Cheese take: Port Salut from Trader Joes is better than expensive ... It can be good on fruit or pasta, sweet or savory. Why? It's similar to the art of eating cheese with sweet things.

They take elbow noodles, bits of smoked ham, and a house-made béchamel sauce—a mix of Port Salut, cream cheese ... after trying a similar dish at a restaurant in Chicago called MOD.