How to Shred Cheese Without a Shredder
If you don’t have a shredder and need to shred cheese for a recipe, doing without one is surprisingly easy. However, many people don’t realize that you can use a food processor to grate hard cheeses or even a blender with the right attachments. This post will let you know how to shred cheese without a shredder.
To shred cheese without a cheese grater, place the cheese in the freezer for 1 hour to make it more firm. If you want to shred a small amount, grate it using a vegetable peeler as though you are peeling an apple. Alternatively, use a knife to slice through the cheese lengthwise until you reach the other side. Then, cut across with horizontal cuts until you have shredded the cheese into small pieces.
What Is Grated Cheese
Grated cheese is a type of cheese made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, and other animals. First, the milk is heated to kill all the bacteria in it, and then the protein is separated from the fat by heating it again. Then the fat is mixed into the cheese to make it firm.
After that, it is mixed with various other ingredients to make the cheese taste better. These ingredients include salt, pepper, and herbs. The mixture is then put into molds and left to sit for about 24 hours until it becomes solidified. Then it can be cut into pieces and used as a cheese sauce or spread on bread.
Grated cheese has been around for thousands of years, but only recently has it become popular in North America. It has become very popular because it tastes good and is easy to use.
In most cases, grated cheese comes in its special container, with a crank-like device on the top that pushes the cut-up pieces out through a hole. It is commonly seen in Italian restaurants and pizzerias, where the waiter will sprinkle it on your pasta or pizza for you.
5 Ways to Shred Cheese Without a Shredder
Shred cheese when you don’t have a shredder with you. You can also use your grater or food processor. Here are 4 ways to shred cheese without a shredder
1. Use a Microplane
A Microplane is the perfect tool for the job. Here’s how to use one:
1. Pull out your Microplane. Make sure it’s clean and dry. If you’re using it after using it to grate something else, make sure you wash it first.
2. Put a chunk of cheese on a plate or cutting board. You can also put the cheese into a bag and freeze it for 10-15 minutes before grating to make it easier to work with.
3. Hold the Microplane at a 45-degree angle over the plate and grate the cheese horizontally back and forth, taking care not to grate your fingers by keeping them away from where you are grating and out of the way of the grate while you do so.
2. Use a food processor
Food processors are the simple solution to your cheese-shredding woes, whether you’re making a creamy pastelón, cheesy pepperoni pizza, or creamy spinach dip. Most of these machines have a medium-size shredding disc that will make quick work of any cheese.
Here to Use a food processor to shred cheese without a shredder:
Step 1
Obtain a food processor
Step 2
Place cheese in the bowl and set the blade to “S” or “M”
Step 3
Hit the button to begin processing, and watch as it slowly whips cream into butter.
Step 4
Stop the food processor and scrape down the sides when you get close.
Step 5
When you’re done, place what’s left of your cheese into a bowl and serve with crackers.
3. Use a mandoline
Here is how to use a mandoline to shred cheese without a shredder
1. Grab a block of cheese and move it from the fridge to the counter
2. Pull out a mandoline and wash it thoroughly
3. Cut off any moldy or discolored parts of the cheese
4. Remove the skin from the cheese block if applicable
5. Slice your cleaned and trimmed cheese block into 1-inch thick slices using a sharp knife
6. Place each slice of cheese on top of one another until they form a stack that is about 1/2 inch tall
7. Place your stack of sliced cheese on the mandoline’s slicing platform, making sure that the blade is set to “Fine” or “Thin” mode (it may not be labeled) and that you are using either no handle or the plastic safety handle if there is one (to avoid cutting yourself)
8. Using both hands (one on either side), gently push down on each side of the stack until it slides across all three blades in one fluid motion; repeat this process until all slices have been shredded.
4. Use a vegetable peeler
You need shredded cheese to top off your chili, but no one in your house owns a cheese shredder. You considered going to the store to buy one, but you’re exhausted after all that cooking. Plus, you have no idea what kind of cheese would even go with chili.
Using a vegetable peeler to shred cheese is quick, easy, and works on any cheese type.
Follow these steps to get started:
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the cheese to flat on both ends.
2. Hold the cheese against your cutting board in one hand, and use your other hand to slice off thin sheets of cheese by moving your vegetable peeler down one side of the cheese. You might have to go over some pieces more than once—try to get as much of each sheet off as possible before moving on to another cheese section.
3. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all sides of the cheese or until you have enough shredded cheese for use in your recipe
5. Use a blender
You can save time and energy when you use a blender to shred your cheese.
1. Cut your cheese into cubes or thin strips, depending on the size of the opening in your blender.
2. Place the cheese in the blender and cover it with the lid.
3. Blend on low for about 15 seconds or until your cheese is finely shredded. If you’re using a high-powered blender, make sure to pulse the blender on and off rather than letting it run continuously so you don’t end up with a melted mess
How to Use Grated Cheese
You can use grated cheese in many recipes. For instance, when cooking macaroni and cheese, you can put grated cheese on top of it for a delicious meal. Grated cheese is also the perfect addition to casseroles, stuffing, and even potatoes. Use this guide to learn more about the uses and different types of grated cheese.
1. Grilled Cheese
Several types of cheese are great for making grilled cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss. You can use any type of bread or even tortillas to make them even better.
Grated cheese is an essential ingredient in the perfect grilled cheese. Here’s how you can use it.
1. Get a non-stick pan and put on medium heat
2. Layout your bread on a clean surface with cheese on top in your desired amount
3. Put butter on both sides of the bread and then place in the pan
4. Cook until the bottom of the bread is golden brown, flip over, then cook for another 2 minutes or until the other side is also golden brown
5. Remove from pan and enjoy.
2. Cheese soups
When it comes to making your favorite cheese soups, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.
Here are some helpful tips for how to use grated cheese in your next cheese soup.
1. Use the freshest grated cheese you can find. If you’re using pre-grated cheese, keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. If you’re using a fresh block of cheese, make sure that you grate it before use. You want the cheese to be fresh, as this will maximize its flavor and aroma.
2. Mix the grated cheese with other ingredients before adding it to your soup. This will help ensure an even distribution of flavor throughout your soup so that every bite is delicious.
Ingredients:
Your favorite type of cheese, grated
A pot big enough for all the ingredients
A spoon for stirring, or a whisk if you’re feeling fancy
A stove or hot plate to cook on
Vegetables (optional)
Instruction:
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and celery; cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute more.
3. Gradually add milk and broth, constantly whisking to remove any lumps.
4. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; cook 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat, stir in cheese (reserving 1/4 cup), and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with reserved cheese and parsley, if desired.
3. Cheese sauce
The cheese sauce is a great way to have vegetables taste amazing, and it’s super easy to make. All you need is grated cheese.
- Start with a hard, aged cheese that’s been grate well
- Avoid using low-fat cheeses
- Use an even amount of both flour and butter in your roux
- Moisten the roux with a flavorful liquid like wine or beer
- Cook the sauce until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
To make a cheese sauce, you first need to grate cheese. Gorgonzola, Gruyère, and cheddar are the best cheeses to grate for your cheese sauce, but you can also use other cheeses if you want to try something new.
Add a little bit of water and flour to the grated cheese and then put it on the stove until it melts. Then, you can add more flour or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Once you have reached your desired consistency, remove from heat and let cool before serving!
How to Grate Mozzarella Cheese Without a Grater
Here’s how you can get the job done in less than three minutes (and without wasting money on yet another kitchen gadget).
1. Buy a block of mozzarella cheese. (You can also try cheddar, jack, or any hard cheese.)
2. Place the mozzarella in the freezer for about 10 minutes. If you put it in the fridge instead, it will take a little longer to get cold enough, so try to plan ahead if possible.
3. Using a cutting board and a sharp knife, slice the cheese into thin strips that are about 1/8″ thick and 2″ long.
4. Working with one strip of cheese at a time, place it on the cutting board and use your knife to cut across the width of the strip until you end up with tiny pieces that are about ¼” long each.
5. Use your grated mozzarella as desired.
How to Grind Cheese Without a Grinder
If you need to grind some cheese but don’t have a grinder, there’s no need to worry! It’s actually not that hard to do it yourself with the right tools.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A large knife (one with a wide blade will work best)
- A cutting board
- A large bowl
- Cheese
- Patience and persistence (optional but highly recommended)
Instruction:
1. Cut your cheese into 1/2 inch chunks and put them in your bowl. Make sure they are all roughly the same size so that they grind evenly. If you’re using parmesan, a zester will work best for this step.
2. Place the cheese chunks on your cutting board, making sure they are not touching each other or overlapping in any way. This is important for efficiency! You do not want to overwork yourself or take too long, as this will make the whole process less fun and enjoyable.
3. Take your large knife and gently press down on top of each chunk until it starts to crack apart into smaller pieces. Repeat this step until all of them have been broken up–but be careful not to mash them together too hard while doing so.
4. Transfer to another container.
Conclusion
Cheese shredders are definitely a kitchen essential, and the more you know about them, the better. With this page guide on how to shred cheese without a shredder, you can use your other kitchen equipment to make your own cheese at home.
