I can't buy the stuff any more. I'll sit down and eat the whole bottle with ritz crackers in one sitting. If I run out of crackers I just eat it plain. It is horrible.
Demographics: Processed cheese
- Thread starter strawman
- Start date
I get where you're coming from, but sliced cheddar has always melted well enough for me. Lower heat + a lid on the pan = perfect grill in my experience.
Try letting the cheese warm up for a few minutes, or preheat it for 5 seconds in the microwave or somesuch.
Also what Tress said.
figmentPez
Staff member
Please find me a chile con queso recipe that works as well with unprocessed cheese. No, seriously, I've been looking for one. Even famous Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston like Molina's, Ninfa's, Pappasito's, etc. all use processed cheese in their queso. It works, quickly, reliably, and a lot of people like it, including me. I'd like to try queso that's made from scratch, with me processing the cheese myself, but it's hard to find a recipe that works.
That said, I don't see anything wrong with American cheese. Saying it's not cheese is like saying pimento cheese, cheese fondue, or cheese balls (the nut covered cheese appetizer, not the crunchy cheese dust covered snack) aren't cheese. While it's technically true that they are not solely made from cheese (which is true of cheeses like a pepper jack) the good quality versions of these items are made from cheese. It's like saying that "Sour cream isn't even a dairy product!" because some things called "sour cream" have so many oils and stabilizers added that they're pretty nasty, while ignoring that you can still buy real sour cream (or even better, creme fraiche), and some stores even sell very tasty chip dip that's made from real sour cream.
If you don't like it, fine, I don't like the individually wrapped slices from Kraft either, but discounting the entire concept of processed cheese throws out a very wide range of products, some of which work quite well for certain tasks.
I've never tasted it, but I when I was in the States, I stayed very clear of it, because it didn't look like any kind of cheese that I would enjoy..
Then again, I didn't know that American Cheese is only supposed to be enjoyed melted. (which by itself says something about the quality of that cheese..)
Then again, I didn't know that American Cheese is only supposed to be enjoyed melted. (which by itself says something about the quality of that cheese..)
My vote is cast based on the fact that Cheez Whiz counts as well.
The trouble with unprocessed cheese in these recipes is that they will work well once, but they don't reheat well, like most dairy. There's probably a good chance that you can make up a batch of amazing queso dip, but you'll want to finish it all at one sitting or else it won't remelt properly.
--Patrick
It does.And, it makes tasty grilled cheese, quesadillas, and nachos!
But if you want something that is MIND-BLOWINGLY good, try using regular cheddar. Seriously, Grilled Cheese, Quesadillas and nachos are tasty in SPITE of processed cheese, not because of it.
You mean I have no other option but to gorge on all the delicious queso? Oh, the humanity!
Then make less.
I mean you have three options here:
1) Make good food, don't finish it
2) Make good food, finish it
3) Make rubber, eat it all.
I mean you have three options here:
1) Make good food, don't finish it
2) Make good food, finish it
3) Make rubber, eat it all.
figmentPez
Staff member
Regular cheddar is not mind blowing. It's not one of the better choices for a grilled cheese, if you ask me. Now if you were to say an unripened brie, or maybe a blend of gruyere and cheddar, then I'd say you had something. There are a lot of good cheeses, or blends of cheese, that work better in grilled cheese than American or plain cheddar.It does.
But if you want something that is MIND-BLOWINGLY good, try using regular cheddar. Seriously, Grilled Cheese, Quesadillas and nachos are tasty in SPITE of processed cheese, not because of it.
Also, I would never use cheddar on nachos if I could use a pepper jack cheese, or a blend of colby and monterey jack.
If by "quality" you mean the physical properties of a cheese that has been processed in order to melt smoothly, then yes, it does indeed say something about the quality of the cheese that it functions as intended. That said, I like American cheese just fine room temperature on a sandwich.
Shhh, you're gonna jinx it!
I agree, cheddar cheese is not mind blowing compared to those cheeses. But my point is if one is convinced that processed cheese makes the best grilled cheese, or the best nachos, then one would find cheddar mind blowing. It like a child discovering they can read without sounding it out loud. Eventually, they'll get to read A Song of Ice and Fire, but for now Little Bear's Big Birthday Surprise is mind blowing enough.
I put Velveeta on my well-done steak. 
GasBandit
Staff member
It's how all right thinking people man up before going to therapy!I put Velveeta on my well-done steak.
(We'll never match that one post by Wasabi, that was damn good)
Dang - I missed that one. I hang my head in shame. Well done, @WasabiPoptart. You are the master.
Well, you got one of the two right.I put Velveeta on my well-done steak.
You're making some pretty blanket assumptions about what people enjoy. I've obviously used various cheeses for different things and I still go back to Kraft singles for my grilled cheese. To me, it tastes better and melts exactly how I want it to. I am getting a definite snobby vibe from people regarding tastes in cheese.
Not here. I love Cheez Whiz especially the stuff with the hot peppers in it!
figmentPez
Staff member
Honestly, I prefer American cheese to cheddar in grilled cheese. Considering most American cheese is made with cheddar and other cheeses that I prefer to make grilled cheese with, this makes perfect sense to me.
Yep. You bet. But I also get an "unable to take a joke" vibe from people regarding tastes in cheese here. Much like steak, chili, and ass wiping. It is weird what people on here take personally.
Sorry, never been a fan of elitism.
How very elitist of you.
I've got a bunch of food-snob friends that eat pork belly and foie gras and junk (I have a taste for fine things, but still eat at Taco Bell on occasion
). I made a velveeta + rotel + some white processed mexican cheese + spicy breakfast sausage for a football game party. The fancy stuff was still around at the end of the game, but my slow-cooker was empty! My wife thought that they would turn their nose up at it! Of course, I didn't tell them what was in it until afterwards! 
However, if I am going to eat cheese on it's own or on a sandwich then I'd rather have proper real cheese. I like provolone on pastrami. I like extra sharp cheddar with crackers. I like muenster or havarti on ham. I like just about every hard cheese on it's own. I don't like any of the fungal cheeses though.
figmentPez
Staff member
Also, not all American cheese tastes the same. There are different varieties, and some taste a lot better than others. Personally I think Kraft has a metallic taste that I don't like, and the individually wrapped slices have an added plastic-y taste that makes it worse. However, the store brand from either HEB or Randall's, that aren't individually wrapped, are both pretty good, with the white American from HEB being particularly tasty.
There are some really nasty low-quality versions of American cheese out there, that make even Kraft singles seem good by comparison, though. But there's also really nasty low-quality "real" cheese out there that has no business calling itself cheddar.
BananaHands
Staff member
Any cheese that doesn't need to be refrigerated creeps me out.
So you only like shredded and sliced cheese? Because most cheeses don't need to be refrigerated o.o