8 Provolone Cheese Substitutes

Provolone is a semi-soft cheese manufactured from cow’s milk that is popular in Italy. It has a pale yellow color and a lightly sweet flavor, making it a highly adaptable cheese in the kitchen. It’s prepared by tying the cheese curds together with string and hanging them up to mature for at least two months; sharper tasting variants are usually permitted to mature for at least four months.

Because of Provolone’s adaptability and mild flavor it can be substituted for another cheese in some recipes. It depends on the flavors and textures you want to include in your recipe, but you can substitute a variety of cheeses for Provolone.

Substitutes for Provolone:

If you can’t locate Provolone for a recipe or meal, here are some delicious options and substitutions from around the world.

Fontina Cheese

Fontina is an Italian cheese created in a different part of the nation than Provolone, the Aosta Valley, but there are different varieties made in the United States and France. It’s a semi-soft cow cheese with a buttery feel that’s similar to Provolone. Fontina can be used as a straight substitute for Provolone in any cuisine because of its savory and nutty flavor. It’s very useful for melting and grating.

Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese

This traditional Italian cheese is created with buffalo milk and has a particular texture and flavor. It is without a question one of the most well-known cheeses, with a global distribution. Mozzarella can have a texture comparable to Provolone; just make sure you get the appropriate kind.

Because Mozzarella is made the same way, by stretching the curds and hanging them to mature, there are many types depending on how long it is left to mature and dry.

Young Mozzarella is held in liquid and is extremely soft and fragile, but an older, low-moisture Mozzarella can be grated and sliced. Low-moisture Mozzarella is a good substitute for Provolone in most meals and can be used in the same amount.

Muenster Cheese

The traditional French cheese ‘Munster’ gets an American makeover. The French variant is a soft cheese, but the American form is semi-soft. Provolone can be replaced with the American equivalent.

Because Muenster has low-fat content, it is frequently recommended to blend or mix with a low-moisture Mozzarella; Muenster will add more texture and bite to balance out the Mozzarella’s more soft and mild texture and flavor. When these two types of cheese are combined, they have a strong resemblance to Provolone.

Parmesan Cheese

If you only need the cheese for grating or flavoring a meal, this is a firm Italian cheese replacement for Provolone. With a crumbly hard texture and a unique salty flavor, Parmesan is significantly different from Provolone. Yet, the nutty flavor is a fantastic addition to any cuisine or to a blend of other cheeses.

Parmesan can be combined with a milder cheese or just sprinkled on top of a finished meal. Pecorino is a sheep cheese that is aged for a shorter period of time than Parmesan, making it sweeter and gentler in flavor if Parmesan is too strong for you.

Gouda Cheese

A semi-soft Dutch cow’s cheese that is quite popular all over the world, making it very easy to find in stores. Gouda can be melted, cooked with, or simply sprinkled on cheese platters and sandwiches. It has a mild flavor and a pale color similar to Provolone. Thus it can be used in any dish where Provolone is called for.

Edam Cheese

A semi-soft cheese is distinguished by its round cylinder shape and a characteristic red wax coating. It’s thought to have originated in the Netherlands, where it was traditionally offered at the end of a meal. However, because it melts nicely and slices easily, it can be used as a substitute for Provolone in a variety of cheese-based meals.

Emmental Cheese

It is a medium-hard Swiss cheese kind, albeit it is simply known as ‘Swiss Cheese’ in the United States. Because of the manner it is matured and manufactured, it is noted for its distinctive holes. Emmental is a mild-flavored slicing cheese commonly used in sandwiches or cold meats, making it an ideal replacement for Provolone.

It does melt, and bags of pre-grated Emmental can be found in places like France. It doesn’t stretch quite as well as Mozzarella, though. Emmental cheese is frequently substituted for typical British cheddar cheese in Europe, which can be more expensive in some European nations.

Gruyère Cheese

This hard Swiss cheese melts beautifully and is widely used in Swiss alpine fondues as well as traditional French dishes like croque-monsieur.

Though it is classified as a slice of hard cheese, it has a considerably different texture from Parmesan; it is not as crumbly as Parmesan since it is not aged as long. It’s also saltier and more flavorful than Emmental, making it an excellent Swiss cheese to use in place of Provolone in any cooked meal.

What cheese most closely resembles Provolone?

Provolone is traditionally served with chutneys, cured meats, and bread. It does, however, melt well and can be used in a variety of cheesy recipes, such as fondue or souffle.

Traditional Provolone is created only in Italy’s Val Padana region, yet it is bought and marketed all over the world. However, it may be difficult to come by or prohibitively expensive in comparison to other cheeses available in your country. Provolone was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants, and there is now a US variation available all across the country.

Low-moisture Mozzarella is the most identical to young, 2-month-old Provolone and can be used in many dishes as a natural alternative. More pungent cheeses like Gruyère, Gouda, and Fontina, on the other hand, can add a lot more flavor and refinement to your cheese recipes.

Also, don’t be scared to try mixing different types of cheeses together. Because each cheese has such distinct properties, flavors, and textures, combining a mild soft cheese with a hard, nutty-tasting cheese might result in an excellent substitute for semi-soft Provolone.