Foo - Velveeta

On the way to Albuquerque, my wife and I stop at a great Mexican restaurant in Cuba NM called El Bruno's every chance we get. It's a fixture for the area and the food has always been great. The original restaurant was there in a historical adobe building for decades until it caved in one Winter. Since then they've moved across the street into what was a Tastee Freez and added on in a very authentic-appearing Old Mexico style, with outside verandas warmed by chimineas, vega and latilla construction, the works.

This last trip however, I ordered a dish I hadn't ever before: the seafood enchiladas. The menu advertised this as shrimp and crab meat wrapped in a corn tortilla and covered with a cheese sauce. When it arrived it looked great with a side of beans and rice, garnish and a healthy portion. I bit in and met with the unmistakeable plastic-like texture and flavor of a popular processed cheese-like food product. Velveeta? Really?

It left me wondering if this was a local delicacy, like SPAM in Hawaii for example...or did they just run out of cheese, thinking on their feet rushed over to the bait shop, and henceforth save the evening?

Please, share your thoughts on Velveeta.

I just recently bought some velveeta to make cheesy beefy burritos. There were quite good, I added some red pepper to the meat for heat and of course regular taco seasonings. They were better than Taco Bells.

Wasn't SPAM a commodity issued to the locals in Hawaii from the federal govt back in the day?

It's rubbery. I don't like it. Blech.

It's rubbery. I don't like it. Blech.

Have you ever had deviled ham sammich?

Nu uh.

The only thing I've recently had it in was barf dip (http://www.food.com/recipe/barf-dip-287220).

Straight, blech but if used correctly in a recipe it can be rather good.

Nu uh.

Sorry, forgot this was about velveeta and not spam. :rolleyes:

I think I need some ice cream.

Straight, blech but if used correctly in a recipe it can be rather good.

I wonder if there is something you can add to it to keep it from solidifying(sp?) as soon as it cools to luke warm?

I wonder if there is something you can add to it to keep it from solidifying(sp?) as soon as it cools to luke warm?

Mobil 1, the mixture will be good down to -53F

Sorry, forgot this was about velveeta and not spam. :rolleyes:

I think I need some ice cream.

Oh YUM!! brb

Mobil 1, the mixture will be good down to -53F

Okay, I think I've got some in the trunk of my car, I'll grab it when I go get the ice cream. :D

I wonder if there is something you can add to it to keep it from solidifying(sp?) as soon as it cools to luke warm?

Good question.

I haven't had it in years. When I was growing up I used melt it over Brocolli.

Couch

I like it melted down in a cooker with a bottle or two of picante sauce. You do have to keep it in the cooker while serving or as stated above, it solidifies.
Ernest

Or mix it with tomato soup and serve on top of toast.

The only thing I've recently had it in was barf dip (http://www.food.com/recipe/barf-dip-287220).

Now this sounds delich!

Never had it that I'm aware. I'm not particularly desperate to remedy that.

Never bit into Silly Putty as a kid?
Never tempted by Zeke's floating bait?

>.< ooooooo I find no choices likable on that survey. :) I have used velveeta MANY years ago as one of my three cheeses I use when I make mac&cheese but I do not touch it now a days ... sorry :(

Velveeta with Rotel Tomatoes is the classic Queso here in TX. There's a comedy club here in town called The Velveete Room and a very well known band called Rotel and The Hot Tomatoes (http://www.rotelandthehottomatoes.com/). We are a sophisticated bunch here in Texas.

Velveeta with Rotel Tomatoes is the classic Queso here in TX. There's a comedy club here in town called The Velveete Room and a very well known band called Rotel and The Hot Tomatoes (http://www.rotelandthehottomatoes.com/). We are a sophisticated bunch here in Texas.

This explains much.

Next month in Austin, I'll be sure to request, "No plastic please".

Commercial cheese sauce or nacho cheese sauce, the type that comes in a Number 10 can, and is used in institutional food service, has this same texture. I wonder if that was it.

Commercial cheese sauce or nacho cheese sauce, the type that comes in a Number 10 can, and is used in institutional food service, has this same texture. I wonder if that was it.

It did have that sort of down home, prison-foodish texture.

It's even more frightening to think that a master chef, in an effort to please the local population's palate, made it all from scratch to taste specifically like that. :twitchy:

Straight, blech but if used correctly in a recipe it can be rather good.

+1. I think I've only had it in dips.

I like it melted down in a cooker with a bottle or two of picante sauce. You do have to keep it in the cooker while serving or as stated above, it solidifies.
Ernest

I've had this recipe, too. I think it was one of the Kraft 'Superbowl Party' recipes years back.

I just recently bought some velveeta to make cheesy beefy burritos. There were quite good, I added some red pepper to the meat for heat and of course regular taco seasonings. They were better than Taco Bells.

Wasn't SPAM a commodity issued to the locals in Hawaii from the federal govt back in the day?

The US Pacific Island territory of Guam is notable not just for its US military bases, which are soon to be expanded. Guam is also the world’s leading consumer per capita, of Spam.

Guam Loves Spam (http://www.theworld.org/2010/03/18/guam-loves-spam/)

There are numerous uses for it where it is pretty good-
queso dip
sauce on enchiladas
mac and cheese

I would think that it would be more appropriate in TexMex cooking than in New Mexico cooking.

BTW, we stopped in that restaurant this past August and whatever I ate was VERY hot. I like to visit southwest Colorado and southeast Utah so I end up driving through Cuba frequently.

I liked velveeta better than cheez whiz as a kid but since real cheese is a fair bit cheaper than velvetta, I go real cheese.

I hate that crappy crappiness!

There's nothing worthwhile that can be made using that processed yellow goo.

Cheese doesn't usually bother me, but velveeta binds me up everytime.

Does it really make good napalm?

There's nothing worthwhile that can be made using that processed yellow goo.

You are wrong.

Mini Crockpot Queso Dip!!!

wow. a Velveeta thread...what's next- Cheez-Its?

Velveeta makes some pretty good grilled cheese sandwiches (at least the way my mom makes them, mine are just soggy and gross most of the time), but other than that, I don't know. My wife likes mixing a block with a can of salsa and another of chili and putting it in the crock pot for several hours (maybe with some milk to thin it), but I'm not such a huge fan of that texture/flavor combo.

I like a slice of velveeta melted on a crisp tortilla, topped with salsa. Somehow velveeta or kraft cheese slices taste better on tortillas to me than other cheeses, except for maybe a nice queso fresco or queso blanco, but we seldom if ever have this in the house, so I turn to the velveeta...

wow. a Velveeta thread...what's next- Cheez-Its?

Only one of them is made with real cheese. Even Bear fans like the real stuff. They're not complete imbeciles (but they are close).
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs043.snc6/167360_498890542551_556822551_5872947_7222932_n.jpg

I've never had it but it if it is some sort of fake processed cheese-type product, I'm non interested either.

There's nothing worthwhile that can be made using that processed yellow goo.

Not true - you can use it to catch trout, and they can be made into something very tasty.

I've never had it but it if it is some sort of fake processed cheese-type product, I'm non interested either.

You ride bents and the like, seems you would love fake cheese.

You ride bents and the like, seems you would love fake cheese.

i ride fake bikes but like real cheese.

Only one of them is made with real cheese.

so, wait - which one is real?

Sounds like Tex-Mex, not Mexican.

(Re Spam: I believe you're thinking of hot dog tacos, which is a choice in an authentic tacqueria.)

I've never tried to figure out how to make nacho cheese dip with regular cheese, so that's my only use for Velveeta. I chose #1.

Only really gets good if it's completely melted.

Oh, I guess I've had Philly Cheesesteaks with it too. One more acceptable use.

+1 on bj's Mac N Cheese addition.

-1 on bj's enchilada tip. I ain't eatin' no velveta enchiladas.

This treat you had in NM sounds kinda gnarly.

I like it melted down in a cooker with a bottle or two of picante sauce. You do have to keep it in the cooker while serving or as stated above, it solidifies.

Also try it with Ro-Tel.
Or some Chili.

I love hovering over a Crockpot full of molten Velveta with a bag of chips.

Also try it with Ro-Tel.
Or some Chili.

I love hovering over a Crockpot full of molten Velveta with a bag of chips.

I'm tellin ya, the Cheesy Beefy Burritos were really good with it. Next time I'm putting jalapenos in them.

30 years ago, there was another brand (Fisher's 'Chef's Delight') that was both cheaper and better-tasting; still came in a square log, though. Melted better on the chopped sirloin I almost lived on back in those days. Nowadays, when I DO get the chance to whip up home-spattering ground beef slabs, I prefer to use 'snooty' cheeses -- it just happens so rarely anymore.............

I love velveeta, even if there is no cheese in it.

so, wait - which one is real?

The first one to have a BF thread named after it.
nom nom
http://www.cheez-it.com/cgi-bin/brandpages/fileBlob.pl?md5=3fa9abfb352db273f234f9aff12f816e

I love velveeta, even if there is no cheese in it.

That's the big debate. Some people call it American cheese and say it's really cheese, but I don't believe them. I guess I could go looking up an ingredient list, but that seems like a waste of my time - unlike browsing BF at work...

mmmmm... some foods I know I like but no longer eat for obviously reasons.... spam, baloney, weinies, Cheez Wiz, Hostess apple pies, Little Debbie's anything and Velveeta.

Have to admit I crave Velvetta and Rotel's now and again... unfortunately I also no longer eat chips (corn or potato) so no reason to make the cheese dip. But I still think about it...:o