| Recipe: |
Straight from ATK's DIY Cookbook. Makes a tad over 1 lb.
I was prepping to make bierocks (at Bryce's request) and ran up against the Velveeta Issue. My Issue is that I don't use a lot of Velveeta, and if I spend $9 on a block, I also don't want to throw the excess away. So I buy it, use what I need (about a quarter of the whole), then put the rest in the fridge. For a few months. A year. More... (I KNOW I've pulled 2 year old Velveeta out of the fridge before. Other than a little bit of dried out edge with salt crystals on the exposed end, it looks pristine. I don't ask how.) I remembered seeing a recipe and decided to give it a whirl. It took less than 20 minutes, and is hard to tell from the original (though I imagine it has the ability to mold, given the time, as it contains, well, food). Although, as I stare at a picture of the grilled cheese sandwich in the book as I type, I'm pretty sure it won't get the chance.
1.5 t unflavored gelatin
1 T water
12 oz Colby cheese, shredded fine
1 T whole dry milk powder*
1 t salt
1/8 t cream of tartar
1/2 c plus 2 T whole milk
*I could only find nonfat. I added a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 with the milk, though I don't know if it mattered.
Line 4"x5" disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides.
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Pulse cheese, milk powder, salt, & cream of tartar (I mixed the powders together before adding them to help distribute them) in a food processor until combined, about 3 pulses.
Bring milk to boil in a small saucepan. Remove pot from heat and whisk in softened gelatin until dissolved. Transfer milk to a liquid measuring cup. With processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture and continue processing until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides as needed.
Immediately transfer cheese to prepared pan, working quickly. Pack cheese firmly to remove air pockets, then smooth top. Fold overhanging plastic tightly against surface and chill for at least 3 hours to set. American cheese can be refrigerated up to one month.
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