Hidden away in small-town Middlebury, Indiana, is an amazing slice of paradise for all cheese lovers (and honestly, if you're not a fan of cheese, I'm not sure how to help you). Owned by local farmers and deep in Amish roots and heritage, this little cheese shop isn't so little - since 1979, this amazing tour de force of all things dairy came to the forefront of Indiana's Amish scene, and for good reason: it might just be home to the best cheeses and butter in the entire Midwest (and that's saying a lot). This huge cheese shop in Indiana is a place where you could probably get lost for hours in the best way possible. Check it out!

Welcome to Heritage Ridge Creamery, home of Indiana's finest cheese. From the moment you walk in, you'll be amazed at the sheer variety of cheese.

I bet you didn't know you could go this nuts with it. Speaking of nuts, plenty of the cheeses you'll find here go great with those. Each cheese is made fresh from milk supplied by local farmers, and all pass the quality test. This is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite little local shops in the entire Hoosier State; it's friendly, fresh, and truly incredible. You have never tasted cheeses like these before.

Originally, this creamery started as a small local market for Amish farmers still using milk cans. Over the years, though, it grew, and now, more than five decades later, it's a place where you could kill a whole afternoon if you wanted. It's not just cheese and butter going on around here; you'll also find an amazing selection of fresh jams, charcuterie necessities, meats, and more. It is, however, definitely most famous for its cheese.

I'm not at all surprised; once you've tried the cheese from Heritage Ridge Creamery, you'll probably wonder how you ever had cheese from anywhere else. It's a step above the rest, and that much will become very obvious very fast. The focus was once on both barreled and longhorn cheeses, though today, the longhorn stirred-curd variety reigns king. And goodness, are they amazing at what they do!

You won't want to leave without packing some up to bring with you. Get one, or get one hundred... I'm not here to judge. I'm just here to encourage your cheese-consuming choices. But, in all seriousness, this huge cheese shop in Indiana really is so much more than "just" cheese. It's an experience... and a delicious one at that.

If you're wondering what you can do with so much cheese, you're in luck: I have endless ideas. Get an amazing mozzarella, combine it with ricotta, parmesan, and other perfect cheeses, and make yourself an incredible lasagna. Or maybe you'll want to make the perfect charcuterie board for your next get-together, and you need it to be as Instagram-worthy as possible—Heritage Ridge Creamery is pure perfection for just such an occasion. And while you're here, check out all the amazingness that is Shipshewana itself.

For more information about this udderly (see what I did there?) incredible cheese smorgasbord in the heart of northern Indiana's Amish country, visit the official Heritage Ridge Creamery website.

Need somewhere to stay while you're in the Middlebury-Shipshewana area? No worries - our friends at VRBO have your back. Need something else to do while you're here? Check out one of the most epic flea markets in Indiana, located right here in town. What are your favorite independently owned shops in Indiana? Have you ever been to this particularly incredible cheese and dairy shop? Tell me about your visit in the comments.