Fat Free Cheese

I made the mistake of using fat free cheese for a recipe once...ONCE. That and ground turkey are the only low fat/low cal substitutes that didn't make it through the healthier food transition in my house. Disgusting plastic abomination.

For the most part I use fresh shredded parmesan or a 2% mexican blend but I've recently gotten into using feta more.

:noway: Ground turkey is AWESOME! Especially when it make it into burgers and top it with feta (and roasted red peppers)!

But I feel you on the disgusting plastic abomination part. :flowerforyou:

Ground turkey comes in different levels of fat content and quality. The 99% fat free stuff is hard to work with and the cheaper brands tend to be grainy. But if you get good "mostly lean but still a little fat" ground turkey, it will make patties and meatballs just fine.

I actually use 99/1 all the time. Like 2-3 times weekly. Low quality is definitely grainy - higher quality is not.

The trick is not over cook it/cook it slow. For burgers, lightly oil the pan with olive oil on a paper towel and get it really hot over high heat (like to the smoke point), throw in the patties (which should be on the thicker side, I do about a quarter pound), turn the heat to medium and keep them covered until you flip and basically as much as possible. I leave mine one the first side 5 minutes and then flip. I leave them for 7-8 minutes and then check to see where I am with a meat thermometer. Usually they are around 155F, cover with cheese and peppers but the lid back on sit aside for 2-3 minutes. Check temp again, it will usually be 165F and you are set.

In the case of meatballs, add one and a half teaspoons of olive oil per pound of turkey, 1/3 cup bread cumbs + spices and roll as usual. They will be "wetter" than beef and you may FREAK a little, but this is why you bake them (covered) at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until the internal temp is around 90-100. They will firm up so you can them brown them off in the pan without them falling apart. Which again, same method above, screaming hot pan with just a little oil and covered, then finish cooking them in sauce. In fact let them hang out in sauce for like an hour or two.

But back to the topic at had, cheese making is an art -- fat free cheese isn't actually cheese. Just like most singles in plastic aren't -- if it's what you like, that is totally fine. If not, I wouldn't waste ANY calories of nonfat dairy!

I made the mistake of using fat free cheese for a recipe once...ONCE. That and ground turkey are the only low fat/low cal substitutes that didn't make it through the healthier food transition in my house. Disgusting plastic abomination.

For the most part I use fresh shredded parmesan or a 2% mexican blend but I've recently gotten into using feta more.

:noway: Ground turkey is AWESOME! Especially when it make it into burgers and top it with feta (and roasted red peppers)!

But I feel you on the disgusting plastic abomination part. :flowerforyou:

Ground turkey comes in different levels of fat content and quality. The 99% fat free stuff is hard to work with and the cheaper brands tend to be grainy. But if you get good "mostly lean but still a little fat" ground turkey, it will make patties and meatballs just fine.

I actually use 99/1 all the time. Like 2-3 times weekly. Low quality is definitely grainy - higher quality is not.

The trick is not over cook it/cook it slow. For burgers, lightly oil the pan with olive oil on a paper towel and get it really hot over high heat (like to the smoke point), throw in the patties (which should be on the thicker side, I do about a quarter pound), turn the heat to medium and keep them covered until you flip and basically as much as possible. I leave mine one the first side 5 minutes and then flip. I leave them for 7-8 minutes and then check to see where I am with a meat thermometer. Usually they are around 155F, cover with cheese and peppers but the lid back on sit aside for 2-3 minutes. Check temp again, it will usually be 165F and you are set.

In the case of meatballs, add one and a half teaspoons of olive oil per pound of turkey, 1/3 cup bread cumbs + spices and roll as usual. They will be "wetter" than beef and you may FREAK a little, but this is why you bake them (covered) at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until the internal temp is around 90-100. They will firm up so you can them brown them off in the pan without them falling apart. Which again, same method above, screaming hot pan with just a little oil and covered, then finish cooking them in sauce. In fact let them hang out in sauce for like an hour or two.

But back to the topic at had, cheese making is an art -- fat free cheese isn't actually cheese. Just like most singles in plastic aren't -- if it's what you like, that is totally fine. If not, I wouldn't waste ANY calories of nonfat dairy!

If we have a difference of opinion (not sure we do), it would be what "hard to work with" means. What you described is pretty much what I meant. I usually get 92/8 or so (depends on where you are shopping as to what the mix is) and don't have to add olive oil and can cook the burgers on the grill because that is what men do (fire good; magic bad :bigsmile: ) and I can make meatballs and just cook them from start to finish in one pan (okay, I do use the stove sometimes :laugh: ).