I have made my own yogurt, and I’ve made my own butter….but I have never attempted to make my own cheese. It’s been on “my list” of things I want to eventually try, but fairly far down because I figured it was pretty complicated. That was until I ran across a recipe for American Cheese that sounded quite easy! Besides, I was really craving a good grilled cheese sandwich…so I decided to go for it.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of “American Cheese” I think of something like Kraft Singles. But Kraft Singles aren’t really “cheese”…they are a “pasteurized prepared cheese product” and contain a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milkfat, milk protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers.
Doesn’t sound very appetizing does it? So how come they are so dang delicious in a grilled sandwich or melted over a cheeseburger? I’ll tell you why…because American cheese has great MELTABILITY! (completely made up word there.)
Luckily there is a way to make your own “processed cheese” with just a few pantry items and some “real” cheese thrown in that is every bit as gooey delicious as its Kraft counterpart but much better for you.
Homemade American Cheese
Adapted from a recipe at America’s Test Kitchen
Makes 1 pound
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
Line 5 x 4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides. (I only had a bread loaf pan available, so I ended up doubling the recipe and using that.)
Mix water and gelatin in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
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Combine cheese, milk powder, salt, and cream of tartar in a food processor and pulse a couple of times until combined. Cream of tartar is a great stabilizer that holds all ingredients together but I just wanted to let you know that it is also a natural alternative for bleach! Cream of tartar has a lot of uses in the household so make sure you have it available at all times.
Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan and remove from heat, then stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved.
With the food processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture until smooth, about 1 – 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Immediately transfer cheese mixture to prepared pan. Wrap tightly and chill at least 3 hours.
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Then when you unwrap it a few hours later…….
…….get ready for the best grilled cheese sandwich of your life!
By the way….the cheese can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month.
I can’t wait to make it again and add some coarse ground black pepper….or maybe some jalapenos! :-)
Homemade “American” Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 12 ounces Colby cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Line 5 x 4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides.
- Mix water and gelatin in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine cheese, milk powder, salt, and cream of tartar in a food processor and pulse a couple of times until combined.
- Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan and remove from heat, then stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved.
- With the food processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture until smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Immediately transfer cheese mixture to prepared pan. Wrap tightly and chill at least 3 hours.
This looks yummy!! Definitely going to try this one!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My grandson was laughing at me at the grocery store when I told him I needed Colby cheese to make cheese! I just finished it and it is in it’s 3 hour getting cold stage. A couple comments here. I used Colby cheese, not colby jack and it turned out yellow. Also I had to add much more milk to get it to a smooth consistency. It never was pourable though. Probably added an extra 1/2 cup milk. I don’t have a food processor either so used my VitaMix blender. It did not work for mixing the grated cheese with the salt, cream of tartar and milk powder. I just mixed that by hand. (I used instant nonfat dry milk powder.) Don’t know why it never got pourable. The only thing that I can figure is maybe that I left the geletin sit in the water for too long. Definitely longer than 5 minutes! But the finished product so far seems very good. It reminded me of Cheez Whiz. That is about the consistency it was. Also tasted like it. I’m thinking it is going to be comparable to Velveta. So anxious to try the grilled cheese. Haven’t really liked them in the past but that could be because I don’t care for the processed slices! We will have it for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe Jillee! Love your blog! It is the bestest!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Carol, the same thing happened to me…not able to pour it and yellow in color. I didn’t add more milk and it seemed set up right away. I am totally excited to taste the grilled cheese and to try this again with different types of cheeses. Any ideas Jillee for different types of cheeses to use? I love your blog and all of the comments are so helpful! Thank you for all that you do!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Now my family and I never have to eat yucky processed cheese slices again! Hooray! Thank you Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My family LOVES homemade pimento cheese, I usually buy Land O’Lakes white American at my local Walmart Deli; yes, it’s on the pricey side, but so much better tasting than store bought pimento cheese. Your recipe looks like it would be perfect for making pimento cheese. Easy recipe: grate 1 lb. white American Cheese, add a large jar, (4 oz.) diced pimento, do not drain, and 2 Tbs. sweet pickle relish, and mayonnaise to the consistency you like. More or less pimentos, and pickle relish can be used, it’s what your family likes that makes it good! I have a set of small loaf pans that will be excellent for making your cheese Jillee, can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mmmm this was very good!! I made it with reconstituted powdered milk. Better than velveeta! I don’t see why you couldn’t use almond or other milks as its simply heated and added to retexturize the Colby.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Jillee. This is definitely worth a try. I love that you do the hard work of testing things out so that your readers can play with your recipes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.agar agar can also be purchased from most health food stores or asian food stores. I may experiment using some chia seeds too. Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Why does the recipe call for colby cheese but what the picture looks like is colby jack cheese?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You have to start with yogurt to make yogurt due to bacteria required to start the process. Making real cheese does not require cheese to begin with. It’s the gelatin holding this product together…not any protein structure usually related to cheese.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.oh this looks fabulous, going to try to make it with Bacon Cheddar Corn bread. Hey Jillee, there is a way to make it GF http://afewshortcuts.com/2013/03/bacon-cheddar-corn-bread/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For those of you disappointed that this recipe takes cheese to make cheese, that’s what processed cheese is, no matter who makes it. Velveeta, any cheese spread, LOL American, all are made with another type of cheese as the base. Most mass produced cheese products also add many fillers not listed on the label, which enables the finished product to hold more water. If you want real cheese made from milk, enzymes, and culture, not fillers, you need to buy from a small creamery.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also, what you show in the photos is colby jack cheese. That might account for the lack of bright orange color.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Someone in an earlier comment mentioned using pre shredded cheese. Those products are usually coated in something to keep them from sticking together, which would probably affect the finished product.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This was so easy to make. I will cut back on the salt the next time I make it but WILL be making it again and again. YUMmmmmm!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You say you’re going to give instructions for making cheese? Then don’t tell me to go out and buy cheese. How lame!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sorry to disappointment you Di, this recipe is sort of like making yogurt, you have to start with yogurt to make yogurt ;)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Looks delish! So glad I found your blog!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely want to give this a try. Wonder how long it lasts after you make it (before it molds or goes bad).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.she said it lasts about a month in the fridge at the end of the post
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh! I have been trying different recipes for Cheese Zombies but they call for nasty “fake” cheese and I just can’t feed that to my family (besides it tastes like chemicals to me). It needs some meltability though so I’ve been in a bind. Yes it’s cheese from cheese but a healthyier option than Kraft singles folks! Thanks Jillie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The only thing I´m missing is color. I would try annato seed for yellow coloring. Annato is a seed used in many latin american countries to add color to food. I would add a few seeds to the milk since the high temperature would help release the color. Be sure you strain the milk before adding it to the rest of the recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would try guar gum (also comes from a seed) if you want vegan substitute to gelatin (I´ve never tried ti though).
I found a wonderful recipe for Mexican Cheese Dip, like what you get in restaurants. Smooth, creamy and delicious! It uses American Cheese. I am really hoping this recipe for homemade American cheese will work in that recipe. I like knowing what’s in my food! Here’s the link. I think you will LOVE it! http://www.seededatthetable.com/2011/11/30/queso-blanco-dip-the-second-and-final-attempt/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Did you make the queso with this cheese yet?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.has anyone tried this with almond milk? was there a response to the gelatin question?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Chill over powder from Mary Jane’s Farm.
http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/store/p/65-ChillOver-174-Powder.aspx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.THANK YOU MDOE37!!! I am so happy to see a gelatin substitute! I am going to make this ASAP and surprise my vegetarian daughter. She will be TOO happy to have this :) I checked out the website immediately as I never even thought to look for vegetarian gelatin even as I am constantly still exploring ideas after 8 years!
Almond milk is interesting- I am thinking of coconut milk or cream, the thick part or even coconut flour. First I will try this as posted.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always thought cheese was way above my abilities in the kitchen but this looks very doable. I’m going to try it. It looks wonderful!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillie, This cheese recipe looks amazing! Your blog and creativity never ceases to amaze me! Truly!! Have a great day! ~ Jamie
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So funny–my DIL and I were just talking about making cheese. I was going to make mozzarella, but after seeing this maybe I’ll start here. DH loves the “singles” maybe he can be converted to a healthier cheese. I never really thought of “embellishing” one cheese to mimic another.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for lighting a fire under me.
I think this is a great idea.. Thanks for sharing!
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