The Funky Cheese Dominique Crenn Pairs With Nutella

Cheese pairs exceptionally well with wine, bread, meat, fruit, and ... Nutella? Hey, if it's good enough for three-time Michelin-star chef Dominique Crenn, it's probably worth a taste. In a conversation with Food & Wine, Crenn swore by cheese and the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Nutella and cheese may seem like a surprising combination, but they're a duo that takes advantage of both sweet and savory. Chocolate and cheese don't have to be at odds, nor should they.

In fact, chocolate and cheese have long been intertwined. Cheese co-op Cabot Cheese even dedicates a section of its website to recommend the best chocolate and cheese pairings. The highlights include Monterey jack with milk chocolate, seriously sharp cheddar with raspberry dark chocolate, and hot habanero cheese with milk chocolate. Cabot notes readers should try the pairings before passing judgment.

You'll want to heed Cabot's advice when it comes to Crenn's recommended — and certainly unexpected — cheese accompaniment to Nutella. 

Blue cheese is associated with Buffalo wings, wedge salads, and celery sticks way more than it is Nutella. Dominique Crenn, however, is thinking outside the box — and the blue cheese block.

"I love to put blue cheese and chocolate sauce together on brioche; it's delicious," Crenn told Food & Wine. "You spread the blue cheese — it has to be French, obviously, Roquefort — but you can do an English one."

Crenn recommends spreading the cheese until it begins to melt. Once it's had a second to spread, add your Nutella. While Crenn opts for homemade hazelnut spread over store-bought Nutella, either iteration of the sweet spread works. Once your ingredients are added, close and grill the sandwich.

For all the blue cheese doubters, Food & Wine promises that the combination isn't as overpowering as it sounds. Meanwhile, La Cucina Italiana notes the sandwich's unique undertones, calling it toasty, buttery, and nutty, as well as both sweet and savory. It's a sandwich you may not be able to finish — but one that makes for a snack that certainly won't bore you.