Cheese didn't melt

[cassie]

I just made a tuna casserole. I topped it with grated cheese from a bag. I put it in the oven and the cheese did not melt. It ended up being hard chunks the same shape and size as it came out of the bag. I have never had that problem before. Could the fact that the oven temperature was at 425 rather than 350 be the cause? I usually cook my casserole at 350 but this recipe called for 425. It called for crushed potato chips as a topping, not grated cheese though.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

What kind of cheese was it? Parmesan will act like that.

 

[samanthaoverton]

Is it mozzarella? Low moisture mozzarella does that sometimes.

 

[cassie]

What kind of cheese was it? Parmesan will act like that.

Sharp cheddar grated cheese. I have topped casseroles with it many times and never had that happen. Never cooked one a 425 either. I am guessing that is the problem but I don't know.

 

[PasoRoblesEgger]

Weird, what was the brand? I know grated cheese in a package has anti-caking agents added, which block cheese you shred yourself doesn't.

If I'm making large batches of enchiladas, I sometimes use the Smart & Final brand of sharp cheddar. It's never clumped, but it is a bit oily sometimes. My fav cheese is Tillamonk sharp cheddar in the block, but I sure dislike shredding large quantities.

 

[cassie]

I don't remember what brand it was. It was just bagged shredded cheese. I am aware of the anti caking agents. Therefore I use block cheese if I am making cheese broccoli soup or something. However, I have used bagged shredded cheese as topping for a casserole many times before without issue. I guess I will just have to try making another casserole, this time at 350 and see what happens. I can tell you I have used this particular shredded cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich and it melted just fine.

 

[gtaus]

Probably not your same problem, but I bought some shredded cheese from the Dollar Tree, thinking I was going to save some money, but the cheese did not melt on my nachos. Looked closely at the package, and it stated that it would not melt like normal cheese! Never heard of that before, but I guess there is real cheese, and then there is fake (plastic?) cheese.

 

[cassie]

Is it mozzarella? Low moisture mozzarella does that sometimes.

Chedder, not mozzarella. I am thinking it was the temperature. I have used similar cheese before as topping on casseroles and it melted just fine. Also used this very cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich and it melted. I will use it on another casserole and see how it goes. Only I will set the oven temp at 350 not 425. At this point I am curious more than anything. This topping is bad enough that I am having to scrape it off. The cheese bits are the same shape as they were in the bag but are hard.