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American Cheese Recipes

41 recipes using cheese — Burgers, BBQ, mac & cheese and comfort food classics.

These 41 american cheese recipes are ready in about 50 minutes on average, with 290–720 kcal per serving, and 76% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.

41
recipes
50 min
average time
481 kcal
avg per serving
76%
easy recipes

How American cuisine cooks with cheese

American cooking is a melting pot of comfort food — from slow-smoked barbecue to skillet classics, big on bold, crowd-pleasing flavour. When American cooks work with cheese, they reach for butter, smoked paprika, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and good stock, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are baking, boiling, simmering and grilling.

A concentrated hit of savoury, salty richness used to melt, gratinate, crumble or finish a dish. In this collection it's most often cooked with unsalted butter, butter, eggs, plain flour, garlic powder and garlic. The dishes here span american classics ready in as little as 5 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.

41 American Cheese Recipes

🔥 Trending▶ VideoLunch

Perfect Smash Burgers

Paper-thin, crispy-edged smash burger patties stacked with American cheese, caramelized onions and tangy special sauce.

⏱ 25 min🔥 720 kcalEasy
🔥 Trending▶ VideoDessert

New York Cheesecake – Dense, Creamy Classic with Graham Cracker Crust

Rich, dense baked cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust — the definitive American dessert.

⏱ 120 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
🔥 TrendingDinner

Baked Mac and Cheese – Creamy Stovetop Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumb Top

Ultra-creamy pasta in three-cheese béchamel sauce, finished with a golden, crispy breadcrumb crust.

⏱ 55 min🔥 620 kcalEasy
🔥 Trending▶ VideoSnacks

Buffalo Chicken Wings – Crispy Fried Wings in Fiery Butter Sauce

Deep-fried chicken wings tossed in buttery hot sauce — the classic American bar snack, perfected at home.

⏱ 45 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
🔥 Trending▶ VideoDessert

Classic Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Stunning red velvet cake with moist, velvety cocoa sponge layers and tangy cream cheese frosting. This easy red velvet cake recipe from scratch is the ultimate American celebration cake.

⏱ 65 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
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🔥 Trending▶ VideoDessert

Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

The moistest, most flavourful carrot cake recipe with warm spices, crushed pineapple and a thick cream cheese frosting. This easy homemade carrot cake stays moist for days and is perfect for Easter, birthdays or any celebration.

⏱ 60 min🔥 520 kcalEasy
🔥 Trending▶ VideoBreakfast

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Soft, fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls with a gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling and thick cream cheese icing. This overnight cinnamon roll recipe produces bakery-quality rolls that pull apart beautifully — the ultimate weekend breakfast.

⏱ 58 min🔥 520 kcalMedium
🔥 Trending▶ VideoDessert

Classic New York Baked Cheesecake

Silky, dense and tall New York cheesecake on a graham cracker crust — the gold standard of American desserts.

⏱ 105 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
Lunch

Classic American Meatball Subs

Juicy meatballs in marinara sauce on crusty Italian bread with melted cheese.

⏱ 40 min🔥 520 kcalEasy
Lunch

Classic Burger Patty Melt

Juicy burger with caramelized onions and melted cheese on rye bread.

⏱ 35 min🔥 520 kcalEasy
Snacks

Loaded Baked Potato (Idaho Style)

Fluffy baked potato topped with bacon, cheese, sour cream and chives.

⏱ 55 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
Lunch

Muffuletta Sandwich

Classic American Muffuletta Sandwich recipe.

⏱ 124 min🔥 487 kcalMedium
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Dessert

Carrot Cake

Spiced carrot layer cake studded with walnuts under tangy cream cheese frosting.

⏱ 65 min🔥 490 kcalMedium
Breakfast

Waffle House Hash Browns

Crispy diner-style hash browns done 'scattered, smothered, and covered.'

⏱ 30 min🔥 290 kcalEasy
Lunch

Burger with Special Sauce

Juicy cheeseburger with melty cheese, pickles, and tangy homemade special sauce.

⏱ 32 min🔥 640 kcalEasy
Lunch

Hot Dog with Chili

Classic chili dogs topped with a meaty, no-bean hot dog chili, onions, and cheese.

⏱ 45 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
Snacks

Chili Cheese Fries

Crispy fries piled with meaty chili, melty cheese sauce, and fresh toppings.

⏱ 50 min🔥 560 kcalEasy
Dinner

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Creamy baked egg noodles with tuna, peas, and a crisp topping.

⏱ 50 min🔥 482 kcalEasy
Dessert

No-Bake Watermelon Pie

A cool, creamy summer pie of fresh watermelon in a graham crust.

⏱ 25 min🔥 312 kcalEasy
Soup

White Chicken Chili

Creamy chili of chicken, white beans, and green chiles.

⏱ 55 min🔥 428 kcalEasy
✨ NewBreakfast

Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs

Extra-creamy scrambled eggs boosted with high-protein cottage cheese.

⏱ 13 min🔥 320 kcalEasy
✨ NewBreakfast

Smoked Salmon Bagel

Toasted bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and capers.

⏱ 5 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
✨ NewDinner

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Creamy baked cauliflower in a rich cheddar cheese sauce.

⏱ 30 min🔥 340 kcalEasy
Dessert

New York Cheesecake

The definitive baked cheesecake — impossibly dense, creamy and rich, with a buttery Graham cracker crust and that characteristic lightly bronzed top.

⏱ 105 min🔥 510 kcalMedium
▶ VideoDinner

Baked Mac and Cheese

The ultimate comfort food — creamy three-cheese sauce over macaroni with a golden, crispy breadcrumb topping.

⏱ 55 min🔥 620 kcalEasy
🔥 TrendingSnacks

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Crispy baked chicken wings tossed in a buttery, tangy hot sauce — serve with blue cheese dip and celery for the full experience.

⏱ 60 min🔥 510 kcalEasy
✨ NewSnacks

Buffalo Wings (Anchor Bar-Style Classic)

Deep-fried unbreaded chicken wings tossed in a sauce of Frank's hot sauce and melted butter — the original 1964 Buffalo, New York recipe.

⏱ 40 min🔥 580 kcalMedium
✨ NewBreakfast

American Brunch Shakshuka (Spiced Tomato Skillet Eggs with Goat Cheese & Avocado)

The American restaurant reinterpretation — a North African and Israeli classic dressed up Brooklyn-brunch style with goat cheese, avocado, sourdough toast and a hit of harissa.

⏱ 45 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
🔥 TrendingLunch

Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Buttery, crispy, golden bread with a gooey melted cheese pull — the ultimate comfort sandwich.

⏱ 15 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
Lunch

Classic Reuben Sandwich

Corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on griddled rye bread.

⏱ 20 min🔥 680 kcalEasy
Salads

Classic Cobb Salad

The ultimate American chopped salad with chicken, bacon, egg, avocado and blue cheese over romaine.

⏱ 40 min🔥 520 kcalEasy
✨ NewDessert

Carrot Cake Loaf

Moist spiced carrot loaf with walnuts and cream cheese glaze.

⏱ 75 min🔥 290 kcalEasy
✨ NewDinner

Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers

Bell peppers stuffed with a seasoned ground beef, rice and tomato filling, baked until tender, a classic American family dinner.

⏱ 65 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
✨ NewSnacks

Loaded Nacho Supreme

A generous tray of tortilla chips layered with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, jalapenos and all the classic toppings.

⏱ 35 min🔥 620 kcalEasy
✨ NewLunch

Philly-Style Chopped Cheesesteak Tacos

Griddled chopped ribeye and onion with melted provolone, tucked into warm flour tortillas for a Philly-meets-Tex-Mex mashup.

⏱ 30 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
✨ NewDinner

Baked Ziti

Tubular pasta baked with a rich marinara and ricotta filling, topped with melted mozzarella, a classic Italian-American comfort casserole.

⏱ 55 min🔥 520 kcalEasy
✨ NewDinner

Scalloped Potatoes

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce until tender throughout with a golden, bubbling top, classic American comfort food.

⏱ 95 min🔥 360 kcalMedium
✨ NewBreakfast

Denver Omelet

A hearty American diner omelet filled with diced ham, bell pepper, and onion, folded around melted cheddar cheese.

⏱ 22 min🔥 340 kcalEasy
✨ NewBreakfast

Southern-Style Grits

Creamy, slow-cooked stone-ground corn grits enriched with butter and cheese, a foundational Southern American breakfast staple.

⏱ 45 min🔥 320 kcalEasy
✨ NewSalads

Cobb Salad

A composed American chopped salad of grilled chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, blue cheese, and tomato in neat rows.

⏱ 40 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
✨ NewDinner

Smash Burger with House Spice Blend

Crispy-edged smash burgers seasoned with a savory spice blend, griddled fast and stacked high.

⏱ 20 min🔥 620 kcalEasy

Choosing & preparing cheese

How to choose

Buy in blocks and grate fresh — pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that hampers melting. Match the cheese to the job: good melters (mozzarella, gruyère) versus crumblers (feta, parmesan).

Prep & storage

Let cheese come to room temperature for the fullest flavour. Add delicate cheeses off the heat to stop them splitting; build a smooth sauce with a roux or a starch.

Nutrition

A calcium- and protein-rich food; it is also high in saturated fat and sodium, so a little sharp cheese goes a long way.

Classic flavour partners: tomatoes, bread, wine, pasta, black pepper, honey

American Cheese Recipes — FAQ

How long do American cheese recipes take to make?

Most of these 41 American cheese recipes are ready in around 50 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Smoked Salmon Bagel, takes about 5 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 124 minutes.

How many calories are in American cheese dishes?

Across this collection they range from about 290 to 720 kcal per serving, averaging 481 kcal — Waffle House Hash Browns is the lightest option at 290 kcal.

What is the easiest American cheese recipe for beginners?

Perfect Smash Burgers is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 25 minutes. 76% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.

What goes well with cheese in American cooking?

In these recipes, cheese is most often paired with unsalted butter, butter, eggs, plain flour, garlic powder and garlic. American kitchens also lean on butter, smoked paprika, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and good stock.

More American Recipes by Ingredient

Cheese Recipes from Other Cuisines