Eggs & dairy · Hard cheeses
Cheddar
Firm cow's-milk cheese from mild to extra-mature and sharp; the classic melter for toasties, sauces and bakes.
Also called: cheddar cheese, mature cheddar, sharp cheddar
A kind of cheese
Photo: J.P.Lon, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)
What it is
Cheddar is a pressed, aged cow's-milk cheese, originally from Somerset in England, now made worldwide. Mild cheddar is young, supple and creamy; mature or sharp cheddar is aged longer and becomes crumbly and tangy, sometimes with tiny crunchy crystals. Colour ranges from pale cream to orange, depending on whether annatto has been added.
How it’s used
- Cheese sauce and macaroni cheese
- Toasted sandwiches, burgers and quesadillas
- Grated over chilli, nachos and jacket potatoes
- Scones, biscuits and savoury bakes
- Ploughman's lunches with pickle and bread
Characteristics
- Taste
- Mild and buttery when young; sharp, nutty and tangy when aged.
- Texture
- Firm and smooth, becoming crumbly with age.
- When cooked
- Melts well, especially young cheddar; very mature cheddar can turn oily if overheated, so add it to sauces off the boil.
- Sold as
- fresh, fermented
- Cooking uses
- Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking, Used as a garnish
Storage
Refrigerated. Wrap in waxed or baking paper and keep in the fridge's cheese drawer; cut away small mould spots with a wide margin.
Diet, allergens and safety
Contains Milk.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
- Contains milk (allergen).
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 403 kcal
- Protein
- 22.87 g
- Carbohydrate
- 3.37 g
- Fat
- 33.31 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugars
- 0.48 g
USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program).
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
Related ingredients
Recipes with cheddar
See all 21
Bajan macaroni pie
Bajan · 1 h 20 min · 479 kcal · Contains egg
Broccoli cheddar soup
American · 45 min · 340 kcalBroccoli salad
American · 1 h 28 min · 396 kcalBudae jjigae (army base stew)
Korean · 30 min · 740 kcal
Cauliflower cheese
British · 45 min · 240 kcal · Vegetarian
Cheese and onion toastie
British · 13 min · 427 kcal · VegetarianCheese corn paratha
Indian · 1 h 4 min · 325 kcal · Vegetarian
Cheese Omelette
International · 7 min · 404 kcal · Contains egg
Cheese paratha
Indian · 59 min · 340 kcal · Vegetarian
Chef's salad
American · 30 min · 417 kcalChile con queso
Tex-Mex · 25 min · 240 kcal · Vegetarian
Chili con carne
Tex-Mex · 1 h 30 min · 434 kcal
9 more
- Chilli cheese paratha · Indian
- Classic beef burger · American
- Crispy Baked Potatoes · International
- Egg Kejriwal · Indian
- Macaroni and cheese · American
- Makaronilaatikko · Finnish
- Peameal bacon sandwich · Canadian
- Shrimp and grits · Southern US
- Welsh rarebit · British
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