I’m not afraid to admit that I love American cheese—by itself, on a grilled cheese sandwich, on a cheeseburger, or even just slapped on a plate and microwaved until it’s nice and gooey (a childhood pleasure that I never grew out of).
But what exactly is American cheese? I suppose it’s that exact question that gives it such a bad rap. The American cheese that you find on supermarket shelves isn’t cheese made in the traditional way (milk that’s formed into curds and pressed). Instead, it’s either a blend of cheese and additives, or it’s a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milkfat, milk protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers. I wanted to get as close as possible to the taste and texture of American cheese using only pantry ingredients and a food processor.
By making your own American cheese, not only will you know exactly what went into it, but also you can add in flavorings such as black pepper, roasted red peppers… you name it. As I concocted my version of American cheese in the test kitchen, not only did I draw a crowd of curious onlookers, I caused all of the snooty foodies to run for the hills. That’s okay, because I’d take any kind of American cheese over head cheese any day.
Step #1 LINE IT
Step #2 ▼
You’re basically melting down and mixing together a mixture of cheese, milk, gelatin, and flavorings. The American cheese is soft when you first make it, and needs to set up in some kind of mold. A square-edged mold would be ideal, but an aluminum loaf pan (or any mold of your choosing) works fine. Here, I used a 5- by 4-inch aluminum loaf pan and lined it with plastic wrap to help with unmolding the cheese later on.
Step #2 BLOOM IT
Step #3 ▼
I found gelatin to be an important ingredient in my American cheese recipe; with all of the liquid that’s added, gelatin is necessary to bind things together. Soften it first (also known as “blooming”) by sprinkling it over a few tablespoons of water and letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
Step #3 GRATE IT
Step #4 ▼
While the gelatin softens, grate the Colby cheese. I tried cheddar, but its flavor was a bit too strong for American cheese. I was looking for something pretty mild, and Colby fit the bill. Its yellow hue also tints the American cheese the sunny color that we all expect it to be. I used the small holes on a box grater to grate the cheese as finely as possible.
Step #4 PROCESS IT
Step #5 ▼
Next, process the grated cheese, some dry milk powder, a bit of cream of tartar, and salt for a few pulses to get the cheese bits as small as possible before adding the hot liquid. This helps create an end mixture that's as smooth as possible. Since most of us don’t have the commercial processing machines that food companies use, a food processor is your best bet. (I did try a blender, but the final mixture was too thick for it and almost busted the motor.) The cream of tartar gives it just a slight bit of tang and the dry milk powder adds a rich, milky flavor—and only whole dry milk powder will do (fat-free powder had an off taste). There’s also a good amount of salt here, but I found that American cheese really needs that salty element to make it “authentic.”
Step #5 HEAT IT
Step #6 ▼
Now it’s time to heat the milk. This is important because you want to melt the entire cheese mixture sufficiently so that it gets smooth. After heating the milk to a boil, add the softened gelatin, whisk it until it dissolves, and then transfer the milk mixture to a liquid measuring cup so that it will be easy to pour into the feed tube of the food processor.
Step #6 PROCESS IT AGAIN
Step #7 ▼
Now, the fun part. With the processor running, pour the hot milk mixture through the feed tube. After a few seconds, the cheese mixture will begin to clump up. It looks a bit gritty and separated at first, but don’t worry. Just scrape the sides of the bowl down and then keep processing. After about a minute, the mixture turns into a beautifully smooth and shiny mass of goodness. Now is a good time to stir or pulse in any add-ins such as cracked black pepper or cayenne.
Step #7 PACK IT
Step #8 ▼
Though it’s the perfect texture right now to spread onto a cracker, it’s also the right time to spoon it into the prepared mold, fold the wrap over it, and then press it firmly to avoid any large air pockets. The cheese begins to set up pretty quickly, so it’s important to get it packed in the mold as quickly as possible.
Step #8 CHILL IT
Step #9 ▼
The cheese needs to chill about 3 hours or so to get nicely sliceable. While I really wanted to achieve the type of firm American cheese that you would find at a deli, I found that to get a firmer cheese I had to sacrifice meltability. In the end, I wound up somewhere in the middle—a soft but sliceable cheese that oozes gently when heated.
Step #9 MELT IT
And now for the real test—because no American cheese is worth making unless you can make it melt. I fried up a buttery grilled cheese and sliced it down the middle. Yum!
About the Author: Yvonne Ruperti
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Creamy
gross. :\
Gosh, this is so funny because my husband loves American cheese – mostly just to snack on.. I wonder if he would like the homemade.
i have officially fallen in love with you. although as a single woman, who loves grilled cheese sammies (http://wildfreshntasty.com/2011/07/11/meatless-monday-grilled-cheese-with-dannys-hot-tomato-jam/), i just don’t think i could go through this much american cheese before it went bad. how long do you think it would keep? this makes me want to make a batch of homemade tomato soup to go along with it. yum!
I can’t wait to try this! I live overseas and can’t get the yummy goodness that is Velveeta over here… I know it’s a sick craving but sometimes you just want the processed stuff! I am SO glad you posted this!
Made it this weekend. It worked fine but just was really salty. Is it necessary to add salt at all?
This is fantastic. I am wondering, though, is the whole milk powder necessary? I ask not just because it is difficult to find, but the oxidized fats in milk powders is why I try to stay away from processed dairy in the first place. Is it just for taste, or does it actually contribute to the structure of the finished product?
A recipe that uses Colby cheese to make American cheese? Too funny.
It’s easy to find a recipe for American cheese that calls for:
1 gallon of whole milk
1/2 cup of dry evaporated milk powder
1 cup cultured buttermilk
1/4 tablet of rennet
1/4 teaspoon cheese coloring, if desired
Hi everyone! Yvonne is ecstatic that you’re all eating this recipe up. She has some answers for the questions out there:
wildfreshntasty — You should be able to keep it in the fridge a few weeks. Wrap it well to prevent it from drying out, but watch for mold growth. (I’ve kept many of my tests in the fridge for at least that long without any issues.)
sdent2 — The salt can definitely be adjusted. I use a lot of salt in my recipe because I found that when it melts, it loses some of its saltiness.
Amy — The dry milk powder adds milky flavor and helps to solidify the product. It can be reduced/eliminated but the finished product will be softer. To compensate, you may want to try reducing the liquid.
Could you make this vegetarian friendly by using agar, renet or xanthan gum instead of the gelatin?
I’m wondering if it will stay melty in crockpot mac ‘n cheese for Thanksgiving…
How long will this store in the fridge before it expires?
can the left overs be frozen? I am single and can’t eat that much cheese!
Thanks for the great idea and recipe, I will try this weekend and incorporate into the “Juicy Lucy” burger.
One side note; head cheese isn’t cheese. Head cheese is a forcemeat usually packed into a terrine, when done well it is not only very tasty but a great way to use all parts of an animal.
I would love to make this at home! But…what is the replacement for gelatin (gross!!!!). Thanks.
I know I’m way, way late, but goodbye, Yvonne! I’m better in the kitchen for having paid attention to you! Thank you! I’m a better musician now, too!
Pace et amor!
G.
I can’t wait to make this. I make my own mozzarella, as well as many other foods, and I love your D.I.Y. cookbook
We made this yesterday and it came out great! Instead of putting into the 5 x4 pan, we lined a jelly roll pan with plastic wrap and spread out the cheese mixture, then sliced it into squares and stacked them up, putting parchment paper in between the slices. We substituted sweet cream buttermilk powder and reduced the salt slightly.
The biggest challenge was finding the Colby cheese. Finally found it at the Safeway in the imported/gourmet cheese section.
As I live overseas it is difficult to find Colby cheese. Is it possible to do a combo of Cheddar and another milder cheese?
Is it possible to freeze it ? Or would you suggest simply reducing the recipe ?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I gave up on finding whole fat dry milk after three grocery stores, but I was too excited for home made American cheese to wait for mail order powdered milk.
Figuring all I needed was the missing milk fat, I added 1 tablespoon of heavy cream (8% fat) to the milk mixture. I suspect it’s not as nice as Yvonne’s, but if my version is a failure then it’s a very yummy failure indeed!
Tip: Use your American cheese for the best Mac-and-Cheese ever. To 12 ounces of cooked, hot pasta shells I added 1/2 cup whole milk and about 1/3 of my cheese loaf cut into cubes. I put that over a very low heat for about 8 minutes until the cheese melted, stirred it up, and served it to my very happy family.