Cheese in My Back Pocket, and Other Dairy Free Cheese Tips
When you begin your dairy free journey, your first experience with cheese products may be frightening. Why won’t it melt? What’s with the texture? And what’s that smell?? Even making a grilled cheese sandwich with dairy free cheese can be an exercise in frustration. Cooking with dairy free cheese has some unique challenges, but before you throw in the towel, try some of these tips, including how to make a dairy free grilled cheese sandwich!
Sample Many Brands and Flavors, as No Two Dairy Free Cheeses are Alike
Dairy free cheese products vary greatly and although many are soy-based, some are made from other things, like rice or pea protein. Some brands are better at melting, some have better taste. I’m told there are some dairy free cheese products out there that have great taste, texture and smell. I didn’t taste a lot of them personally because of all of my food sensitivities, but I gave several to my son, who did not like any of them, except for a couple of the American cheese types. However, he is very picky and young, and may end up liking some of them in the future. My suggestion is to experiment with several types of cheese products and see what works for you.
Try Cheese in Different Types of Recipes
Maybe that dairy free cheese you spent a fortune on was awful on a pizza, but it may taste great in enchiladas or a sandwich. Try a recipe that doesn’t feature cheese as the main component, like mixed into a casserole, or inside a burrito. Recipes that have bold sauces and flavors may distract from some of the unfamiliar characteristics of dairy free cheese, and the cheese may just provide that needed creaminess or smooth texture that you’ve been missing.
How To Make a Dairy Free Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Dairy free cheese is notoriously difficult to melt, but this method works for me. To make a grilled cheese sandwich, start by putting two slices of dairy free American cheese in the back pockets of the jeans you’re wearing. Yes – do it. The cheese will be cold from the refrigerator and needs all the help it can get to warm up and attempt to melt. (Make sure the slices are still wrapped in their plastic wrappers or else you’ll have another problem to deal with!) Next, heat up a skillet on the stove, smear dairy free buttery spread on the outside of each of two pieces of sandwich bread, and place both pieces of bread, buttery side up, in the pan. The goal here is to heat up the insides of the sandwich bread. When the buttery spread melts on all parts of the top of the bread, it is time to flip one piece of bread over, turn down the heat, unwrap the cheese slices, place them on top of that piece, and place the other piece of bread on top of the cheese, buttery side up. You will now have a sandwich with the buttery sides on the outside, and the sides of the bread you just warmed up will be on the inside, coaxing the cheese to melt. Flip the sandwich over when the bottom gets nice and browned. You want the heat relatively low so that the heat seeps through the bread and melts the cheese inside into yummy gooeyness before it gets burnt. Cook on the other side until toasty, then enjoy your dairy free grilled cheese sandwich!
Make Cheese-Free Pizza
I’ve made pizza at home with dairy free cheese, and tried several brands of dairy free frozen pizzas, but my son won’t even go near them, let alone take a bite. The solution? Pizza without cheese! It’s surprisingly good. Just spread tomato sauce or pizza/pasta sauce on a dairy free pizza shell, put “green sprinkles” on top (what my son calls oregano), add any toppings you like, and cook it in the oven. We also make super easy pizza on bagels instead of pizza shells, and mini bagel pizzas (which we bring to other kids’ birthday parties). You can even make pizza on toasted sliced bread in a pinch. Yum!
What about you? Is there a brand of dairy free cheese that you adore? Do you have a tip for using dairy free cheese? Please leave a comment and let us know!
