When it comes to melting cheeses, Velveeta has long been a popular choice. This mildly flavored processed cheese melts smoothly and consistently, making it a convenient option for dishes like dips, sauces, and grilled cheese sandwiches. However, Velveeta is far from the only melty cheese option available. Many high-quality natural cheeses can also melt beautifully when used properly. Here we’ll explore some of the best melting cheese alternatives to Velveeta.
Why Does Cheese Melt Well?
Before diving into cheese recommendations, it helps to understand why some cheeses melt better than others. Cheese meltability depends largely on moisture content and fat content:
- Higher moisture cheeses tend to melt more smoothly because the water allows the proteins to flow together and become fluid when heated.
- Higher fat cheeses also melt well because fat melts at lower temperatures than protein does. The melted fat lubricates the protein network, allowing a smooth melt.
Aged cheeses tend to be lower in moisture and melt less cleanly than fresh cheeses. Process cheeses like Velveeta are designed for maximum meltability because they contain extra moisture and emulsifying salts to bind fat and water together. But with the right natural cheese choices, it’s possible to get melty, flowing cheese without artificial ingredients.
Creamy Havarti
Havarti is a semi-soft Danish cheese known for its mild, creamy flavor. It contains around 45-60% moisture and 25-30% fat, giving it excellent meltability.
When heated, Havarti becomes very soft and fluid. This makes it fantastic for grilled cheese, cheese sauces, and any application where you want soft, melted cheese. The flavor is buttery and slightly tangy when melted. It lacks the sharpness of cheeses like cheddar but provides a pleasant creaminess.
To highlight Havarti’s meltability, try using it in a classic cheese fondue recipe. Cubes of Havarti will smoothly liquefy into an easy, party-friendly dip.
Oozy Brie
With its edible white rind and creamy interior, brie cheese is famous for its decadent, rich flavor. It’s also one of the most melt-friendly soft cheeses.
True French brie has a fat content around 45%. As it warms to room temperature, the interior becomes almost liquid. When baked or grilled, brie completely melts into a gooey, molten state with a toasted nutty flavor.
Melted brie makes a popular topping for steak or burgers. Try spreading a wheel of brie with apricot jam or fig preserves, wrapping it in puff pastry, and baking until melted.
Smooth Fontina
Fontina is an Italian semi-soft cheese that’s nutty and mild when young but becomes sharper with age. No matter its age, though, fontina melts beautifully.
Young fontina contains about 45% moisture and melts cleanly without separating. Aged fontina has a lower moisture content closer to 35%, but it still melts well due to its 45% fat content. Adding a little liquid like milk or wine when melting aged fontina can help it flow smoothly.
Fontina is exceptional on pizza, in risottos, french onion soup, or anywhere that calls for stringy, elastic melted cheese. Its earthy flavor pairs well with mushrooms, greens, or toasted nuts.
Stretchy Mozzarella
Whether fresh or low moisture, mozzarella cheese melts into satisfyingly stretchy strings when heated. This makes it ideal for melting over pizza, pasta, vegetables, and more.
Fresh mozzarella contains about 70% moisture, allowing it to melt soft and creamy. Low moisture mozzarella is firmer and drier but still melts smoothly. Part-skim mozzarella offers a compromise with around 45-50% moisture and meltability nearly as good as fresh.
For an appetizer that highlights mozzarella’s melting talent, try filling small pastry cups with mozzarella, pesto, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Creamy American Cheese
American cheese gets a bad rap but its highly processed nature makes it melt perfectly smooth. Real American cheese is actually Cheddar blended with emulsifying agents to make it meltable. Milkfat and moisture levels range from 30-50%, allowing it to flow when heated.
To give yourself the guilty pleasure of gooey American cheese without the additives, try making homemade American cheese. Combine shredded cheddar with a bit of evaporated milk, milk powder, and sodium citrate. Then melt it on burgers, grilled cheese, or anywhere you crave that classic American cheese ooze.
Buttery Gouda
Like Havarti, gouda is another Dutch cheese praised for its meltability. Semi-soft gouda usually has around 45% moisture and 30% fat, allowing it to melt smoothly without separating.
Aged gouda has more complex nutty, caramel flavors that get even richer when melted. Try shredding aged gouda over steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, or pasta before broiling it briefly to form a melted crust.
Smoked gouda delivers extra flavor dissolved into creamy melted cheese. Add cubed smoked gouda to chowders, beer cheese dips, or mac and cheese to provide a melted smoky tang.
Stretchy Provolone
Like mozzarella, provolone melts with an enticing stringy texture. Low moisture provolone in particular becomes elastic and thick when melted, making it perfect for pizza or stuffed breads.
Provolone also comes in a smooth, creamy style that melts cleanly into a liquid. Try both styles melted atop a steak sandwich or in Italian-style soups like minestrone. The complexity of aged provolone adds interesting flavor notes.
To make an appetizer that shows off melted provolone, bread or fry fresh mozzarella balls, slice them open, and fill them with shredded provolone. Heat just until the cheese inside melts before topping with tomato sauce and fresh basil.
Queso Oaxaca
Also known as quesillo or string cheese, queso Oaxaca from Mexico melts with an enticing stringy texture similar to mozzarella. Stretch it into the perfect melted cheese for quesadillas, tacos, chilaquiles, and more.
The cheese contains enough moisture and fat to melt smoothly when warmed. Mild queso Oaxaca takes on the flavors of fillings and seasonings it’s paired with.
Try using melted queso Oaxaca as the base for queso fundido, a hot melted Mexican cheese dip. Combine shredded queso Oaxaca with Monterey jack, chorizo, poblano peppers, and a dash of milk or cream. Melt everything together until hot and dip in tortilla chips.
Creamy Burrata
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The creamy interior has a texture like thick melted mozzarella, lending itself perfectly to melting applications.
Try slicing open a burrata ball and baking it atop a pizza until hot and melted. Or add cubes of burrata to pasta along with cherry tomatoes and spinach, letting it melt into the hot noodles.
Burrata also shines when added to sandwiches. Spread some fig jam or pesto onto bread, top with fresh burrata, then grill gently just until the cheese softens and begins melting. The creaminess pairs wonderfully with sweet, acidic, or herbal flavors.
Cheddar and Cheese Sauces
When it comes to true melted cheese sauces like nacho cheese or fondue, cheddar reigns supreme. Aged cheddar contains enough moisture and fat to melt smoothly, while also having the protein content to make a thick, creamy sauce.
For the easiest cheddar cheese sauce, make a classic beer cheese dip. Combine shredded cheddar with beer, spices, and a dash of evaporated milk or cream cheese. Heat, stirring constantly, until melted and creamy.
Cheddar and gouda also work well when blended together for supremely rich, creamy sauces. Try a mix of the two melted into mac and cheese or cauliflower cheese sauce.
Just be sure to stir in a bit of cornstarch or sodium citrate to help prevent the proteins from separating and turning grainy when melted.
Monterey Jack and Queso Blanco
Like cheddar, Monterey jack and queso blanco are great melters thanks to their protein-to-fat ratio. They both have a rich taste when melted that pairs well with bold seasonings.
Try melting Monterey jack or queso blanco into a creamy queso dip along with spices, salsa, and vegetables. You can also skewer cubes of either cheese along with vegetables or meat to make melty grilled kebabs.
For the ultimate grilled cheese, use Monterey jack or white cheddar. Their creamy melt and slight tang are perfect complements to sweet and savory ingredients like fig preserves, avocado, bacon, or caramelized onions.
Flavorful Blue Cheese
At first, creamy blue cheese may not seem like an ideal melting cheese. But when used judiciously, blue cheese can lend its bold, salty flavor to melted cheese applications.
Try adding a bit of crumbled blue cheese to cheese sauces and fondues. Just a small amount will impart its strong taste. Blue cheese also pairs fantastically with walnuts, pears, and honey when melted.
Melt slices of blue cheese atop a grilled steak for the last minute or two of cooking. Or add blue cheese crumbles and walnuts to a salad of greens, pears, and balsamic vinaigrette before broiling lightly to warm.
Conclusion
While processed cheeses like Velveeta will readily melt, there are many fantastic natural cheeses that can achieve that same creamy meltability. Choosing the right cheeses with enough moisture and fat is key. Fresh soft cheeses like brie and burrata or semi-soft cheeses like Havarti, gouda, and fontina all melt beautifully.
For stretchy melted cheese, look for high-moisture cheeses like fresh mozzarella or queso Oaxaca. And if you want a cheese that melts into a thick, creamy sauce, opt for cheddar, Monterey jack, or queso blanco.
With so many options to choose from, there’s a whole world of melty cheeses beyond just Velveeta. Next time a recipe calls for melted cheese, go beyond the blue box and try out a delicious natural cheese that melts just as creamy.