses that have the same sliceable texture as provolone. Because distribution and availability differs widely by location, you need to visit your local gourmet grocery store or cheesemonger to see what's available. If it is a staffed place, ask the cheesemonger, they will provide better suggestions. I agree that commonly available provolone is pretty insipid.

Imported European cheeses are expensive in my neighborhood (SF Bay Area), ranging from $15-25 per pound. That's pretty spendy for an ingredient that might not be the star of your sandwiches. You'll have to decide yourself whether or not these pricier cheeses after tasting them.

My go-to cheese for these sort of situations is imported (Swiss or French) Gruyère. Great flavor, soft at room temperature, melts well. It is one of my top five consumed cheeses in my house. It's probably in the $15/lb. range.

A budget friendly alternative would be domestic Swiss cheese.

Most importantly you need to taste these cheeses yourself and look at the price tags. Best of luck.

I can think of cheeses that taste like provolone… a mild, nutty one like Gouda or havarti. But they’re not melting or soft at room temperature.

And Italian ones that are soft at room temp like taleggio or fresh mozzarella, but they differ in taste from provolone.

Your choice, depending on what works best with your meal.