John Myers
Crispy crust, tender melt, or creamy threads – cheese to gratinate is often the highlight of the casserole! But which cheese is particularly suitable, why does one melt while the other becomes rubbery? In the overview, we will show you which cheese goes with which dish and how you can make the right choice!
Runs on casserole!
Grated cheese is best for gratins, casseroles, or pizzas. Slightly firmer types of cheese are well suited for grating. If the cheese is firmer, it contains less fat and therefore melts later or can withstand particularly high temperatures. Edam, Appenzeller, Gouda or Cheddar are well suited. Cheese mix variations are also often used in order to obtain a varied taste.
Spicy or salty?
Young cheeses in particular melt quickly, and usually contain more fat and less intensity in the seasoning. You can use them well to gratinate dishes that have a very intense taste – then the cheese doesn’t take away any of the aromas.
If, on the other hand, you have a recipe that is cooked with natural ingredients, you are welcome to use feta or soft cheese, which gives the dish its own flavor.
All cheese! 12 varieties
These 12 types of cheese are particularly suitable for gratinating:
- Edam
Fish, meat, vegetables – you can bake everything with Edam. Try to use grated cheese and don’t choose slices – they get unsightly gummy or blister dark.
- Gouda cheese
The all-rounder – on pizza, beef fillet, or stuffed peppers. You can’t go wrong with Gouda for gratinating. Note that aged Gouda intensely releases salt into the dish. Young Gouda melts quickly and is, therefore, less suitable for recipes that stay in the oven for a long time. Alternatively, you can pour young Gouda over the dish just before baking.
- Appenzeller
Strong in taste but still not high in fat content – with this cheese you can also serve a gratinated chicory schnitzel in a diet kitchen. The cheese needs a good opponent in order to develop fully and not just taste cheesy.
- Cheddar
The spicy, yellow Irish brings just the right mix to the casserole – the intense golden yellow color forms a shiny, appetizing crust when gratinated. It is flavorful and goes particularly well with dishes with potatoes or meat.
- Mozzarella
You can now also buy grated mozzarella, which makes it the ideal all-rounder for everything that needs to be gratinated. However, mozzarella has only a very mild taste, so it is better to mix it with other varieties. It is very controlled – optically you can achieve impressive results with mozzarella slices.
- Emmental
Emmental is particularly mild, usually has 45% fat, and runs very well. Grated ideal for casseroles, sliced good for fillets or other individual components. Together with Gruyère, Emmental is also perfect for an original Swiss cheese fondue.
- feta
The spicy, crumbly feta hardly melts in the cow’s milk version, nor does it form a creamy crust. Its distinct taste can be used as a key ingredient in gratin dishes and gives a pizza a particularly spicy touch.
- goat cheese
The fat content is usually high, the taste intense. Do not overdose, as the cheese then dominates. Goat’s cheese fills you up very quickly, it should only be used with light dishes or small intermediate courses to gratinate. The spicy cheese also tastes wonderful on its own. For example, you can grill goat cheese in aluminum foil.
- mountain cheese
It pulls threads and melts excellently. The strong cheese goes well with vegetable and pasta dishes. You should be careful when combining it with bacon – mountain cheese is very salty.
- Camembert
The fat content of Camembert varies between 45-70%. The nutty and, in older varieties, slightly hot aroma is particularly suitable for dishes with a fruity note.
- Manchego
The burly Spaniard has an oily film when it melts, becomes waxy, and rarely burns. It is suitable for tortilla and egg dishes or lean meat.
Tip: Soak up the film of grease with a kitchen towel before serving the food.
- Parmesan
It is only granted to a hard crust. Parmesan flakes give a cheese crust in a short time at high temperatures. Suitable for gratinated salad or baguette au gratin.
- Vegan seduces
The best way to make your vegan cheese is to mix the almond butter, water, and yeast flakes with salt until you reach a consistency reminiscent of melted cheese. But you can now also find vegan cheese alternatives in the supermarket that taste good and are also great for gratinating.
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