It's the only cheese on a burger for me. Of course, that's only because I prefer to do an In-N-Out style burger at home.

I used to love american style cheese, but i've converted. I'm now a land o'lakes & hollander cheese fan.

My wife and I have an understanding. She no longer acts disgusted around my cottage cheese and I don't say anything about her Land O Lakes White American plastic squares.

I used to eat american cheese all the time growing up, and loved it. I even just ate slices of it plain...

I tend towards buying actual cheese these days, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at it

I can't eat anything with American cheese on it. I hate the texture, even when melted. And I've TRIED to like it, since so many people whose taste I respect argue that it's so good on burgers, etc. I couldn't even stand the stuff when I was a kid. I thought I just didn't like cheese until I tried the real stuff.

I hate American Cheese slices....but just to clear things up...the chemicals you mentioned are commonly found in many foods and are very safe....

Calcium Phosphate occurs naturally in cow's milk...sodium citrate is actually an antioxidant...sodium phosphate is a common preservative that you will likely find in the cheese you use for your DIY american cheese slices....Sorbic Acid is is a natural, organic compound used as a food preservative...and Apocarotenal is a carotenoid found in spinach and citrus fruits (a vitamin A precursor)

LOL look at the survery results so far....so polarized!

I voted No, but I'm with Nanny Noodle. It's what I grew up on and I would eat it now, I just tend to buy other cheeses.

A Double-Double from In-n-Out wouldn't be right without American cheese! That said, there isn't much room for it in my fridge, but I don't turn up my nose at it when the time and place is appropriate.

yeah... the point of a classic, american grilled cheese is that it's quick, cheap, and easy. making your own cheese with ingredients that are purchased from the modernist pantry and require a special scale, not to mention then put on home-baked bread that took 6 months to perfect, is definitely the exact opposite of that. not to say his sandwich doesn't look delicious and gourmet, but i'll only take it if he's planning to make it for me :)

How ridiculous to criticize American cheese for being "full of chemicals" and then posting a recipe that is equally full of chemicals!!

American cheese really isn't that unnatural, not more than any other processed food. Land O Lakes deli is 98% milk ingredients: Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Skim Milk, Buttermilk, Milkfat.

I like the occasional grilled american cheese sandwich, but I'd just like to point out that there is a huge difference between deli sliced american cheese and Kraft singles. Real American cheese tastes good and melts great without being plasticky. Kraft singles are nasty. But the real stuff is good on a grilled cheese or an egg sandwich.

The only time I will eat it is broken into quarters on top of Triscuits with my dad while my mom rolls her eyes.

I grew up eating it, but then again, I grew up eating a lot of things I wouldn't touch anymore. The last several years of from-scratch cooking and homegrown produce have made me much more able to detect additives in highly processed foods. I'll leave the safe-to-eat/which-is-healthier debate to those more knowledgeable than me, but my taste buds definitely prefer foods that are closer to their natural state. A few times I've gone back to my childhood favorites only to be disappointed.

I understand people who hate the pre-wrapped slices that seem very 'plasticky'. I buy my American cheese from the deli counter. It actually tastes like cheese and has good texture. I will try making my own at home as a fun experiment.

American Cheese slices in plastic =/= Sliced American Cheese from the deli.
Deli American, yes. Plastic-wrapped American, most definitely NO.

I love American Cheese - but then again, I also consider Mac and Cheese from the box as one of my guilty pleasures about once a year or so. Deli sliced is better... And lets face it, when I am in the mood for such a thing, nutrition isn't really the first thing on my mind.

I didn't grow up eating the plastic wrapped cheese, not even on grilled cheese sandwiches. It was always the block cheese and that's what I still use now.

I like American cheese for grilled cheese, but tend to stick with Horizon's Organic American cheese. Nothing scary on the ingredient list, and I still get a grilled cheese that makes me feel 5.

First comment, go look for the article on American Cheese at Serious Eats HERE. It explains a lot of why American cheese is so good at melting and how to make that happen with other cheeses.

Secondly, American cheese is the perfect mix-in for kimchi flavor ramen.

I still occasionaly buy American Cheese for grilled cheese or burgers, but I buy the Kraft Deluxe version. Granted, it's probably not much better than the individually wrapped "singles", but the taste is a lot better. Growing up in New Hampshire, we could get the white vs the orange. I always preferred the white. I moved to Indianapolis and the only place I can find it is Land O' Lakes brand behind the deli counter. I try to read labels and think Kraft has the most "normal" ingredients and, to me, just tastes better.

When I want to splurge, I get Cheddar. :)