Oftentimes, we decide Staff Picks topics based on pop culture relevance, but sometimes we like to engage our whimsical (and hungry) sides. We got to talking about how great cheese is, so we decided we’d havarti to ask our staff writers what they thought, just in queso they had a particular favorite. Accordingly, this week’s staff pick is jacked with sharp responses, some of which are so gouda they bleu my mind.

The best cheese is by far cheddar because of its simplicity and all-around good flavor. When you hear the word cheese, you are probably going to think of cheddar. It’s like the mother of all cheeses. You can’t go wrong with cheddar. [Graham Benefiel]

Baked brie is a classic. Though delicious on its own, the decadent snack turns heavenly when paired with green apple slices. Random, I know, but it will change your life. [Caroline Rogers]

Every New Year’s Eve I spend the evening celebrating with my best friend, Eleese, and her sister, Renita. Every year, Renita makes crescent-wrapped brie. Let me just say, you have not experienced cheese until you’ve experienced creamy, melty brie wrapped in warm, fluffy crescent rolls. It makes New Year’s Eve my favorite holiday. [Mackenzie Lee]

My favorite cheese, or should I say cheeses, is Panera Bread’s grilled cheese. Inside the soft, buttery sourdough bread is a combination of their famous Vermont white cheddar, fontina, and chive & onion cream cheese. These together make for the creamiest, most delectable cheese experience you’ll ever have. [Hailey Kraft]

Whether paired with green apples, a fresh baguette, or simply eaten plain, Florette Brie is the cheese for me. Even better than traditional Brie made from cow’s milk, this variety is made from goat’s milk, making it a creamier, tangier, and all together dreamier.  I feel hungry just thinking about it.  [Tori Lafon]

Smoked gouda is just incredible. I love cheese, but I don’t usually just sit there and pieces of it raw. However, smoked gouda is good enough to do just that. Put it in anything; put it on anything, and it’s still perfection. It’s like the bacon of cheeses. [Kelsey Kinzer]

No question, cheese is best in the form of Moe’s queso. As a weekly regular, I am an expert on this particular queso. It’s always warm and perfectly melted. It is appropriate on anything you can order at the restaurant. Paired with their perfectly crisp tortilla chips, it makes an amazing snack (for those who aren’t counting calories). [Annie Smith]

Fresh mozzarella is by far one of the best kinds of cheeses. The Kraft store-bought bags of “mozzarella” have nothing on the creamy, silky perfectness of fresh mozzarella. Eat it on a pizza, in a Caprese salad, or even by itself. It’s just amazing. [Hannah McElroy]

Provolone has recently become one of my favorite cheeses, especially when eaten on a sandwich. It’s just a good complementary cheese. [Litza Craig]

Despite the fact that I am lactose intolerant, cheese is my favorite food. I live off of cheese. Cheese cubes, cheese sticks, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and cheese puffs are just a few of my favorite cheese products. So, naturally it’s impossible for me to pick a favorite, but one of the best consists of potato chips with pieces of velveeta cheese on top. Cheese just has a magical quality to make everything better. Thank goodness for lactose medicine or I would probably starve. [Zoey Line]

It’s hard for me to pick one favorite cheese, and I was going to write about the excellent hunk of double-cream brie I finished off over the weekend (as a sandwich, on toast with fig spread), but that seems to be a popular choice around here, so I’ll take another route. I’m fond of any cheese with a kick, like pepper jack or its feistier cousin, habanero jack. [Jack H. Evans]