The FDA calls it “pasteurized processed American cheese food.” In order for a food product to be a true “cheese,” it has to be more than half cheese, which is technically pressed curds of milk. So each Kraft American single contains less than 51% curds, which means it doesn’t meet the FDA’s standard.
Just cover the pan and pretty much any cheese will do. I use pure cheddar in ours, which sucks at melting, and I can get the grilled cheese completely melty and the bread properly toasted.
Just make sure to eat it before it cools, otherwise it gets chewy.
Depends where you draw the line and the exact product. American cheese is just cheddar cheese, milk, and an emulsifier. The ratio of cheese to milk usually classifies it as “not cheese” but it’s still actual cheese and milk. You can make American style cheese with all kinds of different cheeses, too, we just mostly do it with cheddar or a cheddar colby blend
Heat a little bit of milk, throw in a little sodium citrate (I think it’s like 1/2 a teaspoon per pound), stir until dissolved, cut or shred a big block of cheese up, melt that in, and you get magic cheese that tastes the same (it takes very little milk to make it work) but melts and remelts without issue. Instead of a bechamel where the oils separate out if you don’t mix every 30 seconds to reheat it, you can just nuke the hell out of it in the microwave with no issue.
@The_Picard_Maneuver
Does that really count as cheese, though?
No, it does not.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/what-is-american-cheese-is-american-real-cheese/
Now I wonder what is the absolute bare minimum percentage of cheese would be needed to even be considered Pasteurized processed American cheese food.
Let’s get it a new category so that it’s about as much cheese is to cheese as Tang is to orange juice.
0%. Easy Cheese contains whey, milk protein solids, and cheese cultures, which are related to cheese, but not actual cheese curds.
https://www.ewg.org/foodscores/products/044000045524-EasyCheesePasteurizedCheeseSnackAmerican/
“Do they have Krusty partially gelatinated non-dairy gum-based beverages?”
I’d use that as a bookmark instead of food too.
A slice of that with some good cheese gives you the proper flavor and the right melt in a grilled cheese sandwich and I will die on this hill.
Two-cheese blended grilled cheese is the best, but swap out the American cheese for Gruyère.
Muenster has a great texture for melts then you can pick whatever other cheese for flavor.
It absolutely does, and I can’t believe I haven’t tried it yet. Thanks for the suggestion!
Just cover the pan and pretty much any cheese will do. I use pure cheddar in ours, which sucks at melting, and I can get the grilled cheese completely melty and the bread properly toasted.
Just make sure to eat it before it cools, otherwise it gets chewy.
The calcium-sequestering agent found in processed cheese makes it melt real good like.
Legally in the US, no. It is not cheese. That why they sell them as Kraft “singles”.
It is literally just cheese with added water to make it more gooey.
@Fosheze
Don’t forget the citric acid! If you don’t include the citric acid, the water doesn’t go into the cheese right.
Depends where you draw the line and the exact product. American cheese is just cheddar cheese, milk, and an emulsifier. The ratio of cheese to milk usually classifies it as “not cheese” but it’s still actual cheese and milk. You can make American style cheese with all kinds of different cheeses, too, we just mostly do it with cheddar or a cheddar colby blend
Heat a little bit of milk, throw in a little sodium citrate (I think it’s like 1/2 a teaspoon per pound), stir until dissolved, cut or shred a big block of cheese up, melt that in, and you get magic cheese that tastes the same (it takes very little milk to make it work) but melts and remelts without issue. Instead of a bechamel where the oils separate out if you don’t mix every 30 seconds to reheat it, you can just nuke the hell out of it in the microwave with no issue.