This frugal friday find is for all the bargain hunters with good taste buds out there. A while back I discovered the bargain baskets full of small pieces of gourmet cheese from behind the counter at Zabars. The bags are labeled "Odds And Ends" because odd shaped pieces of pricey cheese typically sold for $12-30/lb. are wrapped up and sold for bargain prices of $2-3/lb. Whole Foods and several other gourmet markets with high-end cheese counters sell smaller end pieces at a discount, but I have only seen the large bags of "Odds and Ends" at Zabars. I like to use the bargain "Odds And Ends" cheese to make Smokey Carrot Mac and Cheese or to give any other mac and cheese recipe a sophisticated flavor. I also add shredded "Odds And Ends" in my Crustless Spinach Quiche. Other ways to use those bargain bits of gourmet cheese - for grilled cheese, fondu, casseroles, enchiladas, frittatas, omelets and lasagna.
Sample Contents of an Odds And Ends Bag(I can't say, but I may have eaten most of the pieces of soft goat cheese and Camembert before taking the photo.)