American cheese
A mild, smooth-melting processed cheese sold sliced (white or yellow-orange -- purely a coloring choice with no difference in taste) or as a solid block. It's made from natural cheeses like cheddar and colby, blended and remelted with emulsifying salts rather than aged further, which is what keeps it from ever breaking or turning grainy under heat -- exactly why it's prized for cheese sauces, dips, and soups where a real aged cheese might separate or clump. Regulated as pasteurized process cheese, it's required to be made mostly from actual natural cheese, unlike the further-processed cheese product sold as Velveeta -- see processed cheese food for that.
Buying guidance
Sold as pre-sliced singles (individually wrapped or deli-cut) or as a solid block; a recipe calling for cubed or melted cheese in a soup means the block form, which melts down smoothly into liquid. Deli-cut slices and individually wrapped singles differ mainly in thickness and how much stabilizer is added, not in flavor.
Substitutions
- Sharp cheddar plus a little extra cream or a small amount of cornstarch -- gives real cheese flavor, though it can turn grainy or separate more easily than a processed cheese under prolonged heat.
- A mix of cheddar and cream cheese, melted gently -- a homemade approximation of processed cheese's smooth melt.
- Any melting cheese, used with care over low heat -- works, but needs more attention to avoid breaking.
Tips & common mistakes
Melting it over heat that's too high can still cause it to seize or turn oily, even though it's more heat-stable than most real cheese -- low, gentle heat with steady stirring gives the smoothest result.
Storage
An unopened block keeps for months in the refrigerator per its label. Once opened, wrap tightly and use within a few weeks.