What to use instead of cheddar cheese
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Melting cheese in a casserole or stovetop sauce
The fat and moisture let cheddar flow at around 65C, and the aged proteins loosen into a smooth sauce as long as the heat stays gentle.
Colby or Monterey JackRan out
1:1 by weight
Melts smoother and stretches more because it holds more water. Almost no tang, so the dish eats creamy and flat.
GruyereRan out
1:1 by weight
Melts cleanly and browns better under a broiler. Nutty and savoury, and it costs about three times as much.
Young GoudaRan out
1:1 by weight
Sweeter and softer with a stretchier pull. Browns paler on top, so a casserole looks underdone when it is finished.
Plant cheddar shredsPlant-based
1:1 by weight, plus 1 tbsp of the dish liquid per cup
Coconut-oil shreds melt into a glossy pool and set waxy as they cool. Reheated leftovers go greasy and separate.
What doesn't work: Extra-sharp cheddar aged past two years in a stovetop sauce. The older it is the less water it holds, so the proteins tighten and the fat splits out as an oily film. Cut it with a young cheese or build the sauce on a bechamel.
Sharp cheese flavour that stays in pieces
In an omelette filling or over a salad the cheese is carrying tang and salt, and it has to hold its shape rather than flow.
Aged white cheddarRan out
1:1 by weight
Sharper and drier, crumbles rather than shredding, and it leaves no orange streaks through the eggs.
FetaRan out
3/4 the weight
Salty and lactic rather than nutty. Stays in crumbles under heat and brings far more salt per gram, hence the smaller amount.
Crumbled blue cheeseRan out
half the weight
Much louder and it takes over an omelette. Softens into a paste rather than melting into strands.
What doesn't work: Fresh mozzarella. It is around 60 percent water with very little salt, so it weeps into the eggs and leaves a wet, bland filling.
Orange cheddar is coloured with annatto and tastes the same as white. Buy on age, which is the thing that actually changes the flavour.