Thankfully, we’re on winter’s home stretch, with outdoor dining and group meet-ups beckoning out of the sweet sounds of spring. Here’s how the superior stretch and maximum coverage of an exceptional cheese can help you keep the tasty momentum going into prime pizza season.
It’s about to get colorful out there. Between hoops insanity, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Mother’s Day, consumers are primed to get their pairing and sharing on. Here’s what we know: This time of year is all about multi-sensory experiences, featuring eye-catching visuals, a clash of textures, and flavors that know no bounds.
Whether you’re serving pizza, apps, authentic Hispanic-inspired specials, or even decadent desserts, the right irresistible cheese, from a name like Bacio®, can flip guests to regulars and keep you competitive, regardless of the occasion.
Feast for the Senses
It’s clear diners are becoming more and more adventurous. Let’s look at the stats — spicy, briny, smoky, and sweet are turning heads and boosting average checks. In fact*, more than a quarter of pizza menus now offer smoked toppings, like a combination of fennel sausage, smoked cheese, and Calabrian chili or applewood smoked bacon plus clams and garlic.
The master cheese makers behind Bacio brought their own subtle flavor touch to the table, when they crafted their work of art With a Kiss of Buffalo Milk®, for a signature rich and creamy flavor that offers both exceptional taste and performance. So, maybe if shareable apps are more your thing, Whole Milk Bacio or Part Skim Bacio Block Cheese can be stuffed, along with Ridgecrest® Fully Cooked Brisket and Anaheim peppers, in a bacon-wrapped shell to form munchable Texas Twinkies.
The Stuff of Greatness
Increasingly, guests are going gaga for the most crave-worthy crusts. Over the last year, there’s been a 10% surge in crispy crust applications and an 8% rise in stuffed crusts*. And this popularity goes beyond simply pizza.
Get ready for the Cinco de Mayo weekend with your own take on enmoladas, made famous in Puebla, Mexico, comprised of lightly griddled Contigo® Tortillas stuffed with a block of Whole Milk Bacio Cheese and drizzled in a dark mole sauce — speaking of drizz, 33% of consumers find drizzle sauces appealing.
Or you can stuff Part Skim Shredded Bacio Cheese in crescent-shaped pizza dough, along with sauce and garlic chili oil to serve a housemade Pizza Ripieno. Just ensure you measure with ultimate precision, using Bacio proprietary portion cups for the correct amount of cheese, reducing waste and costs.
Perfect Imperfections
Here’s something that might be a surprise: Pizza lovers aren’t necessarily looking for perfection. According to data, there’s been a substantial rise in concepts that break away from the traditional. For example, 35% of millennial consumers are interested in breakfast pizza, while 15% are intrigued by toppings like macaroni noodles. Consider something like a spicy, creamy pie that merges fresh jalapeños with cream cheese, grape jelly, and a Bacio Cheese blend — an imperfect masterpiece!
And remember that whatever you’re serving, whether it’s a Queso Fundido dip for basketball madness or donut bites for Mother’s Day — stuffed with Whole Milk Bacio Block Cheese — the ideal block, shredded, or diced cheese for your kitchen can provide spectacular pulls and epic reheatability, even after meals. So, get in one last stretch, because the spring sprint is almost here!
*Technomic, Kerry 2025 Taste Charts
