This also risks that it won't be as fresh or could be subjected to germs. For a quick party dip, bring a block of cream cheese to room temperature and top with salsa, chutney, or fruit preserves. The texture of the cheese also changes as the cheese ages. Cheeses melt in lots of ways, and you can’t depend on seemingly similar cheeses to melt identically. How Do You Convert Cheese Measurements From Cups to Pounds? wikiHow's. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. First, remove the cream cheese from the foil packaging and place it on a microwave-safe plate. For even melting and a fondue party for the history books (in a good way), save the hard cheeses for grating over dishes and choose a cheese with more moisture and lower melting points. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. This results in melted cheese that is lumpy, greasy, stiff or charred – qualities you never want a cheese sauce to have! Cream cheese usually comes with a sell-by or use-by date on the label.As usual, you can expect the product to last past that date. annick vanderschelden photography / Getty Images. soften it in the microwave, in 20 to 30 seconds between checking it; melt it slowly in the top of a double boiler (the microwave does it too quickly and it will get "tough" when it cools). Beer Cheese-Stuffed Pretzels. How To Melt Cream Cheese In Soup? From using melted cheese for a mouthwatering nacho dip, slathering atop tacos and creating a fabulous cheese fondue, to making the best grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese sauces, there are so many creative and delicious ways to use melted cheese. These help discourage the cheese from clumping or becoming stringy, making American cheese the best option for a silky nacho cheese sauce or a super soft omelette filling. Knowing how to soften cream cheese can help you attain perfectly soft cream cheese for a recipe with the perfect texture. They also have a higher moisture content than Extra Sharp and Seriously Sharp Cheddar and are, therefore, easier to melt. You can use whichever option is most convenient for you. And even though clay does get more non-stick with repeated use, there's plenty of modern conveniences you can choose for easier use. If you melt the cheese any longer than is necessary, it can result in a rubbery consistency and negatively impact the flavor. Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts. Cheese can either be melted over the stove or on the microwave. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. For recipes requiring melted cream cheese, note that low-fat and nonfat varieties will not melt as well as regular cream cheese. The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, 27 Heavenly Cheesecakes You'll Be Dreaming About, How to Soften Cream Cheese for Cooking and Baking, Basic Cream Cheese Frosting With Variations, Cream Cheese Cooking Measures, Tips, and Substitutions, Easy Potato Casserole With Cream Cheese and Chives. Add comma separated list of ingredients to exclude from recipe. Finally, microwave the cheese on When melting cheese in recipes such as grilled cheese or quesadillas, you’ll want to keep the stove between low and medium heat to allow your recipe to be evenly and well cooked. An excavated clay pot from the pile contained a few burnt deposits that raised some eyebrows on the dig team. One way to soften cream cheese is to place the foil packet or plastic container of cream cheese in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes. In On Food and Cooking, McGee points out that the water in wine keeps the cheese’s proteins moist and diluted (which prevents the cheese from clumping), while the tartaric acid in the wine helps with the separation of the cheese proteins. Now that you’re a cheese melting whiz, you’ll want to add some great snack and meal ideas that incorporate melted cheese to your cooking arsenal. (I add it to my gourmet mac and cheese). For something cold like whipped desserts I whip it in the mixer while very slowly adding milk. On a recent excavation in Jutland, a team of archaeologists uncovered an ancient trash pit dating back to the Bronze Age. Conversions are a little tricky for cream cheese since cups and tablespoons are volume measures while ounces and grams are weight measures. The general rule is to bake the dish until the cheese is bubbly and melted, which will vary based on the oven temperature and type of cheese being used. Mozzarella is made using a technique called "pasta filata" or string dough. When the mozzarella cheese goes a little past melting and starts to brown, I know I’m getting into something good. Frostings and baked goods can be made with a small amount of cream cheese to increase the richness of the dessert. Reduced fat cheeses can melt, but they may take longer to melt and be tougher during stirring. According to Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, too-high temperatures (in cheddar or Swiss's case, 150°F) cause cheese to melt too quickly, creating a situation where the cheese’s protein bonds break easily and the cheese's moisture evaporates too rapidly.