I’ve really only put it on some burgers, but would like to see what others like it with :D
American cheese is just normal, cheddar style cheese but with the addition of some sodium citrate.
Sodium citrate is a fun little food chemical that give the cheese a slight citrus bite, but more importantly acts as an emulsifier. It keeps the oil and water inside the cheese bonded together. This means the cheese melts and then never becomes greasy.
You can abuse this. You can make a super creamy cheese sauce for a higher brow mac and cheese by using some shredded cheese, a couple slices of American, and a few splashes of the pasta water.
This person emulsifies.
American cheese, like sliced bread, is an amazing achievement of food science. And then people shit on it because they don’t understand it’s purpose.
Same thing for tomato ketchup.
yep i have been a sodium citrate convert since i watched an adam ragusea video on the topic. https://piped.video/watch?v=KcM_MZoJWOo
i picked up a bag off amazon for cheap and it really is magic.
Steak as in a Philly Cheesesteak.
Yes. Cheese whizz first and then second place is American cheese.
What’s really funny is cheese whiz on a steak sounds nasty. But biting into one is like a small piece of heaven.
Wiz wit
It sound so gross but it’s the only correct way to eat it.
My wife just made a bagel, egg, bacon and American cheese sammich, pretty damn tasty
I’d argue this is the perfect form for American cheese. Melts into the egg and bacon. Burgers are good to, but you can swap for pepper jack, etc.
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The cafe at NAIT does a respectable BELT plate.
American cheese is not a flavor. American cheese is a blend of cheese, fat, and emulsifying agents. if there’s cheddar in the blend, it’ll taste mostly like cheddar, but less of it because it’s only, like, half cheddar.
The important part of the American cheese, in figuring out how to use it, is the emulsifiers.
My preferred use case is using a slice of American cheese in mac and cheese, alongside some other cheese (I love Gouda) for flavor. Or like four other cheeses, whatever. Sometimes I mix in a tiny bit of cream cheese or mascarpone or a little milk, which gets emulsified into a sauce thanks to the American cheese, and makes the whole situation creamier. And then I season the whole situation well, especially if I added that last ingredient, to bring out the flavor of the cheeses.
Now, that’s not a real, advanced mac and cheese. I could be making a mornay or something. But I’m lazy and I don’t really keep butter in the house. So I cheat. Pro chefs might also use other emulsifying agents to control the flavor and chemistry better, rather than just chucking in a slice of some american blend.
but it’s a handy shortcut.
Use it for a grilled cheese sandwich. Or just about any kind of sandwich.
I recommend putting a slice or multiple slices of American cheese on a hot bowl of Top Ramen, Chicken flavor. Cheesy ramen is pretty good
Grilled cheese - American cheese is the only way i enjoy a grilled cheese. Also, Black Forest ham and American cheese sandwich with lettuce tomato and mayo on a baguette or other real tasting bread.
If you do get American cheese, get some from the deli, it’s much better than Kraft.
It fascinates me that you guys would have this stuff in a deli!
It’s also not called “American cheese” in my country (NZ).
It’s called “processed cheese” and strongly associated with children’s lunches, so most of it is packaged to appeal to children.
Processed cheese is not cheese. It’s rubber that won’t hold air. It’s cheese product. The only acceptable use for processed cheese slices is throwing at your little brother. I wouldn’t even feed those to a dog.
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All cheese is valid. Even swiss
It’s kind of almost like a confectionary.
This comment makes me want to huck imported cheese at you.
I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.
I didn’t say I don’t like it! It’s just not a deli food here.
I have met a cheese I didn’t like, once. It was rubbery and tasted like soap. Unfortunately I had a kilo of it to get through.
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Even better: If the deli has Cooper Cheese, get that.
Kraft’s Deli-style is pretty good, too (comes in a pre-sliced block, like what restaurants use for burgers). Just don’t get the Kraft singles, which aren’t nearly as good in flavor or consistency.
I’d personally say nothing since I just do not like it at all.
Omelettes and egg sandwiches. Roast beef sandwiches. Oddly, one slice in a bowl of packaged ramen.
Just get the good quality stuff, not Kraft singles.
my favourite lunch right now is scrambled egg on toast with an american cheese slice between the bread and the egg
Assuming this refers to essentially processed cheese like kraft singles.
9/10 times a different cheese will taste much better and texturally if you’re using a good melting point cheese for the use case better there as well.
That said, this style of cheese excels and is really only tolerable in HOT food. It needs to be melted. Its nasty pre-melt and its nasty post-melt. But while melted, it’s good.
A grilled cheese with real and stringy cheeses is great. But sometimes a grilled cheese with 2 kraft singles is what you crave.
American cheese is great when you want a cheese that melts, but doesn’t become liquid. It’s great for burgers, grilled cheese, Mac and cheese, and dips.
Cooper sharp is the burger cheese.
Mix it into scrambled eggs.
If you have given up on life for the day and just need some Kraft Dinner while you watch your stories, melt a couple slices in.
It’s recommend that you do the eggs a couple times a week and the KD a couple times a quarter.
Hamburgers!
Bonus points if it’s white American from the deli. The way it becomes not quite solid, not quite liquid, makes it perfection on a solid smash patty. Don’t forget to toast them buns, hon.
Great, now I’m craving a burger…
I’m pretty sure the only difference between the yellow and white American cheeses is the addition of annatto
Huh, well TIL.
For whatever reason I prefer white American cheese over yellow on a burger.
White bread, mildly flavored meats, mild soups.
Our “cheese” has a very mild flavor, overall, but melts thoroughly and very quickly, which is mainly what we use it for. This is why you find it on things like grilled cheese and cheeseburgers, but if you see a slice cold it’s a little extra sad, since you’re missing out on the one thing it’s actually good at.
