How to Grate Cheese Without a Grater: 4 Ways to Shred Cheese

Grated cheese is cheese that you run over some type of grater, like a box grater, to create smaller pieces of cheese. Grated cheese is similar to shredded cheese, but grated bits tend to be shorter strips of cheese, whereas shredded cheese strands are longer.

Different types of cheese grate differently. Soft cheese, like mozzarella, is prone to clumping when you run it over a cheese grater because of the moisture in the cheese. Grated hard cheeses, such as Parmesan cheese, produce more of a cheese dust than cheese shreds. Semi-hard cheeses, like cheddar cheese, work best on a cheese grater because they result in distinct strips of cheese. Other softer cheeses, such as feta, goat cheese, or queso fresco, are crumbly and incompatible with any type of cheese grater.

While buying pre-shredded cheese can work, bagged shredded cheese tends to contain anti-clumping agents that will impact the taste and meltability of the cheese. Try these options below to grate cheese at home without a grater:

1. 1. Use a food processor. Place the shredding disk on the food processor according to the directions. Cut a block of cheese into smaller pieces or small cubes, depending on the kind of cheese, so that it fits through the feed tube of the food processor. With the food processor running, feed the cheese through the tube. Alternatively, place the cheese right into the bowl of the food processor, and pulse the appliance in short bursts until the cheese reaches your desired size.
2. 2. Use a mandoline. For firmer cheeses, you can use a mandoline. Fit the mandoline with the grater attachment. Place the mandoline on a sturdy cutting board, then place the cheese at the top of the mandoline and secure it with the guard that comes with the mandoline. Guide the cheese down the mandoline until the cheese is mostly gone. Repeat the process with as much cheese as you want.
3. 3. Use a microplane. A microplane comes in many sizes, from a zester to a grater. Use the grater size for softer cheeses, like mozzarella or cheddar, and any of the smaller sizes for hard cheeses, such as Parmesan. Over a chopping board, grate the cheese of your choice to create a pile of cheese. Alternatively, you can hold the microplane right over your dish to grate directly into it.
4. 4. Use a vegetable peeler. Grating cheese with a vegetable peeler produces different slices of cheese or cheese shreds, depending on how you use it. Spray the vegetable peeler with cooking spray so the cheese doesn’t stick to it—especially when grating mozzarella or other soft cheeses. Run the vegetable peeler over a corner of the cheese to mimic the effect of a shredder. Alternatively, you can run the peeler over a larger area to create thin slices, such as you would achieve by using a sharp knife. Use quick, short motions to create short shreds.

How to Use Grated Cheese
There are numerous dishes that can benefit from the addition of grated or shredded cheese. Here are just a few foods you can make using grated cheese:

• Cheese sauce: Making a cheese sauce for nachos or fondue is easier when you use grated cheese. Grated cheese melts quicker and melts evenly, preventing clumps in the cheese sauce.
• Cheese soups: The next time you make a loaded baked potato soup, broccoli cheese soup, or other cheesy soup, try grating cheese into the pot rather than adding cubes of cheese or slices of cheese. Grated cheese will melt smoothly into the dish.
• Grilled cheese: Slices of cheese and slices of bread are rarely the same shapes or sizes, making for a grilled cheese sandwich that either has cheese oozing out of the sides or bare pieces of bread. Use grated cheese to cover every inch of a slice of bread, no matter the size or shape, the next time you make a grilled cheese sandwich to eliminate this problem entirely.

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