My sister and I were chatting about food, and Velveeta came up.
“Yes, it melts well, but that’s not really cheese!” she said.
“YES, but did you know you can MAKE IT at home and it really CAN BE CHEESE?” I replied.
Creamy, smooth, almost achingly meltable, this combination of powdered milk, cheese, gelatin, and water is too good not to make.
The only problem I have with this pretty fantastic cheese food is that it is not as long lasting as its yellow boxed processed food progenitor – but that can be easily fixed by dividing the recipe in thirds and making a smaller batch. ONE of the reasons I call this 
the “cheeez of threes” – the other being that it only calls for three ingredients: cheese, powdered milk, and gelatin. Well, and water, too, but “cheeez of threes” sounds better than “cheeeez of fours.”
Note: you can use whichever cheese you like to make this; I’ve used Cheddar and Pepper Jack in the past and am thinking of trying a nice Swiss or Fontina or mebbe a blend for my next batch.
INGREDIENTS
Full Batch:
•24 oz grated cheese
•9 tbsp powdered milk
•1-1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
•1-1/2 cup almost boiling water
Small Batch:
•8 oz grated cheese
•3 tbsp powdered milk
•1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
•1/2 cup almost boiling water
If making a full batch – which will make about a two pound loaf of cheese – line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a fair bit of the wrap hanging over the sides. If making a smaller batch – I like to use a smaller, rimmed salad plate sized dish to make a disc of cheeez – line rimmed bowl or salad plate with plastic wrap, leaving a fair bit hanging over the side.
To make a small batch, add 1/2 cup of water, three tablespoons of milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of the gelatin to a blender and process until the gelatin has dissolved.
Add 8 ounces of the shredded cheese and process until smooth and creamy.
Transfer to the plastic wrapped line loaf pan or rimmed plate.
If you’re making a small batch, close the plastic wrap up and over the mixture and pop into the fridge overnight to set before unwrapping and enjoying.
If you’re making a full batch, repeat the blending of the almost boiling water with the powdered milk and gelatin, then add another eight ounces of shredded cheese, blend until smooth, and add this to the mixture in the plastic wrapped loaf pan. Repeat one more time with the last of the water, gelatin, powdered milk, and cheese, then close the plastic wrap up and over the mixture and pop into the fridge to rest overnight before unmolding and enjoying.
This cheeez is pretty darned fantastic as it is; melted over a burger or in a grilled cheeez sammich, but go ahead and live a little, if you like…
Shredded pepper jack cheese will add a nice punch to the blend, and about 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce (or your own preferred hot sauce, to taste), will also up the flavor without hurting at all the smooth meltability of the cheeez.
Come to think about it, a bit of Aleppo or freshly cracked black pepper (mebbe 1/2 teaspoon of each or both) wouldn’t be a bad thing, either.
Smooth, nicely meltable and flavored to your liking, what’s not to love about this cheeez of threes?