Thread: American Cheese

biig wrote:
> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a good
> selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent is
> cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada

It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual cheese.

I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual cheese and, if
I was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar would be
my substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much flavor, IMHO,
rather tastes like milk made into a solid with salt added.

I read a joke today - You can always tell a Canadian, but you can't tell
him much - I thought that was pretty funny and, of course, substitute
the country or ethnic group of your liking should you wish.

-S-

"Steve Freides" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jinugt$8fq$[email protected]..
> biig wrote:
>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a good
>> selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent is
>> cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
> hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual cheese.
>
> I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual cheese and, if I
> was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar would be my
> substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much flavor, IMHO, rather
> tastes like milk made into a solid with salt added.
>
> I read a joke today - You can always tell a Canadian, but you can't tell
> him much - I thought that was pretty funny and, of course, substitute the
> country or ethnic group of your liking should you wish.
>
> -S-
>
>

Chuckle!! I've heard it the other way around......Sharon in Canada : >

"Steve Freides" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jinugt$8fq$[email protected]..
> biig wrote:
>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a good
>> selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent is
>> cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
> hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual cheese.
>
> I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual cheese and, if I
> was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar would be my
> substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much flavor, IMHO, rather
> tastes like milk made into a solid with salt added.
>
> I read a joke today - You can always tell a Canadian, but you can't tell
> him much - I thought that was pretty funny and, of course, substitute the
> country or ethnic group of your liking should you wish.
>
> -S-
>
>
I guess it's a processed cheese then. Is it anything like Velveeta?
Velveeta is expensive and I bypass it for cheddar. We have some very good
local cheddars here....Sharon

On 2012-03-01, biig <[email protected]> wrote:
> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have anything up
> here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and processed cheese slices,
> but I don't think that's it. We have a good selection of other cheeses, but
> I'm wondering if the equivilent is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese

Velveeta is.... actually, I have no clue WTF velveeta is. Apparently,
a subspecies of American cheese:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta

I do know that after a lifetime of making grilled cheese sandwiches,
I'll make no more. Even Kraft American cheese is no longer a food fit
for much of anything. It has almost no flavor, anymore, and slices
are so incredibly thin as to be not much thicker than the protective
cover surrounding them. In fact, now that I think on it, I suspect
that plastic cover is there more to provide the appearance of bulk and
overall package thickness than actual protection. I recall buying
bulk American cheese from the deli cold case and it looked jes fine,
nice fat slices securely stuck together, yet easily separable. It had
actual detectable flavor, too. I recently payed extra for Kraft's
"sharp chedder" American cheese, the alleged good stuff. It had no
more flavor than the cheap grease "cheese food" sold as house brands.

As to your other question, American cheese has no more similarity to
real cheddar than cottage cheese has to stainless steel.

nb

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biig wrote:

> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have anything up
>here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and processed cheese slices,
>but I don't think that's it. We have a good selection of other cheeses, but
>I'm wondering if the equivilent is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>

I believe it's identical to "Canadian cheese". It's a processed food
derived from cheese. In the USA, it's used mostly on cheeseburgers,
grilled cheese sandwiches, and "tuna melt".

There are also really nasty versions called "cheese food" and "cheese
spread". Probably something is also labeled "cheese product". Then
there's Velveeta.

On Mar 1, 7:56*am, notbob <not...@nothome.com> wrote:
> On 2012-03-01, biig <b...@mnsi.net> wrote:
>
> > * *What exactly is it? *Is it a processed cheese? *We don't have anything up
> > here called American Cheese. *We have Velveeta, and processed cheese slices,
> > but I don't think that's it. *We have a good selection of other cheeses, but
> > I'm wondering if the equivilent is cheddar?? *Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese
>
> Velveeta is.... actually, I have no clue WTF velveeta is. *Apparently,
> a subspecies of American cheese:
>
Government cheese.
>
> nb
>
--Bryan

biig wrote:
> "Steve Freides" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:jinugt$8fq$[email protected]..
>> biig wrote:
>>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a
>>> good selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the
>>> equivilent is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>>
>> It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
>> hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual
>> cheese. I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual
>> cheese and,
>> if I was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar
>> would be my substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much
>> flavor, IMHO, rather tastes like milk made into a solid with salt
>> added. I read a joke today - You can always tell a Canadian, but you
>> can't
>> tell him much - I thought that was pretty funny and, of course,
>> substitute the country or ethnic group of your liking should you
>> wish. -S-
>>
>>
> I guess it's a processed cheese then. Is it anything like Velveeta?
> Velveeta is expensive and I bypass it for cheddar. We have some very
> good local cheddars here....Sharon

Yes, Velveeta is also processed, but even more so, I believe. American
cheese might actually be considered better than Velveeta...

If you could post a recipe that calls for American cheese - why I assume
you're asking in the first place - we all might comment about how we'd
handle it.

-S-

notbob wrote:
> On 2012-03-01, biig <[email protected]> wrote:
>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a
>> good selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent
>> is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese
>
> Velveeta is.... actually, I have no clue WTF velveeta is. Apparently,
> a subspecies of American cheese:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta
>
> I do know that after a lifetime of making grilled cheese sandwiches,
> I'll make no more.

You're throwing out the baby with the bath water - why give up on
grilled cheese sandwiches when you can make them with real cheese
instead? Just slice it thinly and it works great. Cheddar is what we
use here most of the time.

-S-

On Mar 1, 8:28*am, George M. Middius <glanb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> biig wrote:
> > * What exactly is it? *Is it a processed cheese? *We don't have anything up
> >here called American Cheese. *We have Velveeta, and processed cheese slices,
> >but I don't think that's it. *We have a good selection of other cheeses, but
> >I'm wondering if the equivilent is cheddar?? *Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> I believe it's identical to "Canadian cheese". It's a processed food
> derived from cheese. In the USA, it's used mostly on cheeseburgers,
> grilled cheese sandwiches, and "tuna melt".
>
> There are also really nasty versions called "cheese food" and "cheese
> spread". Probably something is also labeled "cheese product". Then
> there's Velveeta.

Pasteurized process cheese food product spread. Here in St. Louis,
they put process cheese on pizzas. The process cheese mingles with
the sauce to form a slimy mixture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provel_cheese

--Bryan

On 3/1/2012 9:52 AM, Steve Freides wrote:
> notbob wrote:
>> On 2012-03-01, biig<[email protected]> wrote:
>>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a
>>> good selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent
>>> is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese
>>
>> Velveeta is.... actually, I have no clue WTF velveeta is. Apparently,
>> a subspecies of American cheese:
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta
>>
>> I do know that after a lifetime of making grilled cheese sandwiches,
>> I'll make no more.
>
> You're throwing out the baby with the bath water - why give up on
> grilled cheese sandwiches when you can make them with real cheese
> instead? Just slice it thinly and it works great. Cheddar is what we
> use here most of the time.
>
> -S-
>
>

Agree. I haven't bought that industrial cheese like material in a
really, really long time. If we want a grilled cheese or cheese on a
burger etc I slice up some cheddar just as you described.

On Thu, 1 Mar 2012 08:45:16 -0500, Steve Freides wrote:

> biig wrote:
>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a good
>> selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the equivilent is
>> cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>
> It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
> hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual cheese.
>
> I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual cheese and, if
> I was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar would be
> my substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much flavor, IMHO,
> rather tastes like milk made into a solid with salt added.

Which is what regular cheese is. The good American cheeses are
actually slightly MORE expensive to make than regular motz or mild
cheddars. I like the good American cheese because they are creamy and
smooth. Perfect meltability for a cheesy sandwich.

My comments only apply to those American cheeses that are NOT
individually wrapped. Those are cheaper cheese that contain more
liquid and are pourable when processed.

-sw

On Thu, 1 Mar 2012 06:47:16 -0800 (PST), Bryan
<[email protected]> wrote:
....
>>
>Government cheese.
>>
>> nb
>>
>--Bryan

"Government cheese" is a differenbt thuibng altogether.

Don't feign ignorance!

John Kuthe...

Steve Freides wrote:

>If you could post a recipe that calls for American cheese - why I assume
>you're asking in the first place - we all might comment about how we'd
>handle it.

I don't have one handy, but if you want to make nacho cheese dip,
processed cheese is easier than real cheese.

On Thu, 1 Mar 2012 06:57:24 -0800 (PST), Bryan
<[email protected]> wrote:
....
>
>Pasteurized process cheese food product spread. Here in St. Louis,
>they put process cheese on pizzas. The process cheese mingles with
>the sauce to form a slimy mixture.
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provel_cheese
>
>--Bryan

Gee, I dunno Bryan. Did you read your Wiki page?

"Provel is produced with Cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. Provel has a
low melting point and, thus, has a gooey and almost buttery texture at
room temperature."

Cheddar, swiss and provolone are real cheeses. Just because Provel is
a combination of them does not mean it's "Pasteurized process cheese
food product spread" as you say denigratingly.

Just because YOU don't like it does not make it crap to everyone. And
conversly some of what YOU like is crap to everyone else!

Get over yourself!

John Kuthe...

On Thu, 1 Mar 2012 08:32:20 -0500, "biig" <[email protected]> wrote:

> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese?

It's simply cheddar cheese with milk added, and made smoother,
so yes, it is considered processed.

On Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:20:45 -0600, John Kuthe wrote:

> Cheddar, swiss and provolone are real cheeses. Just because Provel is
> a combination of them does not mean it's "Pasteurized process cheese
> food product spread" as you say denigratingly.

Yes, it does. Any combination of cheeses is a "processed" cheese.
Added moisture (such as cream, milk, or water) make it a spread. And
practically all cheese in the U.S. are pasteurized.

<plonk> You are such an asshole it's incredible. get your head
examined, you freak.

-sw

George M. Middius <[email protected]> wrote:

> I believe it's identical to "Canadian cheese". It's a processed food
> derived from cheese. In the USA, it's used mostly on cheeseburgers,
> grilled cheese sandwiches, and "tuna melt".
>
> There are also really nasty versions called "cheese food" and "cheese
> spread". Probably something is also labeled "cheese product". Then
> there's Velveeta.


American cheese is much blander than velveeta/cheez whiz.

Philly cheesesteaks are served with Cheez Whiz or American cheese. Both
are oil based products. Cheez Whiz is velveeta which probably has more
oil so it melts quicker. The cheese in Kraft Mac'n'cheese is an even
oilier version of velveeta and are extremely salty compared to processed
American cheese food product.

American cheese comes in white and orange slices. California only sold
orange. Pennsylvania sells both but sandwich shops use the white American
cheese. They both taste the same.

I've seen other cheese in white and orange too. Probably more for visual
appeal than anything. Kraft Mac'n'Cheese and nachos would look pretty
sickly in white cheese sauce, imho. Similarly, orange Parmesan (should
one ever exist) would look equally wretched over spaghetti and meatballs.

Andy

On 2012-03-01, Steve Freides <[email protected]> wrote:

> You're throwing out the baby with the bath water - why give up on
> grilled cheese sandwiches when you can make them with real cheese
> instead? Just slice it thinly and it works great. Cheddar is what we
> use here most of the time.

I occasionally exaggerate.

I meant no more grilled cheese w/ AC, a once beloved treat. If I can
slice it properly, I'll try a cheddar GCS. Otherwise, I'll resort to
the alternative, grilled cheese on toast, where one makes an opened
faced sandwich and can use other, more robust, breads. I've also made
cheese rarebit, a major fave, it having all kindsa other goodies like
a good porter ale in it. I used to make rarebit in my toaster oven,
but not longer have that appliance and really no place to put another.
I need an iron salamander, the hand tool.

nb

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"Steve Freides" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:jio2c5$j1b$[email protected]..
> biig wrote:
>> "Steve Freides" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:jinugt$8fq$[email protected]..
>>> biig wrote:
>>>> What exactly is it? Is it a processed cheese? We don't have
>>>> anything up here called American Cheese. We have Velveeta, and
>>>> processed cheese slices, but I don't think that's it. We have a
>>>> good selection of other cheeses, but I'm wondering if the
>>>> equivilent is cheddar?? Thanks....Sharon in Canada
>>>
>>> It's a cheese-like thing, made from cheese, milk, and various
>>> hold-it-together substances, that usually costs less than actual
>>> cheese. I haven't ever found a reason to prefer it to any actual cheese
>>> and,
>>> if I was using a recipe that called for American cheese, cheddar
>>> would be my substitute. American cheese really doesn't have much
>>> flavor, IMHO, rather tastes like milk made into a solid with salt
>>> added. I read a joke today - You can always tell a Canadian, but you
>>> can't
>>> tell him much - I thought that was pretty funny and, of course,
>>> substitute the country or ethnic group of your liking should you
>>> wish. -S-
>>>
>>>
>> I guess it's a processed cheese then. Is it anything like Velveeta?
>> Velveeta is expensive and I bypass it for cheddar. We have some very
>> good local cheddars here....Sharon
>
> Yes, Velveeta is also processed, but even more so, I believe. American
> cheese might actually be considered better than Velveeta...
>
> If you could post a recipe that calls for American cheese - why I assume
> you're asking in the first place - we all might comment about how we'd
> handle it.
>
> -S-
>

I'm not referring to any particular recipe. I read a lot of recipes and
have noticed in a lot of them, especially mac and cheese recipes, they often
call for American cheese. I usually use shredded cheddar when I make it. I
don't make it often since we're diabetic and I'd go off the deep
end...lol... Thanks to all the replies....They pretty much answered my
question. We don't have anything that I've noticed, called Canadian
Cheese... Sharon in Canada