Perhaps this cheese doesn't fit so neatly under the small batch, handmade, esoteric umbrella of cheeses that I more frequently flaunt. It's yet another guilty pleasure, most definitely of the mass-produced variety. But allow me this brief mention, especially considering its convenience and straight-up (though admittedly not deeply complex) tastiness.
We all know those familiar triangular foil-wrapped wedges, and that goofy earring-donning cow. Perhaps most interesting is that the cheese actually comes from France, from the Jura. It takes inspiration from that region's most famous cheese, Comte, and is France's very first branded cheese product. It was first registered in 1921.
Seriously, who knew? 1921? This cheese has serious historical roots in French culture. It goes under the name "Le Vache Qui Rit" in France and other European countries. Now, with such a large international production, there are plants in the US making the cheese, under the Fromageries Bel label, which also makes Boursin and BabyBel cheeses.
So while not terribly nuanced, and in fact this may be one instance when it comes to cheese where flavors might be welcome (they offer garlic and herb, french onion, blue cheese, and queso fresco and chipotle variations), its convenience can't be beat. When thrown into a lunch bag or kept in an office fridge, it doesn't get any easier to have a quick snack or a fast dose of protein.
I'm not sure how I feel about their recipes, ranging from Blue Cheese Dip to Cheesy Meatball Sandwiches to Artichoke and White Cheddar Tartlets. Well, I do know how I feel about them. They're not high on my list of ones to try, but simply spread on a bagel, or, as I did this weekend when met with an empty cheese drawer, crumbled into an omelet (it melted pretty perfectly), the cheese is quite passable.
I imagine, though, that Laughing Cow may be one of those polarizing cheeses: either you're of the persuasion that those little triangles offer a quick hit of pure creamy goodness, or that they should forever be left in their wrapper.
Nora Singley used to be a cheesemonger and the Director of Education at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City, where she continues to teach cheese classes for the public. She is currently a TV Chef on The Martha Stewart Show.
Related: What Are Some Interesting Recipes With Boursin Cheese?
(Image: Wikipedia Commons)
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Love this little wedges. Try the Garlic one. I think it's the best of the bunch.
Love them! They are shelf stable and perfect for travel or a quick snack in front of the tv.
I find they taste very processed.
I love these! I like dipping baby carrots into a wedge for a snack.
I love them too. My fav is the plain, spread on a tortilla sprinkled with diced red peppers and green onions. Fold it in half, pop it in the microwave for 30 sec and you have a gooey warm cheater-quesadilla (low in Weight Watchers points if you care about that sort of thing.) Tastes just as good cold or in a pita. I've even spread some on crackers and topped with the veggies and it was tasty. YUM. Adding these to my grocery list. I forgot how much I love those little wedges!!
I love these little triangles for a quick, creamy fix. One triangle is great mixed into 1 or 2 scrambled eggs. I also swipe them onto toasted high-fiber english muffins in place of cream cheese. Lower in calories, but still has that creaminess I like. Next, top with either a drizzle of honey or some yummy tomato slices and basil.
I love the garlic-herb variety on toast topped with fresh veggies, or spread on toasted slices of baguette with bruschetta topping. I was skeptical, but once I tried them, I was hooked! I now consider them a pantry staple.
I LOVE the light version of Laughing Cow cheese!!!! It is a godsend for this Weight Watcher member. They feel like an indulgence but they are quite "point friendly" (2 light wedges = 1 points plus). I mix them into scrambled eggs have recently topped baked potatoes with them. I pick up a pack EVERY shopping trip.
Laughing cow was a savior when I was in the Peace Corps in Africa. It has a long shelf life and local dairy was risky at best so this was the only dairy I had for months and months. It was such a small but amazing pleasure and now brings me back to to that experience every time I have it!
Man, I hate that stuff! My parents used to take us on camping holidays to France in the early seventies and my mother thought La Vache Qui Rit was the height of Gallic chic. It always tasted like synthetic candle wax to me. Boursin, on the other hand . . . that is the nectar of the Gods or the invention of the devil, I can't decide which. One of those boxes is like a single portion; sometimes I just eat it straight off the knive.
I love Laughing Cow! It is my go to cheese of choice as a snack (yes a WW member). But I love spreading it on a piece of toast to go with eggs, jammed between crackers with apple slices or grapes. I find it very convenience and it hits the right spot when needed.
I used to love this stuff! I got burnt out on it a few years ago, and haven't quite got the urge to introduce it back into my life... :)
The garlic herb kind is amazing melted in with a serving of pasta, for those who follow WW and want a "cheap" pasta dish. I wouldn't recommend leftovers on this, it's much better freshly made!
Reminds me of the time when I was about four or five and loved to eat them while I watched TV at night. The unwrapping part is tricky, because you always get that small crumb stuck in one of the corners! I don't think my family can live without them. They're great when you have piping hot dishes - just bury one of these triangles under your pasta and sauce or fry up an omelette!
I love it! It is so good on cracker!
I love this stuff as an easy snack or to throw into a dish for a bit of lower guilt creaminess. It certainly doesn't beat the real stuff, but I agree about the convenience factor and relative healthiness. It's also pretty decent on an apple.
I have never tried them but after reading all of these comments, I am curious.
Yes, they taste a little bit processed, but I love these too. Sometimes you need something quick and convenient, and I'll take this over a candy bar or bag of chips any day. As much as I'd love to be completely organic and healthy and snooty all the time, that's not realistic.
I, too, became burned out on them a couple of years ago. I have a male friend who will shamelessly just eat an entire wedge at a time with no cracker or anything.
Yes, they are very processed, but a quick way to cut some corners and calories from regular cheese. Very portable and good for travel, camping, the beach, etc.
Try swiping some up with a honey-whole wheat pretzel. Yum!
LOVE. :) I also like that they come wrapped in foil-- I can just put in the recycle bin when I'm done!
Vache Qui Rit was my go-to lunchtime meal in France. With a little sliced white deli ham and a fresh baguette? Holy crap delicious.
You still can't beat this stuff spread on fresh crusty bread. So good. Haven't had it in forever. Going on my list of picnic foods for this summer, though!
I haven't had it in ages, but the blue cheese flavored one on a beef and red (or carmelized) onion sandwich - uhmazing.
La vache qui rit is pretty popular in France, and I used to eat them all the time when I was living there. But in France they sell a lot of flavors they don't sell here (goat cheese, sundried tomato, herb, onion, I can't remember some of the others), and since these were principally the ones I loved I don't get them in the states. Also, my Canadian fiance's parents usually has the regular wedges in their fridge full of entirely processed foods, and I usually survive on them when we go home for Christmas. One wedge on a slice of toast with a few cornichons or other pickles is a perfect snack!