I’ve really only put it on some burgers, but would like to see what others like it with :D

    • Ken27238
      link
      fedilink
      111 months ago

      Yes. Cheese whizz first and then second place is American cheese.

      • Meow.tar.gz
        link
        fedilink
        311 months ago

        What’s really funny is cheese whiz on a steak sounds nasty. But biting into one is like a small piece of heaven.

  • chaogomu
    link
    fedilink
    2611 months ago

    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.

  • danhakimi
    link
    fedilink
    1611 months ago

    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.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    1411 months ago

    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

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    13
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    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.

    • livus
      link
      fedilink
      1011 months ago

      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.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        511 months ago

        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.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        4
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        This comment makes me want to huck imported cheese at you.

        I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.

        • livus
          link
          fedilink
          211 months ago

          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.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            1
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            You know, I had Mozzerella that tasted strongly of soap before. I looked it up and apparently some chesses can start to do that after some variable amount of time due to some sort of chemical process. It would be worth checking if that cheese was supposed to taste like soap, or if it was going through the same issue I experienced.

            If you’re wondering, yes I still ate it, like hell am I going to waste mozz that I paid for

            • livus
              link
              fedilink
              111 months ago

              That’s so interesting; I didn’t know about that!

              It definitely wasn’t supposed to taste like soap, it was a standard 1kg block of cheddar, which is pretty much a staple food.

              I still ate it too. Hey, we’re both still alive.

    • TheRealKuni
      link
      fedilink
      111 months ago

      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.

  • @ryathal
    link
    1211 months ago

    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.

    • Mike
      link
      fedilink
      111 months ago

      Cooper sharp is the burger cheese.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    911 months ago

    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.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    911 months ago

    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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      111 months ago

      my favourite lunch right now is scrambled egg on toast with an american cheese slice between the bread and the egg

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      311 months ago

      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…

      • Dr Cog
        link
        fedilink
        111 months ago

        I’m pretty sure the only difference between the yellow and white American cheeses is the addition of annatto

  • @RoquetteQueen
    link
    811 months ago

    Nobody will agree with me but I’ve been making the plainest salami sandwich for like 20 years and it is one of my favourite things to eat. Two slices of whatever white bread, four slices of hot genoa salami, one kraft single. I actually love to cook and bake and can make almost anything, but I still love this sandwich.