Naturally Low(er) Fat Cheeses?

sonyume

Hey, so I just decided that I was going to concoct a recipe for mac & cheese that would taste delish but not clog the arteries...as much... If I can help it, I don't just want to pick low-fat versions of cheeses I'd normally use. I'd prefer to switch up the cheeses altogether to some that may by nature be a li'l better. Any suggestions? Don't get me wrong, cheese is cheese, I get that. And for the moment I'm only going for improvement, so a less artery clogging experience... I use cheddar at various sharpnesses and jack most often, so really the field's wiiiiiide open. Any thoughts welcome! Thanks.

killagb

Part-skim mozzarella, string cheeses, farmers cheese, and Neufchâtel. Goat cheese is lower in fat and has fewer calories than cow's milk cheese.

RagtimeLady

As a rule, the harder the cheese, the higher the fat content. You can get some very good reduced fat cheddar - I'm fond of Sargento. You can also get reduced- or non-fat cream cheese. Neufchatel is naturally lower in fat than regular cream cheese.

In "Marnie's Kitchen Shortcuts" by Marnie Swedberg, she describes how to defat cheddar cheese. Cut 4 oz of cheddar into 1/2 inch cubes and put them in a microwave safe dish. Barely cover the the cheese with tap water and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Let cool 10 minutes, place in cheesecloth and run it under cold water for 15 seconds. Press out excess grease and water. This saves 24.6 gms of fat per 3 1/2 oz. Regular cheddar contains 350 calories and 33.4 fat grams for 3 1/2 oz. Defatted cheaddar of the same size contains 200 calories and 8.8 grams of fat.

It's easier to just buy it, tho! Also, it won't harden like the fatty kind, so it can't be sliced. It can be crumbled, tho...

sonyume

Lovely! Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be sure to letcha know what I did and how it turned out. *smile*

melaniecheeks

Edam or Gouda tend to be the lowest of the regular hard grating cheeses. I would choose a really mature one, where you can get the same taste for a smaller quantity. Oh, and a pinch of mustard in a cheese sauce helps bring out the flavour too!