National Dairy Month: How to Make Anything Taste Better With Butter and Cheese Plus Cordon Bleu Quesadilla Recipe #Sponsored

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

​June is a special month.  It marks graduation, the start of summer, weddings, vacation season.  But did you know that June is also National Dairy Month?  While we fire up our grills in preparation for the summer cooking season, June is the perfect time to incorporate a food group that tastes great and is great for us:  dairy. 
 
Many of us (myself included) eat butter and cheese almost everyday.  But we often forget to consider that many butters contain additives (such as growth hormones, preservatives, and dyes) that can be harmful to us and our families.  What if I told you there was a way to sidestep those potentially dangerous chemicals, embrace all-natural great taste, and take your baking and cooking game to the next level in honor of National Dairy Month? 
 
I recently discovered Finlandia Cheese [https://www.finlandiacheese.com/]—a brand that has been crafting some of the highest quality cheese and butter for over a century—and was so inspired that I decided to share a few secrets to help you create some of the best-tasting food you and your family have ever eaten.  

​SECRET #1:  USE ONLY HIGH-QUALITY INGREDIENTS 
 
Great dishes are a sum of their parts.  Those parts should be delicious alone AND in your culinary creation.  When I tried Finlandia for the first time, I was blown away.  Not only are their cheeses and butter all-natural and hormone-free, but they taste incredible.  Imported from Finland using milk produced by well-cared-for cows, Finlandia Butter is rich and creamy.  It's nothing like any butter you've ever tasted.  And you could eat Finlandia Cheese straight from the package—no crackers needed.
 
SECRET #2:  CARE ABOUT THE SOURCE OF YOUR FOOD
 
Life moves fast, and most of us don't have time to research every single product we consume.  However, when it comes to products like cheese and butter, which we eat almost everyday, it makes a big difference to be aware of what we're putting into our bodies.  Finlandia Butter is made from pure, hormone-free milk, which comes from happy cows that live on family-owned farms in Finland—the greenest country on Earth.  No hidden chemicals, no factory farms—just pure, creamy goodness. 
 
SECRET #3:  GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED
 
Getting your family involved in the kitchen can help create lasting memories and start an important conversation around nutrition and health.  Baking sheet cookies?  Get out the cookie cutters and let your kids create the shapes.  Cooking a grilled cheese?  Let your significant other butter the bread.  If you're in need of some culinary inspiration, check out the Finlandia Cheese Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/FinlandiaCheese]. 

Easy Cordon Bleu Quesadillas :

Recently, I received an assortment of butter and cheese from the awesome folks at Finlandia. I couldn't wait to see what delicious meals and snacks I could create with these high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients. 

We decided to keep it simple and kid-friendly by making Quesadillas. Who doesn't love Quesadillas, after all?! 

We put a little twist on these babies, though. Rather than being your plain old, Mexican-inspired Quesadillas, we gave ours some flair. I decided to use Finlandia's All Natural Swiss Deli Slices, some diced ham, and a tangy brown mustard to make Cordon Bleu Quesadillas! Of course these are cooked in a nice pat of Finlandia Imported Butter. 

Are you drooling yet? I know I am! These are just that good! They're super easy to prepare, too! 

Here's what you'll need, as well as detailed, step-by-step instructions:

• 2 Tortillas (per Quesadilla)
• 5 slices Finlandia Swiss Deli Slices (Or less, if you're not a cheese addict.)
• 1/2 cup diced ham (per Quesadilla) 
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard (per Quesadilla) 
• 1 tablespoon Finlandia Imported Butter 

Just melt about a tablespoon of Finlandia Butter in a skillet. Then, place one tortilla into the skillet. 

Spread your mustard in a thin layer onto the bottom tortilla. 

Now it's time to break out some cheesy, Finlandia goodness. Take a few slices of Swiss cheese and place it on your tortilla. It's okay if you have to break up a slice to keep it uniformly cheesy. 

Next, add your diced ham. Try and make sure it's spread out well so that there's ham in every bite. 

Please note: I chose to use diced ham, but sliced deli ham will also work well for these Quesadillas! It's really a matter of preference. I just happened to have diced ham in the fridge already, so I went with it. 

Finally, add a couple more slices of cheese on top. Place a second tortilla on top. You definitely don't want to skip adding the additional cheese, as this serves a couple of purposes.

First, there's no such thing as too much cheese. Just my humble opinion.

​Also, the added layer of cheese allows your quesadilla to become ooey-gooey and melty, which will allow it to stick together as it cooks. 

Cook your quesadilla over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides are crispy and golden brown. Your cheese should also be a sea of melted, creamy deliciousness. 

Once your Cordon Bleu Quesadillas are done, use a pizza cutter or knife to slice them into wedges. Serve them as-is, or with additional mustard for dipping. We didn't feel the need to serve additional mustard, since the amount in the quesadilla itself was absolutely perfect. 

My kids gobbled up these quesadillas, and then asked for seconds. They loved the creaminess of the cheese, the insanely flavorful buttery taste of the tortillas, and the ham and mustard gave these quesadillas a touch of the unexpected. These are absolutely fantastic, easy to make, and sure to bring a smile to little faces this summer. 

Connect with Finlandia :

You can check out all the awesome, high-quality dairy Finlandia Cheese have to offer on their website.

You can also follow Finlandia on Facebook and on Pinterest to stay on top of their latest news, products and promotions! 

Got any cooking secrets of your own?  I'd love to hear about them!  Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.