Oooey. Gooey. Melty. Creamy. Cheesy. Yep, we are talking about American-style cheese. When making your favorite cheeseburger, it is hard to beat American cheese.
As a condiment for your burger, it brings a lot to the table.
- It melts easily and without breaking (separating into cheese proteins and fat).
- It brings a rich, cheesy flavor that compliments your beef patty and the other condiments on your cheeseburger.
- It has a soft texture that allows it to blend into the overall cheeseburger eating experience.
- And when you make your own American cheese, you can customize it as you wish and create an even more delicious addition to your cheeseburger.
American cheese is relatively easy to make at home. It requires only a few ingredients and a minimal set of kitchen tools. Once you have the supplies in hand, you can have your own personalized version of American cheese cooling in your refrigerator in no time. And I would venture to guess that your cheese will be delicious.
Recommended Tools
- Tramontina Tri-Ply Stainless Cookware Set – https://amzn.to/4jmgbnd
- Balloon Whisk – https://amzn.to/3OeoAfb
- Box Grater – https://amzn.to/3ALaij6
- Cutting Board (Maple) – https://amzn.to/3ASqNtt
- Silicone Spatula Set – https://amzn.to/4kxJhk7
- Deli Containters with Lids – https://amzn.to/4iu4w5b
Ingredients for Homemade American Cheese
- 350g grated cheddar cheese
- 350g grated “other” cheese (colby, monterey jack, swiss, mozzarella, blue cheese, etc. Or you can use more cheddar cheese.)
- 25g unsalted butter (4 tbsp)
- 200g liquid (cream, milk, beer, water, etc)
- sodium citrate - helps prevent separation of cheese and cheese fats (3% total weight of the cheese)
- Sodium hexametaphosphate - helps create a more firm cheese - omit when making cheese sauces (0.2% total weight of the cheese)
- Sodium caseinate - when using softer cheeses like brie. (8% to 10% of total cheese weight)
- Salt to taste
Optional ingredients
- 4 oz can diced jalapenos/green chiles well-drained
- 1/2 c cooked and finely-diced bacon
- 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions for making American Cheese
Lightly grease the inside of a flexible heat-resistant container with cooking spray. Deli containers work great. This recipe makes approximately 6 cups of American cheese.
In a medium saucepan combine your liquid, butter, and sodium citrate.
Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a light simmer, whisking while heating.
Add grated cheese by the handful, whisking between each handful until cheese is fully melted/incorporated before adding the next portion.
Continue until all the grated cheese is incorporated and fully melted.
Add optional ingredients to the cheese mixture. Stir and heat through.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared containers.
Allow homemade American-style cheese to cool, uncovered, to room temperature and then cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Once fully chilled, you can remove cheese from container(s) and wrap in plastic wrap or store in the container(s).
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To use the homemade American cheese, slice to the desired thickness with a wire cheese slicer. Place sliced cheese on top of the beef patty while cooking.
