MetaChat - Cheese food

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06 December 2011

Cheese food Is that white cheese they will put on nachos and fresh potato chips, etc. actually a purchasable, identifiable cheese, or a processed cheese food as I suspect?→[More:] I went to this weird Hooters with kilts place (long story) and they had these kind of potato chip nacho things with that white processed cheese food. I love that stuff and I am craving it, probably because it is so bad for you it has crazy cholesterol associated addictive properties. I really do not need to eat more cheese. I believe I have put on a winter layer of cheese already. But I must know what it is.
Damn you, cheese food! Love you, cheese food.

post by: ethylene at: 21:53 | 15 comments

Not sure of any actual cheese content.

posted by Ardiril 06 December | 22:07

Um, the link disappeared.

posted by Ardiril 06 December | 22:08

So you think it is a cheddar based flavoring? Have you had the stuff? I was hoping it was some actual Mexican cheese.

posted by ethylene 06 December | 22:11

"Hooters with kilts" must be The Tilted Kilt. There's one a few blocks from here. I've never been there and probably never will be but I do like the term "breastaurant"

posted by octothorpe 06 December | 22:14

That's how it was described to me when I asked what it was a few days before. We ended up there to meet some people and catch a band, this is such a long story, but many misunderstandings ensued, there were corporate agrabusiness fucks-- but our waitress was great and the processed cheese food rocked.

posted by ethylene 06 December | 22:32

They sell white cheese called queso (gee, such a descriptive name) in some of the stores here--we have a huge Mexican/Latino population in this area. It is a real thing! And is delicious.

posted by leesh 06 December | 22:45

But do you think that's what a place like a chain uses? What kind of consistency does it have?

posted by ethylene 06 December | 22:50

I don't really know.

Queso is a blend of melted cheese with an oil-and-flour roux. It's actually pretty time-intensive to make so I'd be surprised if it were traditional queso.

I've worked in food service enough to have encountered #10 cans of cheese topping. IF it was liquid-ish, I suspect that.

But a lot of places use a super-mild cheddar/jack blend on nachos. And even, horror of horrors, pizza. It just reads as 'mild melting cheese'.

posted by Miko 06 December | 23:09

Not liquidy, but super melty when hot, does not get stringy, will set up some when it cools, all of which make me think it is mixed with something, hence cheese food.
Sigh.

posted by ethylene 06 December | 23:33

I've seen some recipes use white American cheese and it would fit the characteristics you mentioned.

posted by bluesapphires 07 December | 06:45

Cheeses of Mexico

posted by Thorzdad 07 December | 08:00

This very topic was discussed elsewhere on the Internets recently. Some significant portion of less-than-authentic Mexican restaurants use Land O' Lakes Extra Melt cheese. Unfortunately, it appears to be really difficult to purchase, unless you are a restaurant and want to buy 30 lbs at a time (6 packages of 5 lb blocks).

posted by ensign_ricky 07 December | 09:48

I wonder if it's Monterey Jack cheese. Why don't you try calling them? They might tell you.

posted by deborah 07 December | 20:43

Just because we love things, doesn't make them good for us. Ask my ever tightening pants.
My need to know is tempered by the fact that knowledge is power and with power comes responsibility. Do I want to be responsible with cheese food powers? I'm still amazed at how crappy one can eat without going into some form of bioshock after years of ridiculously clean living.
I'm expecting to expel some condensed block of salt, additives, preservatives and fillers any day now.

posted by ethylene 07 December | 22:38

American cheese is sold labeled as "processed cheese food". White American cheese can be melted in the microwave with some milk and will probably give you the result you want.

posted by cp311 08 December | 11:53

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