A slice of fresh bread covered with a layer of soft melted cheese and a cup of aromatic coffee will hardly leave anyone indifferent. Meanwhile, delicious melted cheese can be completely cooked at home, with a little effort and spending a little time.
What do we know about processed cheese?
Making processed cheese at home does not require any special skills. The process is quite simple, although it requires a little time and skill. However, the result is usually worth the effort. Self-made cheese will certainly be many times tastier than what is sold in the store. And you can be completely calm about the composition of the product. After all, it is possible to choose each ingredient that will be included in its composition. Meanwhile, processed cheese is not only tasty, but also healthy. It contains proteins, fats and a small amount of carbohydrates. As you know, proteins are involved in the body's implementation of almost all important processes of human life. In addition, processed cheese contains amino acids that a person can only get from the outside, since they are not produced on their own. Also, this type of cheese is rich in sodium, copper, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and, of course, like any dairy product, calcium. Considering that processed cheese is almost completely absorbed by the body, it can be very useful in situations where it is necessary to strengthen bone tissue and simply to prevent bone fragility. Only an incomplete list of vitamins that make up processed cheeses looks very impressive: vitamins A, H, E, D, C, PP, B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12).
However, such a saturation of the product with various microelements imposes restrictions on the consumption of cheese by people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and a sufficiently high calorie content - overweight.
And yet, for housewives who prefer fast, easy-to-prepare food that can satisfy the gastronomic needs of even very fastidious households, a properly selected cream cheese recipe can be a real godsend. And the opportunity to experiment in the process of creating this product only adds points to it.
Processed cheese "Creamy"
For the preparation of a classic delicate cheese with a creamy taste, we need the following ingredients;
- 100 g butter;
- 1 liter of milk;
- 1 kg of cottage cheese;
- 2 pcs. chicken eggs;
- 1 tsp soda;
- 1 tsp salt.
Add cottage cheese well mashed with a fork to a saucepan with milk and mix. We put the saucepan with the resulting mass on the stove, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Next, we separate the curd mass from the formed whey using a sieve and gauze folded in several layers. When there is no liquid left, we again transfer the resulting cottage cheese to the pan, add butter, soda and salt. Mix everything again and again put on medium heat for 4-8 minutes. During this time, the mass should begin to "melt". This means it's time to add two well-beaten eggs beforehand and cook for another 5-10 minutes until a homogeneous liquid mass is formed.
We distribute the finished processed cheese into the trays and leave to solidify. Cover the cheese with cling film to avoid crusting.
Homemade processed cheese with herbs
To make cheese according to this recipe, we need:
- 350 gr. cottage cheese;
- 70 g butter;
- 1 egg;
- 0.5 tsp soda;
- 0.5 tsp dill, parsley (can be dried);
- salt and spices to taste.
Melt the butter, cool slightly and add the egg, stirring vigorously. Pass the cottage cheese for the future cheese through a sieve, add soda, egg-oil mixture and mix well.
We send the resulting curd mass to a water bath until it acquires a uniform viscous consistency. The processed cheese is almost ready. It remains to add salt, spices and herbs to taste, mix well. Without letting the cheese cool down, arrange in molds and leave to cool.
If you want to avoid the formation of a hard crust on the surface of the processed cheese, you will need to stir it when the product cools down to room temperature.
Processed cheese with paprika and basil
- Cottage cheese - 500 gr.;
- Chicken egg - 1 pc.;
- Butter - 100 gr.;
- Salt - 1 tsp;
- Soda - 1 tsp;
- Sugar - 1/2 tsp;
- Paprika - 1/4 tsp;
- Ground hot pepper - 1/4 tsp;
- Basil to taste.
Add the egg, soft butter, sugar, soda and salt to the cottage cheese rubbed through a sieve. The amount of butter can be reduced as desired. This will not affect the finished product in any way. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly, then put in a water bath. Stir the curd mass periodically. After 5-7 minutes, the curd should begin to change its consistency. After 10-15 minutes, the curd should turn into a viscous homogeneous mass. At this stage, it is necessary to add spices, mix everything thoroughly and send it back to a water bath for a few minutes. Then we put the cheese in a prepared mold, cool it down and we can enjoy homemade melted cheese.
Homemade processed cheese
- Cottage cheese - 500 gr.;
- Sour cream - 2 tablespoons;
- Egg - 1 pc.;
- Salt - 1 tsp;
- Soda - 1 tsp;
- Fresh dill - 1 tbsp
Finely chop the washed and dried dill. Separately put cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt and soda in a saucepan. Mix everything thoroughly with a blender. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, add the herbs and mix again until the dill is evenly distributed.
We put the resulting mass in a water bath and, stirring occasionally, bring it to a state of readiness. This may take 15-20 minutes. Next, we shift the resulting processed cheese into molds and leave to cool.
Vegetarian processed cheese
To prepare cheese according to a recipe that will be of interest to people who refuse food of animal origin, we will need:
- Soy milk - 2 cups;
- Apple cider vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
- Gelatin - 8 tsp (or agar agar 2 tsp);
- Corn flour - 1 tablespoon;
- Chickpea flour - 2 tablespoons;
- Amaranth flour - 1 tablespoon;
- Margarine (vegetarian) - 0.5 cups;
- Coconut oil (refined) - 2 tablespoons;
- Food yeast - 3 tablespoons;
- Potato starch - 2 tablespoons;
- Salt - 1 tsp
Pour 1 cup of soy milk into a saucepan and pour in apple cider vinegar while stirring. We leave the mixture for curdling. The process takes a few minutes. Next, you need to mix the agar in 1/4 cup of milk. The consistency should be uniform, without lumps.
Stir the chickpea flour, corn flour, amaranth flour and potato starch thoroughly, then add 3/4 cup of soy milk and stir again until a homogeneous mass is formed. Now you can proceed to the stage of mixing blanks of soy milk and vinegar, gelatin (agar-agar), a mixture of different types of flour and potato starch. After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, put the pan on the fire and bring the contents to a boil. Then add coconut milk, margarine, salt and yeast and, stirring constantly, cook over low heat until the mass thickens.
When the mixture is thick enough, use an immersion blender to bring it to a uniform consistency. This step is very important in order to make the processed cheese "smooth".
You can diversify the taste of this cheese by adding a little liquid smoke or your favorite herbs at the boil stage. Pour the finished processed cheese into a mold and cool. Bon Appetit!
