How To Melt Cheeses

Mozzarella, a soft and stringy cheese, is popular for melting on top of pizzas.

Melted cheese is a key ingredient in many recipes, ranging from pizza to nachos to fondue. Cheeses melt in a lot of different ways, and you can't always tell from appearance, so it is important to select the right kind for the right recipe. While it is a fairly simple process, you should follow some general rules when choosing the type of cheese and the method of melting it.

Instructions

1. Choose the right cheese for the recipe. For example, a hard, dry cheese requires a high temperature to melt, and it won't flow in the same way that a softer cheese will. Use mozzarella or provolone if you want stringy cheese; cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, blue cheese or brie if you want a smooth-melting, oozing cheese; and cottage, ricotta, goat, Parmesan or feta cheese if you want a non-melting cheese that will largely retain its shape even when heated.

2. Shred, grate, slice or chop the cheese before putting it on the heat to make it melt more evenly.

3. Put the cheese over low or medium heat, and take it off the heat as soon as it is melted.

4. Add the cheese to the food toward the end of the heating process if you are using it as a topping, so that it will melt without burning.

References

• The Nibble: How to Melt Cheese
• Fine Cooking: The Rules of Melting Cheese
• The Kitchn: On Melting