Ha! I hate American cheese, but I’d never mock you for eating it. Good grief, I’d never even mention it. But don’t make me try to eat it! I will throw it away. It’s what I did when I was four, and we were making a trip from California to Ohio to visit my mom’s family. We stopped by the side of the road, and my mom gave us white bread and American cheese sandwiches. I threw mine into the ditch by the side of the road. I didn’t get anything else to eat until dinnertime, and that was fine with me!
I bet it was a meat truck. Served him right.
I actually enjoy the food snobbery discussions. They’re just so … pointless, it’s impossible to take them seriously. There are no ‘rankings’ for taste buds. Do food snobs ever wonder why their taste buds only let them enjoy rare steak, rather than the exquisite subtleties of deeply charred protein? Are they ever concerned they may be missing out? Why do they assume their taste buds are tuned to the ‘best’ settings?
If you have weird tastes - cool. You’re one of the special ones. Stand out from the crowd.
when you say “American cheese” do you mean that stuff that comes individually wrapped in plastic? I agree it is horrid. But have you ever had Kraft Deli Select or something similar. You might change your mind, maybe
I remember looking this up for an argument here about ten years ago, and the origins of shepherd’s pie seem to suggest that it wasn’t necessarily originally made with lamb, but any kind of meat, and then later in the 20th century became being associated specifically with lamb in some circles.
Clearly, the meaning of shepherd’s pie has become more specific over time and regionally, where in the UK it almost always means lamb, but in the US where it could mean either, but is most often beef.
Shouldn’t shepherd’s pie be made with shepherds?
Well, yeah, it was originally a sort of peasant food. The folks who came up with it probably just whatever they had on hand without being particularly fussy.
My favorite was on the show Chopped, when a contestant started pulling pinbones out of a branzino with a pair of pliers and one of the judges went apeshit because according to him, she wasn’t “respecting the fish”.
So I don’t need to microwave my kitchen sink sponges, is that what we’re saying?
Well, I don’t microwave mine, and I’m aware of how deadly listeria can be. But whatever floats your sponge.
Well, this is actually a great relief. Somehow I got the understanding that those things were just shot through with listeria.
Yeah, but I’m so old American cheese wasn’t individually wrapped then. 
Never had the Deli Select, but there are other cheeses I like a lot, so I’m not sure I’m feeling any need to try it. Is it truly, awesomely great?
Let’s not even ask running coach what Girl Scout Cookies are made of.
And BTW, it never occurred to me to microwave my kitchen sponges. Why should I? I never eat them.
What I DO eat is pizza with the little pieces of ham and pineapples, which I know by the name “Hawaiian Pizza”. So sue me.
A few years ago Disney caught some flak when they released Tiana’s healthy gumbo recipe. This was a gumbo recipe without roux that incorporated kale and quinoa.
Back off on the yellow mustard. A real Chicago dog requires yellow mustard, preferably Plochman’s.
And American cheese does NOT mean individually wrapped sliceS of Cheese Food. Go to a deli and get them to cut you some good white American cheese. Makes the best grilled cheese sandwich, tuna melt, and cheeseburger. If you’re not one of those “fancy people.”
Hmm…
I recall that, because I was the one who started that long-ago thread. Hard to believe it was that long ago. Anyway, if anybody’s interested–and you might be, because no matter what you call it, there are some great recipes there–here’s the link:
…mmmmm… my mouth is watering…
Wait a sec, this is blood!
It’s pretty close to mild cheddar. This is not the thread where I’m going to argue anything is awesomely great because everyone has different tastes.
I’ve said it before: there is a real cheese called American cheese. It is just as much cheese as swiss or mozzarella or sharp cheddar. You can buy it in a block in the deli. You can buy it as “deluxe” single slices that typically are NOT individually wrapped. Real cheese will stay sliced even when the slices are next to each other. (You can get pre-sliced other types of cheeses, too, and no one argues those aren’t real cheeses).
“Singles” that are individually wrapped are to be viewed with suspicion. The label might say they are cheese product, which is a cheese flavored extrusion that needs to be individually wrapped because if they aren’t they will melt into each other at room temperature and basically un-slice themselves into a solid mass.
The infamous “government cheese” of the Reagan era was actual American cheese, you’d get it in 5 pound blocks. It wasn’t fake or substandard, but I can understand why someone who might have more or less lived on it for a while might no longer care for it.
Most people are familiar with these two in the form of Kraft “Deli Deluxe” slices for the real cheese and regular (and less expensive) individually wrapped Kraft “Singles” which are not (they’re cheese “product”). If you’re the sort the always chooses the cheapest alternative then all you know are the Singles and that’s what you think is American cheese, but it’s not. Velveeta is another big one for the cheese product.
On the other hand, if you’re making a cheese sauce or dip then starting with cheese product might actually work better because it’s going to melt better and into a more consistent thing.
All of which is probably too much time on the subject.
There is a distinction between American and those other cheeses, though. The American cheese (like the deli kind), while still a cheese, is what is known as a “process[ed] cheese”, so it can be a blend of various cheeses (though it can be a single kind) and other ingredients that alter the cheese’s texture and meltability. The Kraft singles in the plastic are “process cheese food,” which only have to be at least 51% cheese.
Yes, it is cheese, but it is a little bit different from your examples"
Heck, I like the stuff fine, even the stuff in the plastic. A nostalgic Wonder bread grilled cheese is not complete without Kraft singles!
As an insufferable cheese snob, my answer to this would be no. 