12 Days, 12 Ways with Wisconsin Butter

The holiday season often brings families and friends together over delicious food. Whether you enjoy a holiday ham, delicious desserts, or something in between, many of our favorites include an important Wisconsin staple – rich and creamy butter.

In November and December each year, butter sales peak as home cooks prepare their holiday recipes to share with loved ones. Retail butter sales are generally about 50% higher than average in these two months compared to the rest of the year. This enthusiasm for butter has even shown up in yearly consumption trends for the past half-century. Butter consumption is currently at a 50-year high, with the average person consuming about 6.5 pounds of butter per year. This is surely a reason to get all buttered up for the holidays!

Butter is made from two simple ingredients: cream and salt. Therefore, it’s one of the most wholesome ingredients we can use in our cooking and baking! Our dairy cows make sure we have plenty of cream available to keep Wisconsin’s 13 butter processing plants busy, making Wisconsin one of the top two butter producing states! This all helps support Wisconsin’s $52.8 billion dairy industry and our hardworking dairy farming families in the state. This time of year is often a season for family traditions and gatherings, so I would like to recognize those families who live out their traditions on the farm, producing a high-quality product for people across the nation to enjoy. In Wisconsin, 99% of dairy farms are family owned, which means you support a local friend, neighbor, and community member when you buy Wisconsin dairy.

One of my favorite ways to use butter this time of year is in compound butter, or butter that has been mixed with other ingredients. These are ideal for elevating your next gathering and using up any extra ingredients you may have on hand, like herbs, cheeses, fruits, or more. One compound butter I’ll be highlighting this season is a Savory Cheese and Herb Butter. The ingredients include softened butter; Wood River Creamery™ Cheddar Gruyere cheese; minced herbs like basil, chives, parsley, and/or rosemary; and salt and pepper to taste. I then like to spread this atop a Hasselback potato to create a show-stopping holiday dish that is sure to please. You can find this recipe and many more like it at Wisconsin Cheese.  

To “spread” this holiday cheer, I’m featuring 12 recipes on social media to show how you can use Wisconsin butter in a variety of different ways. Be sure to follow the Alice in Dairyland Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts for daily butter updates and tips on how to make the most of your holiday gatherings with real Wisconsin butter.

While you’re shopping for all your holiday essentials, look for the Proudly Wisconsin Dairy badge or the number “55” on packaging to identify genuine Wisconsin dairy products. Buying local is a great way to contribute to your local economy, and support Wisconsin’s farmers and small businesses. Find great Wisconsin butter recipes and more butter tips at WisconsinCheese.com/butter.

This holiday season, choose Wisconsin butter and savor the flavor, quality, and tradition that have made it a staple in kitchens for generations. Just as this season brings people together in rich celebration, real dairy butter ties together many of our favorite dishes and unites family members in anticipation of a delicious gathering. The warmth and comfort of the holiday season just wouldn’t be the same without Wisconsin butter!