Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Comments on Is browned cheese safe to eat?

Parent

Is browned cheese safe to eat?

+3
−0

I frequently make toast with cheese or quesadillas quickly by placing tortillas or bread on a baking sheet and cook them for a short time in the oven. When I place shredded cheese (cheddar) on, it often spills onto the sheet. After I take it out, it is brown, hard, and often stuck. Is this cheese safe to eat, or should I discard it?

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.
Why should this post be closed?

0 comment threads

Post
+4
−0

If the cheese is simply brown due to the Maillard Reaction and not yet burnt, it's safe to eat. There are several recipes for different kinds of fried cheese: Saganaki, Queso Frito, etc. so if you enjoy this kind of toasted cheddar you may want to try some of them too!

However, if the cheese has progressed beyond browning and is actually charred or burnt, it's probably not a great idea to eat it. There are several studies that suggest a potential link between HCA's created in burned foods and cancer, but beyond any health concerns it's basically just a bitter carbon blob at that point with no real nutritional or flavor value.

One suggestion if you are struggling to remove the baked-on cheese from your baking sheet is to use a silicone baking mat. It makes cleanup much easier and avoids any potential damage to the baking sheet from scrubbing, especially if you are concerned about a nonstick surface.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

1 comment thread

General comments (2 comments)
General comments
Monica Cellio‭ wrote almost 3 years ago

If you don't have silicone, parchment paper can help too.

Wezl‭ wrote almost 3 years ago

Thank you! I'm guessing it was burnt, though I have tried frying cheese before with mostly positive results.