You can you freeze cream cheese buy cheese in bulk and find no shortage of ways to enjoy it. But can you freeze cheese to make it last longer? Dairy products are notoriously fussy when it comes to freezing. After all, it doesn’t last forever in the refrigerator.
The general rule of thumb is that freezing cheese will likely change its texture. If you do opt to freeze extra cheese, its best use after thawing is for cooking—the texture change becomes a moot point after it’s all melted. You probably don’t want to freeze the fancy stuff you bought for snacking on with homemade crackers, though. Blocks of mozzarella or shredded mozzarella are fine to freeze, though they tend to have a crumbly texture after freezing. Just avoid freezing fresh mozzarella, as its high water content has a likelihood of forming ice crystals. Cottage cheese, along with ricotta cheese, can be frozen.
However, upon thawing, both cheeses are likely to have a grainier texture. As with most frozen cheeses, thawed cottage and ricotta cheeses are best used in baked or cooked recipes. Try using the extras in a ricotta cheese recipe instead. For prepackaged sliced cheese, just pop the package into a freezer bag and place it in the freezer. For deli-sliced cheese, place a piece of parchment paper in between each slice of cheese.
Then wrap the cheese in freezer paper, tape shut and place the whole package in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. For prepackaged shredded cheese, place the package in a freezer bag before putting it in the freezer. For cheese you shred or grate yourself, place it in a freezer bag and carefully remove as much air as possible from the bag. Freezing food this way can prevent freezer burn. You Won’t Be Able to Resist the Cheesiest Recipes We’ve Ever Made! Kids always go for the rich cheese flavor, but I’ve never met an adult who didn’t love it just as much. And they’re really fast to whip up, too.
Cheese ShellsI created this deep-fried mac and cheese recipe for my husband. As an appetizer or side, this cheesy flatbread will be devoured in less time than it takes to bake. The recipe is a winner, so it’s worth the extra prep. Cheeseburger SoupA local restaurant serves a similar cheeseburger soup but wouldn’t share its recipe with me. I developed my own, modifying a recipe I already had for potato soup. But you could also serve the beefy lasagna as a main dish.