A trip to World Dairy Expo isn’t complete without a hot-off-the-griddle grilled cheese sandwich, and it’s UW-Madison students who make it happen.
Grace Mansell, a biological systems engineering student from Roberts, Wisconsin, is leading this year’s effort at the grilled cheese stand. Mansell’s passion for dairy started on her grandparents’ farm in New Richmond and continues through her involvement in Badger Dairy Club.
The stand, co-staffed by Collegiate Farm Bureau, is expected to sell about 20,000 sandwiches during Expo week, sometimes with just one student flipping multiple griddles. Specialty cheeses change daily, with flavors ranging from smoked Gouda to dill Havarti, thanks to sponsorship from Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, AMPI, Dinner Bell Creamery, and other partners. Kwik Trip supplies the bread, while pork for ham-and-cheese sandwiches comes from the Wisconsin Pork Association and Wilson Farm Meats.
Mansell, who hopes to work for a food company following graduation, says while the faces working the UW-Madison Grilled Cheese Stand change every year, the mission has not wavered over the decades.
“That’s our big thing. We want them hot and fresh for our customers, and we want to make sure that what they’re paying for is good quality and exactly what they want.”
This year, the stand also introduced a new souvenir lemonade can, tied to Expo’s annual theme, and of course, there’s no shortage of sweets. Students expect to sell about 10,000 chocolate shakes alongside the iconic grilled cheese.
