Homemade American Cheese Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is American cheese sauce made of? ›

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture thickens. Stirring constantly, mix in cheese and salt. Continue to cook and stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well blended.

To melt cheese, start by grating, shredding, or slicing it into smaller pieces. Then, transfer the cheese to a microwave-safe bowl, and add a dash of cornstarch and evaporated milk so it doesn't get lumpy. You can also add something acidic, like vinegar or beer, so the cheese is smooth when it melts.

Adding an emulsifying agent or melting salt–such as the sodium citrate or sodium phosphate in American cheese–grips all these disparate elements together, keeping them in a smooth, fluid emulsion, even as they melt.

The Super Melters: Processed Cheese

Because American-style cheeses have so much excess liquid added to them, they have extremely low melting points, making for extra-gooey grilled cheese sandwiches or cheeseburgers. This meltability, of course, comes at the cost of less intense flavor.

Unlike natural cheese, which is made from milk, American cheese is a processed cheese made by mixing Cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, Colby cheese, and granular cheese, among other ingredients.

Nutrition & Ingredients

INGREDIENTS: AMERICAN CHEESE (CULTURED PASTEURIZED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, MILKFAT, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVE), OLEORESIN PAPRIKA AND ANNATTO (COLOR), SUNFLOWER LECITHIN ADDED FOR SLICE SEPARATION.

This base cheese is combined with a mixture of whey, milk proteins and emulsifying salts, which makes it different than a traditional cheese. The added ingredients allow a slice to melt without breaking or turning greasy, providing that perfect cheese pull.

The American cheese substitute is similar to the popular processed cheese, Velveeta. It's great for sandwiches, crackers, dips, and snacks. And it melted nicely in a basic grilled cheese sandwich. Or add it to a white sauce for vegetables, casseroles, or pasta dishes.

Add the shredded cheese to your sauce and turn the heat on the stove to the lowest setting – you want to melt low and slow!

What kind of cheese is Velveeta? Velveeta is one of a kind, that's for sure! Since the government says it isn't technically cheese, Velveeta doesn't have an exact cheese kind. The closest flavor association would be American cheese in terms of flavor, texture, and color.

Why is American cheese not considered cheese? ›

According to the FDA, American cheese is not real cheese. The organization refers to American cheese as a “pasteurized process cheese,” which means that it only needs to have a minimum of 51% real cheese and can be combined with other ingredients including milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cream and whey proteins.

A big reason why your cheese isn't melting is the moisture content. The moisture content of the cheese has a great effect on the melting process. A cheese that contains higher amounts of fat will melt better than one that doesn't.

Acidity: Some cheeses are also too acidic to melt well, like paneer, feta, and ricotta. These are generally cheeses that were curdled with acid rather than rennet. They're often great cheeses for grilling or frying, because they hold their shape even when heated.

Pasteurized Process American Cheese

Ingredients: Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin, Color Added. Contains: Milk, Soy.

American cheese is a type of processed cheese with a mild flavor and aroma, usually light orange in color, which is either sold in blocks or in individual slices. It's typically sold at deli counters, under brand names like Boar's Head and Land O'Lakes, where it can be sliced to order.

Pepper Jack is a derivative of Monterey Jack cheese, the original "American" cheese invented by Mexican Franciscan friars of Monterey, California. The cheese is flavoured with spicy peppers, such as jalapeños, and bell peppers, for an extra kick.