Sometimes nothing satisfies the taste buds better than a burger. Quick and easy, this grilled wonder is a favorite of mine to prepare. Topped with a combination of whatever happens to be in the fridge, I can always create a version that is sure to please.

Jack is an American cheese made from cow’s milk and is credited to have first been made by Spanish Franciscan friars near Monterey, California during the 19th century. It was a businessman and developer by the name of David Jack who owned a dairy along the Salinas River, that took the idea from the Padres at the nearby Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. Jack began to produced a cheese originally known as Queso Blanco. As Jack’s dairy went into partnership with other regional dairies, the cheese was mass marketed and came to be known at first as “Jack’s Cheese”, and then eventually as “Monterey Jack”.

There are several variations of the this cheese that have also become quite popular. Colby-Jack or “Co-Jack” is produced by marbling the white cheese together with Colby cheddar, and Pepper Jack is a spicy variety made with the addition of jalapeño and habañero peppers. An aged version called Dry Jack is a hard cheese that can be grated much like Parmesan.