Homemade Velveeta Cheese

I was looking on the internet for more cheese recipes when I stumbled across this recipe for Homemade Velveeta.  I followed her recipe exactly for the first batch and found it way too salty. I now use only one teaspoon of salt and it is just right.

It only takes a few minutes to make the finished product.  The longest times is letting your milk ripen and then letting it drain which is a total of 24 hours but you are not doing anything during this time.  I have not tried this with raw milk.  I pasteurize my goat milk to have a longer shelf life so this is what I use.  A gallon of milk from the grocery store will work fine if you don't have fresh milk from the farm.

Begin by making a batch of Lactic Cheese.

Heat one gallon of milk to 86 degrees.  I use a big pot with water and canning rings in the bottom to hold another pot my milk goes into.




Remove from heat and add 1 packet of  mesophilic starter.
I am out of this so I use 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  It works exactly the same.  Stir the starter or buttermilk in good and then add 1 teaspoon of diluted rennet which is 3 drops of rennet diluted in 1/3 cup of cool water.  Stir this in with an up and down motion for one minute.  Place lid on pot and let it sit undisturbed for 12 hours.

After 12 hours you will have a pot of one solid curd that looks like thick yogurt

In the sink, pour or ladle your curd into a colander lined with butter muslin or an old clean pillowcase will work.  I use the flour sack towels cut in half that I get from Sam's Club.  Don't use regular cheesecloth or you will pour your curds down the drain!

Tie the ends together and hang it to drain the whey for 12 hours.  Put something under your bag to catch the whey.

After 12 hours, take down your bag of drained curds and put them in a bowl.  Add 3 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Mix with an electric mixer for 2 or 3 minutes until it is fluffy looking.  Let this set for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.

Add your fluffy curds and stir until melted.

You can add 12 or so drops of cheese coloring if you like.  I happen to have some but it is not necessary.  If you don't add the coloring your cheese will be white instead of orange and there's nothing wrong with that.

It looks like this when it is all melted and the dye worked in.  This takes about 3 or 4 minutes tops.

Pour it into your mold or molds that you will be using.  Any type of plastic container works fine.  Have them ready before you start melting the curds.  This recipe makes about 2 pounds of homemade Velveeta.  Place Velveeta in the refrigerator.  It will not take long to set up to start using in your recipes.I let mine cool off in the refrigerator before i put a lid on it to avoid condensation. 

You can run a case knife around the edge of the mold and remove the cheese for slicing.

Makes a great grilled cheese

and Nacho's!








I've also made homemade mac & cheese with it.  It is great.  You'll never buy the boxed stuff again!

Enjoy!