There's not much better than the taste of Velveeta cheese that's been melted and poured over the top of your dish for a yummy topping.
Whether it's for a queso cheese dip as a nacho cheese sauce alternative, Velveeta cheese dip with tortilla chips, ground beef (or chorizo), green chilies and diced tomatoes is quite tasty. A nice Velveeta queso dip is one of my family's favorites.
But melting cheese can get messy, and the last thing you want is a dirty kitchen ruining your meal.
With that in mind, we’ve put together this quick guide which is packed with 4 easy and mess-free ways to melt Velveeta Cheese.
So if you want a yummy topping for your food, but don’t want the mess that comes with it, then keep on reading.
What is Velveeta Cheese?
If you are an American, then the chances are that you probably will have heard of Velveeta Cheese.
Velveeta is the brand of one of America’s most famous cheeses and it is a processed cheese that comes with a rich yellow color and a smooth and soft texture.
This cheese was first produced in the late 1920s, and since then it has become something of a staple in US culture.
Velveeta cheese can be added to dishes in its natural form, but more commonly, it is melted to make a cheese sauce that can be added to almost any dish to improve it.
From grilled cheese sandwiches to nacho cheese sauce to mac and cheese, there’s no dish that Velveeta can’t be added to. It is popular to melt Velveeta as, unlike some other types of cheese, it holds its texture.
Velveeta does not become watery when melted, instead, it takes on the form of a thick and lump-free mixture which gets your mouth watering right away.
But as we have established, melting Velveeta cheese can be messy. There are some mess-free methods that you can use to melt this cheese though, so let’s take a look at what they are.
You must take a microwave-safe bowl and add a small amount of butter into it, you should then add the cheese in on top.
Once all of your cheese has been added to the bowl, you can then place the bowl into the microwave.
Place your bowl in the center of the microwave, and set it to medium heat. You should then cook the cheese in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
There is no set amount of time for which you should cook the cheese, instead, you should stand near the microwave and keep a close listen out for any signs of burning.
To ensure the cheese doesn’t burn, we recommend checking it every 30-60 seconds. Once the cheese has melted, take the bowl out of the microwave and give it a good stir to ensure that the cheese and butter have combined.
Finally, you should check the heat. If the heat is at a good temperature then your cheese is ready to serve, if not simply put it back in the microwave for a further few minutes until you reach your desired temperature.
Option 2: Use a Slow Cooker
Your next option is to use a slow cooker. Just like in the microwave method, the first thing you need to do is shred the cheese into smaller pieces.
For this method, we recommend using a pound of Velveeta cheese. You should add the cheese straight into the slow cooker and cover it, leaving it to boil on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
Please note that this method does not require you to add any butter or milk to the slow cooker as you are cooking it on a very low heat.
To stop the cheese from getting clumpy, we recommend regularly stirring it throughout the 30 minutes that it is in the slow cooker.
During this time you should not stir the cheese or remove the lid as this could damage its consistency. After this, the cheese will be ready to serve, so simply keep it warm until you are ready to eat.
Option 3: Uses a Saucepan
Alternatively, you might choose to melt your Velveeta cheese in a saucepan.
You might have already guessed the first step of this method by now, and that is to shred the cheese into cubes of approximately ½ inch in size.
You should then take your saucepan and add a small knob of butter to it. With the saucepan warming up, regularly stir the butter until it has all melted.
Once the butter has melted, you should then add the cheese that you shredded earlier into the saucepan. After you have added the cheese, you must regularly stir the mixture to prevent it from sticking or burning.
Also, ensure that you dig into the bottom of the pan to ensure nothing gets stuck at the bottom. Once the cheese has melted you should then add 7 tablespoons of milk into the cheese to give it a runnier consistency.
After all the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, the cheese is then ready to be served.
Option 4: Double Boil It
Finally, you may choose to double boil the Velveeta cheese. In line with the other methods, the first thing that you need to do in this case is to chop the Velveeta cheese into ½ inch squared cubes.
This might seem like a small size, but it will help speed up the melting process of the cheese.
In the bottom half of your double boiler, you should bring water to the boil. Once it reaches boiling point, reduce the heat.
In the upper half of the double boiler, you should then add a small amount of butter. You should leave the butter to melt before doing anything else.
After it has melted, you should then add the cheese that you shredded into the upper half of the blender too.
Using a spoon, you should thoroughly mix the contents until both the butter and cheese have thoroughly melted and combined. After you are satisfied with the temperature, your cheese is ready to consume.
Summary
In short, in this guide, we’ve given you 4 different methods that you can use to melt your Velveeta cheese without creating a mess.
All of these methods are easy to complete and take little to no time, so if you want to melt Velveeta quickly then you should follow one of the methods that we have given you. So gather up your favorite taco seasoning, diced jalapenos, crock pot and give it a try! It's great for Velveeta mac too.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
