# Best orange cheese for macaroni and cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2018, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143 "2018-06-15T12:37:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/21 "2018-06-15T16:52:48Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Kraft Deli Deluxe slices are ‘cheese product’ if I’m not mistaken, but they are not singly wrapped. That is true. Also they do _contain_ actual cheddar cheese (read the label) the additional milk and whey means the final product can not be sold as actual cheese. A bit of an exception to the rule I gave earlier, which is a rule of thumb and not exhaustively accurate. However, Aldi’s Happy Farms Deli Deluxe slices ARE actual real cheese. AND they’re cheaper than the Kraft “cheese food”. Read the labels. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/22 "2018-06-15T17:38:36Z")
Try making it with Taleggio. That out-stinks even Gruyere. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/23 "2018-06-15T18:44:55Z")
Velveeta used to contain cheese. Back in Grandma’s day, Velveeta used to be pretty good stuff. It isn’t anymore. It’s become just more plastic yellow stuff. I think if you didn’t like cheddar in your mac & cheese, get some better cheddar next time. Because it’s a common cheese and easy to manufacture compared to some others, cheddar is often made as cheap as possible to hit a super low price point. You don’t need the fanciest cheese for what you’re doing, but try a bit better one, that’s all. Some people also throw in a little powdered mustard for extra tang. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/24 "2018-06-15T19:24:09Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Kraft Deli Deluxe slices are ‘cheese product’ if I’m not mistaken, but they are not singly wrapped. No. Kraft Deli Deluxe are “process American cheese.” All American cheese is process cheese. Kraft Singles are “prepared cheese product.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/25 "2018-06-15T19:30:56Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > There really is a cheddar-like cheese called “American” that is actual _cheese_. Depends on what you mean. Yes, there is that sliceable deli cheese. But it must legally be labeled as “prcoess” or “processed cheese” here in the US. It’s _not_ the same as the individually wrapped food product stuff. [Read Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese) > [@](#): > > Today’s American cheese is, by law, required to be manufactured from at least two types of cheese. Because its manufacturing process differs from “unprocessed”/raw/natural cheeses,[1][not in citation given] American cheese cannot be legally sold under the name (authentic) “cheese” in the US. Instead, federal (and even some state) laws mandate that it be labeled as “processed cheese” if simply made from combining more than one cheese,[2] or “cheese food” if dairy ingredients such as cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cheese whey, or albumin from cheese whey are added.[3] ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/26 "2018-06-15T20:09:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Cheddar is hard to get to melt well, but if you do melt it once and let it re-solidify, then the next time, it’ll melt much better. And that’s all Velveeta is: It’s cheddar that’s been melted once and allowed to re-solidify. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in using it. That’s not at all what Velveeta is. Velveeta is a “Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product” that doesn’t contain any actual cheese at all. It’s a combination of milk, whey, proteins and water that are processed with a series of binders and coagulants to resemble American cheese while not containing any actual cheese. It has its uses and is not a bad product when use appropriately but it is in no way shape or form just melted and solidified cheddar. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/27 "2018-06-15T20:41:12Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > That’s not at all what Velveeta is. Velveeta is a “Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product” that doesn’t contain any actual cheese at all. It’s a combination of milk, whey, proteins and water that are processed with a series of binders and coagulants to resemble American cheese while not containing any actual cheese. > > It has its uses and is not a bad product when use appropriately but it is in no way shape or form just melted and solidified cheddar. Velveeta did once contain actual cheese. It doesn’t anymore. In my opinion it **doesn’t** have its uses, and **is** a bad product, in its current formula. I don’t see a reason for it to exist. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/28 "2018-06-15T20:53:46Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > Velveeta did once contain actual cheese. It doesn’t anymore. > > In my opinion it **doesn’t** have its uses, and **is** a bad product, in its current formula. I don’t see a reason for it to exist. I think it’s great in mac and cheese, but I like the creamy stovetop type (I’m mostly not a fan of baked mac and cheese). Like I said, I use it as a base, like a cheesy-flavored bechamel, and add stronger cheese to it. It works great for that. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/29 "2018-06-15T20:55:18Z")
I propose a Cheese Revolution, consisting of a single word. I propose that every processed cheese, processed cheese food, prepared cheese product, process American cheese, American cheese, and all related or similar products, be required to add one single word. **Every** occurrence of the word “cheese” on their labels (except for the official ingredient list) must be directly preceded by the word “imitation”, in the same font, style, and size as the word “cheese”. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/30 "2018-06-15T20:58:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I think it’s great in mac and cheese, but I like the creamy stovetop type (I’m mostly not a fan of baked mac and cheese). Like I said, I use it as a base, like a cheesy-flavored bechamel, and add stronger cheese to it. It works great for that. You can’t add stronger cheese to Velveeta, because Velveeta isn’t cheese. 😃 But I get your point. Using the magic chemistry of imitation cheese to improve the performance of real cheese in mac & cheese is something I’ve tried before and liked. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/31 "2018-06-15T21:00:20Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > In my opinion it **doesn’t** have its uses, and **is** a bad product, in its current formula. I don’t see a reason for it to exist. Americans used over 20 million pounds of Velveeta\* a week\* last year. I’d say that makes it a fucking great product any company would love to have. > **[U.S.: amount of Kraft Velveeta American cheese eaten 2020 | Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/285985/amount-of-kraft-velveeta-american-cheese-eaten-in-the-last-7-days-in-the-us/)** > > This statistic shows the amount of Kraft Velveeta American cheese used within a week in the United States in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/32 "2018-06-15T21:21:49Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > You can’t add stronger cheese to Velveeta, because Velveeta isn’t cheese. 😃 > > But I get your point. Using the magic chemistry of imitation cheese to improve the performance of real cheese in mac & cheese is something I’ve tried before and liked. To be honest, though, I don’t use it as much as I used to because a) it’s a bit spendy for what it is. (I dunno, I feel like it should be half the price it actually sells for) and b) as **The Vorlon** mentioned above and I alluded to earlier, I’ve discovered powdered cheese about a year and a half ago. I have a couple of kids, so it’s great to have it in the pantry where I could whip up some mac & cheese pretty quickly. I have two brands at home that I bought on Amazon. [This is one of them](https://www.amazon.com/Cheddar-Cheese-Hoosier-Hill-Farm/dp/B008GG9ZS8/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1529097356&sr=8-2&keywords=powdered+cheddar), but they don’t seem to sell the other one any more (Anthony’s powdered cheddar.) I basically make a bechamel and add cheese powder to it with a bit of salt until it starts tasting right to me, and then, if I happen to have some cheese around (I usually have a stockpile of Muenster, since the kids love it), I throw in a couple of slices of that to cheese it up and then add the whole mess to boiled elbow macaroni. Oh, and always a bit of dry or prepared yellow mustard for a little bit of tang and zing. Kids love it and it’s easy enough to do and lasts forever in the pantry (I’m still on my first orders of the two brands from over a year ago.) But this is for lovers of Kraft Mac & Cheese type macaroni and cheese (though this particular powdered cheddar tastes a good bit stronger than the Kraft stuff.) Also, I don’t know why I didn’t mention this before, but Alton Brown’s [stovetop mac and cheese](http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-by-alton-brown-313325#activity-feed) recipe works great for that style of macaroni and cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/33 "2018-06-15T21:22:32Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Kraft Deli Deluxe slices are ‘cheese product’ if I’m not mistaken, but they are not singly wrapped. You are mistaken. > [@Broomstick](#): > > That is true. Not true. [Here is the label](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/914kv6lobLL._SL1500_.jpg). It is pasteurized process American cheese. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Depends on what you mean. Yes, there is that sliceable deli cheese. But it must legally be labeled as “prcoess” or “processed cheese” here in the US. It’s _not_ the same as the individually wrapped food product stuff. > > > [@](#): > > > > Instead, federal (and even some state) laws mandate that it be labeled as “processed cheese” if simply made from combining more than one cheese,[2] or “cheese food” if dairy ingredients such as cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cheese whey, or albumin from cheese whey are added. [Emphasis mine.] If you read the footnoted page: > [@](#): > > (a)(1) Pasteurized process cheese is the food prepared by comminuting and mixing, with the aid of heat, one or more cheeses of the same or two or more varieties, except cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, lowfat cottage cheese, cottage cheese dry curd, cook cheese, hard grating cheese, semisoft part-skim cheese, part-skim spiced cheese, and skim milk cheese for manufacturing with an emulsifying agent prescribed by paragraph (c) of this section into a homogeneous plastic mass. One or more of the optional ingredients designated in paragraph (d) of this section may be used. It does not say that ‘cheese food’ may be an ingredient. And in the case of Kraft Deli Deluxe: > [@](#): > > (d)(1) In case it is made from a single variety of cheese, its name is “Pasteurized process \_\_\_ cheese”, the blank being filled in with the name of the variety of cheese used. So that particular cheese is real cheese made from only one kind of cheese. And it’s also real cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/34 "2018-06-15T21:23:33Z")
Back to the OP, use a cheddar cheese. And a bit of add blue cheese. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/35 "2018-06-15T21:26:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So that particular cheese is real cheese made from only one kind of cheese. And it’s also real cheese. Yes, it is made from real cheese. I’m not arguing that. But it has to be labeled as “processed cheese” as its not just regular ol’ cheese. [See here](https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/whats-really-in-american-cheese.html). > [@](#): > > A food prepared by melting one or more cheeses (most commonly cheddar and/or Colby) together along with optional additional ingredients, such as cream, water, salt, approved coloring, or spices, as well as an emulsifying agent (commonly sodium or potassium citrate or monosodium phosphate, though a number of other salts can be used). The level of quality and flavor within this category can vary greatly. The precise definition runs over 2,000 words and includes stipulations for moisture (no more than 43%) and fat content (no less than 47%) of various process cheeses. Look, I love American cheese, but it is not cheese in the sense that cheddar is. It certainly is made from cheese, but it is processed. You can make your own processed cheese if you get your hands on some sodium citrate (or some recipes even just use gelatin). ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/36 "2018-06-15T22:04:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You are mistaken Freakin’ you ah. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/37 "2018-06-15T22:21:45Z")
If you want stovetop mac and cheese like what comes in the boxes, why not just buy the boxes and prepare according to the directions? Yeah, there’s some markup on those, but you can still get three boxes for a dollar. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/38 "2018-06-15T22:29:37Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > I thought I said in the original post - back when I used cheddar it was a pain to get it melt and mix in the sauce well. :smack: You did, and I just missed that. Sorry! Is it possibly a recipe problem? I generally do stovetop as well, but on the few occasions I’ve done baked, I don’t remember the cheese’s melting being an issue. Do you put it in the oven before the cheese melts–and if so, do you have to? That is, could you melt it first? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/39 "2018-06-15T22:55:32Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Freakin’ you ah. See the linked image. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143/40 "2018-06-15T23:08:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If you want stovetop mac and cheese like what comes in the boxes, why not just buy the boxes and prepare according to the directions? Yeah, there’s some markup on those, but you can still get three boxes for a dollar. The directions say to add margarine or butter. I have replaced that in the past, with some (gasp) actual cheese. 🙂 Not bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-orange-cheese-for-macaroni-and-cheese/816143.md?page=3)