I haven't purchased American cheese for over a year now. Why? Because it's not 'real' cheese! It's nothing more than a bunch of oil and chemicals. Seriously, don't buy it. It has always tasted like plastic to me, especially the individually wrapped slices. Those are sooooo gross. On a quest to find a better alternative, I found
this recipe and decided to make it for my son who misses American cheese. It was a hit! It really tastes like American, but without the plasticy aftertaste. The recipe below makes 2/3 of a batch since I only had 1# of cheese on hand.
You'll need the following:
8oz Cheddar Cheese
8oz Jack or Mozzarella Cheese
1C + 2T Powdered Milk (I used powdered buttermilk because I didn't have the regular powdered milk)
1t Gelatin Powder (Unflavored)
1C HOT water
A Pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment
A Blender
Shred both of your cheeses.
Toss the hot water and gelatin into the blender and give it a whirl. Guess I forgot to take a pic of that. Then throw in your cheese and your powdered milk. Use the liquefy setting and let it run until smooth. If making a whole batch as shown on the link above, you'll probably have to do it in two batches. I found that I can easily do this 2/3 of a batch in one fell swoop. You'll need to scrape down the sides at least one time.
Smear it all into the plastic wrap-lined pan and cover the top with more plastic. Throw it in the fridge overnight.
The next day, turn it over and slice! I found that it was a little more spreadable than it was 'cuttable'. Next time, I might add some more gelatin. As a disclaimer, it could have been the fact that I used buttermilk powder, not really sure. I kind of liked that it was spreadable, actually. I used it for all sorts of things. We spread it on crackers, made grilled cheese sandwiches. It would be great in some mac and cheese. If you want it more slice-able, I would probably double the gelatin.
Does it melt? You bet!! Almost TOO melty! Very American cheese-like!
Tommy gave it a big thumbs up! That's all I needed to see! I will definitely be making this frequently! It's so easy and MUCH cheaper than those "American" Slices!
OMG Chanda, Tommy is looking so big. Has it been that long since I have seen you? I am still in Iowa cleaning out Mom's condo. I miss her so much and sometimes this job is so hard. I can't believe it has been 3 weeks tomorrow since she passed. It feels like it was just yesterday. I am so blessed I was with her. Hugs, Bev
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss this? This looks good and easy too, I'm with you I think I'd like it spreadable too
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot easier than it look. I left out the gelatin altogether the next time and it still was pretty stiff. I don't think it needs it, really. I put it in a couple of jars instead for easier use and to keep more fresh. It's still not quite what I'd call 'spreadable' once it's refrigerated, but you can kind of slice off little chunks and lay them on a sandwich. now that I think of it, it seemed a little more spreadable when I used the buttermilk powder, but that also ups the price.
DeleteYummmm.. looking so delicious. I remember that last time I had this kind of yummy and delicious cheezeee breakfast in 5 star Killarney Hotels. It was really a delicious breakfast. Still I get my mouth watered by remembering that.
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