The Store-Bought Cheese You'll Never Find In Ina Garten's Fridge

One of Ina Garten's most famous lines, which she repeated all throughout her show "Barefoot Contessa," is "store-bought is fine." While Garten may be an accomplished chef, she's also a busy human and knows that sometimes, you just have to cut corners in the kitchen. 

While she may have encouraged her viewers to opt for quality store-bought mashed potatoes or chocolate syrup, everyone has their limits, and there is one store-bought ingredient Garten staunchly avoids. We're talking about the cheese that you'll never find in Ina Garten's fridge: grated Parmesan.

Garten has often dubbed Parmesan one of her go-to ingredients, and while the pre-grated variety of this topping might seem like a harmless choice, Garten avoids it for a solid reason. You never really know what's inside. Knowing where this cheese is from and how long it's been grated are two important factors to keep in mind, as both can wildly affect the flavor. The fresher the Parmesan, the better, and it's just super-easy to grate some cheese yourself at home for an Ina Garten-worthy dinner party. 

According to Ina Garten, there's only really one type of Parmesan cheese to buy: Parmigiano Reggiano. Unlike other varieties of Parmesan, this Italian option comes with a protected seal that guarantees its quality. That means it's consistent in flavor and texture, unlike unregulated versions of Parmesan. 

While this type of Parmesan is best, it also often comes with a high price tag (save perhaps Costco's Parmigiano Reggiano). While a little bit goes a long way, for a more affordable cheese alternative Garten recommends a Grana Padano, which is cheaper but has a similar flavor profile to Parmigiano Reggiano. To keep your cheese of choice fresh, Garten also recommends wrapping it tightly in plastic and storing it in the fridge, where it will last anywhere from two weeks to a month. Still, keep an eye out for mold, as each wheel can vary. When you're ready to grate it, simply use a cheese grater. Or if you want it finely ground, Garten also occasionally opts for a food processor, which gets the job done in seconds with no elbow grease required. 

While buying a tub of grated Parmesan cheese from the store is an easy way to speed up dinner prep, it honestly has more cons than pros. So for peace of mind and a much better meal, stick to fresh Parmesan like Garten does.