The Worst Store-Bought Shredded Mozzarella Cheese Is From A Major Brand

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When you want a cheese that's ready to melt on a plate of nachos or a homemade pizza, it's easy to go for a pre-shredded bag of cheese. No messing with the cheese grater; you don't even have to pull out a knife. Just open the bag and sprinkle it on. But there's one brand of shredded mozzarella cheese that might not be a great shortcut — and it surprisingly comes from a well-known brand.

The company is known for its boxed mac and cheese and is the brand behind Cracker Barrel's grocery products. It's actually the brand that introduced individually-wrapped cheese slices to the market. You probably already have some of this brand's products in your cupboard, but the mozzarella cheese that came in last place in Food Republic's ranking of the best store-bought mozzarella cheese is made by Kraft. Yep, Kraft Whole Milk Shredded Natural Mozzarella Cheese was the least-liked in a review of 10 brands of store-bought shredded mozzarella cheese. 

While our reviewer enjoyed the size of the cheese strips, the taste was underwhelming. The cheese is made with whole milk, but they said the extra flavor from the milk fat just didn't come through. It was simply boring. While some reviews compliment Kraft's shredded mozzarella for melting well, if the flavor is not there, it's just not worth it.

Shredded mozzarella can elevate your frozen pizza or add nice melty flavor to pasta or homemade lasagna without any extra work, but you need to start with a good cheese to really reap the benefits. Our reviewer found that the farmstyle shreds in Tillamook Mozzarella Shredded Cheese was the best pre-shredded mozzarella. 

Most packaged, pre-shredded cheeses are powdered with an anti-caking agent so the individual pieces don't stick together when they're stored in the fridge, but it might keep them from melting properly. Tillamook's shredded mozzarella uses potato starch to create this effect, while Kraft uses modified cornstarch, so that might contribute to the difference in overall texture and flavor. 

If you want a perfectly melty mozzarella, buy your cheese from a specialty shop and have them shred it for you or grate the cheese at home. The added starches that keep pre-shredded cheese from clumping can also impact how the cheese tastes and how it melts in your recipes. Theoretically, the anti-clumping agents are tasteless and can be helpful when you're making a cheese sauce because they restrict and retain moisture. But for the same reason, they can keep you from getting the ideal melt on top of your pizza or pasta. They create more of a solid cheese blanket than a melty covering that's fully integrated with your other ingredients. So if you're going with the bagged stuff, grab Tillamook over the Kraft. But if you're putting in effort to make a handcrafted meal, you might want to go with freshly grated mozzarella.