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.
Amazing! Thank you. Any suggestions for gelatin substitutes? Wonna make this vegetarian and gelatin is not vegetarian.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Chill over powder from Mary Jane’s Farm
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A favorite for the holidays for us a homemade-ish cheese ball. In that recipe cream cheese is used to hold the ball together. I’m pretty sure cream cheese is vegetarian (albeit not vegan). In that recipe the cream cheese it is very soft when blended in. Then refrigerated in the coldest part of the refrigerator & it holds form pretty well. Maybe that can work for you in place of the gelatin.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Other options may be agar-agar or carrageen. There are also some vegan kosher gelatin–Carmel’s unsweetened gel. Hope this helps.
You could also try Xanthan gum.
Use xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is produced from the fermentation of a carbohydrate. If substituting xanthan gum for gelatin, use half the amount of xanthan gum that the recipe suggests for the gelatin. For example, if a recipe requires 2 teaspoons of gelatin, only use one teaspoon of xanthan gum.[13]
Below is a link that will have different variations of gelatin substitutes depending on your needs. :)
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Gelatin-Substitutes-for-Vegetarians
I hope this helps everyone.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You said you doubled the recipe. Does the recipe as stated make 1 pound? Or does it make a half pound? Sorry, it’s early and I’ve not had my coffee yet, lol….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The recipe as post makes 1 pound.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Cool beans!! Gonna try it w the kids this wk!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Looks AMAZING!! Definitely trying this!
Once again, Jillee, you make the day ahead look like FUN!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Instant or non-instant powdered milk???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Instead of the Colby cheese, you might try a “Mexican” blend, or a Pepper Jack, for that little kick of jalapeno….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That would taste great with the Pepper Jack!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You might try a place that sells food storage and survival items. I think Morning Moo and some of the other dried milk products have a higher fat content than what you typically get in the grocery store. I wonder how evaporated milk would work in this recipe? I will have to try it. This looks so much easier to make than the cheddar cheese my mother in law used to make. Probably tastes much better, too. Wouldn’t rennet work as well in getting the cheese to set up as the Real cheese?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.yippee!! i stopped buying ‘plastic’ cheese products years ago, but sure have missed that american grilled cheese—this is terrific! now, where do i find whole milk powder? i’ve only seen the non-fat at the grocery store.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i just heard about using mayo to grill the sandwich instead of butter last month in janell’s “saving you dinero” blog–we tried it and love it–it doesn’t add a mayo taste, just a richness that’s hard to describe–it’s delicious!
thanks, jillee.
Jillee said she used the nonfat and it worked jsut fine.
“1 tablespoon nonfat powdered milk (recipe called for WHOLE fat powdered milk but this is what I had on hand and it worked just fine)”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.oops
*just
good grief, i must’ve been blinded to details in all my excitement—thanks, debbe!
I too stopped using plastic chees many years ago, it just so awful and full of junk.
this looks so yummy, I need to try it, I think grilled cheese is on the menu for today.
Thank you Jill, you must know we appreciate al the things you fond for us. I just love all the soaps and the orange cleaner etc etc etc…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We’ve been using mayo instead of butter or margarine on grilled sandwiches for years. Spread it as thinly as possible. We also sprinkle it lightly with Cajun blend seasoning before grilling and it adds tons of flavor but its not hot or spicy. We call it a “Deli-Grill”.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you think this will freeze well?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sure!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Since we don’t get Colby cheese in South Africa, I’m going to try this with Cheddar or Gouda. I miss that meltable cheese :-) Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was wondering what to use in the place of Colby cheese. I just love melted cheese, on anything.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.that looks pretty good
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, do you think this would work with no food processor, and any suggestions on how I might go about it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jaunnette…I considered trying it in the blender…so that might be an option. I think I’ll try that next time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have not made this recipe before and am only talking in theory at this point.
If you don’t have a food processor or blender–why not try buying a super fine shredded Colby (or hand shredded on a fine grate) and mixing everything up in a free standing mixer like Kitchen Aid. I would avoid the whisk paddle & go with the batter paddle.
CTY, I would, IF ONLY I had a free standing mixer! It’s on my list of WANT, right along with a food processor. I suppose I’ll just have to wait and break out the blender, see if I can’t turn out something edible.
Well! I finally got around to trying this with a blender, and it worked! At least, I think it did, my cheese hasn’t had time to chill, but it tasted wonderful and got all nice and mixed together. I couldn’t really “blend” the dry ingredients with the cheese, so just ended up shaking it up together in the blender before adding my hot milk and gelatin. I followed your recipe exactly except I used 2% (didn’t have whole thawed out). My son is not a big fan of the “melty” block cheeses, but he was pretty impressed with this.
I have done this on the stove and the trick is you need to whisk it and don’t have it on high. You want to just get the cheese to melt and combine with the liquids. I have only used cheddar too, but it still works good.
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