Government Cheese

[eDJ]

OK, how many here ever get a taste of it ?

I was cooking for some friends recently and they wanted Government Cheese on their Burgers. Well, I haven't seen the stuff around for some time now. Wound up using Velveeta with some New York Sharp I sliced thin to mix with it. It went over rather well.

So here is a question for those here at Smoked-Meat ?

1) Have you ever had any of the Government Cheese they used to give away ?

2) Can you remember what it taste like well enough to compare it to anything available on the Grocery Store Shelves today ?

3) If you can, what Brand and what would it be labeled as on the package.

I'll throw this out for starters. One person at the cook out said that to her, Kraft's "Deli Deluxe" was as close as she's found. She quickly added that "It ain't cheap either" !

Share what ya know please.

[THE ICEMAN]

Can't help you much here, never had it. I was under the impression though, that it was kinda second grade?

[HK91]

I remember Government Cheese from when I was in the Air Force stationed in England in the late 1980's. The Commissary used to carry it and if I remember right, it tasted like a cross between Velveeta and generic processed cheese product loafs. At the Commissary the Government Cheese cost about half the price of Velveeta, when I got back to the States I never saw it again. It melted easily and was good on nachos or sliced up for cheese and crackers.

HK91

[Texas-Hunter]

When my wife's grandmother was still alive she would get the blocks of this cheese and give them to us.. I did not have an issue with it, seemed it was a cross between American and a mild Cheddar cheese... It was great for grilled cheese sammies, Mac & Cheese, any way you could incorporate it melted.. But straight up on a cold sammie was not good to me..

[curious aardvark]

sounds revolting.

But the idea of 'government' cheese sparks a distant memory of something I heard on a radio program where - can't remember if it was here or over there - cheese was being given out to people on some sort of welfare program, but that's all i can remember

[eDJ]

Re

Vark, It was definitely given out here. As I remember, the Government had purchased the stuff for some time and paid to keep it in cold storage
for a long time too. There was discussion that it wouldn't "keep" forever
and the cost to the Government beyond what could be recovered for a break even. Add to that that it was nearly at it's expiration date the choice was made to give it to those "hardship" cases and seniors.

The President of the early 80's was complaining that it should be given away overseas as it was needed worse there brought the argument that shipping it there would only add to the cost. Just cheaper to dispose of it here.

A girl I used to date some would go and stand in line and get it for her aged mom and dad. She would make toasted cheese sammies with 1/4 inch slices of the cheese. She used the thick sliced bread called "Texas Toast", Mayo, which she made herself from the "Moosewood" cook book recipe, a thin layer of alfalfa sprouts. She would make a butter sauce to brush the top slice of bread with before the baking. That butter sauce was a mixture of melted butter, mustard powder, garlic salt, paprika, and a touch of sage. These were toasted in a medium (300 F) oven for a few minutes till the tops just browned.

I thought they were quite tasty, and never would have believed anything
the Government was giving away would have been made to taste so good.

Oh by the way Vark, I had a book of English brewing by Bravery. I believe he mentioned using powdered Orange breakfast drink, fermented to make a sparkling orange wine of sorts. It was first created by those receiving the UK Government relief commodities. In the States we have a product called "Tang", which I believe is the same thing.

[IrishChef]

Not only was there Gummint cheese, there was also peanut butter, canned meats, butter and others, from what I recall. Here is the wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese

[Wingman]

Won't be long and we all will get to eat government cheese. Along with government beef, government pork.... Oh wait... we been eating that for years... Government chicken all cooked using government lump charcoal. And of course all can easily be purchased at inflated rates at you local government grocer. That was the sound of me poking the bear.

[MichChef]

Was raised eating what we called government "commodities". Cheese, meat, peanut butter, powdered milk and eggs. Dad died when I was 2 at the age of 41 and Mom raised the 4 of us on his meager city pension, not being able to work while we were all young. The cheese seemed great to us kids, the powdered milk, not so much, but it that or nothing. Never cared for the canned meat, but we ate what was put in front of us. The peanut butter was good once stirred up and the scrambled powdered eggs were just OK.

[Mark R]

I thought it was just Velveeta, only aged!...

[Wingman]

Was raised eating what we called government "commodities". Cheese, meat, peanut butter, powdered milk and eggs. Dad died when I was 2 at the age of 41 and Mom raised the 4 of us on his meager city pension, not being able to work while we were all young. The cheese seemed great to us kids, the powdered milk, not so much, but it that or nothing. Never cared for the canned meat, but we ate what was put in front of us. The peanut butter was good once stirred up and the scrambled powdered eggs were just OK.

Yep, my parents would get laid off or be on a long drawn out strike. The government products kept us eating many times. Liked the cheese but hated the dried milk. Still do to this day. We didn't get meat products, just cheese, powdered milk, dry beans and ride. I still can't stand lentil bean soup.

[RowdyRay]

Oh yeah. The guberment stuff. The stories I could tell. hehe.

The cheese was actually pretty good. Not by itself, but in something. It made a killer grilled cheese Sammy. (ate lots of those) Throw it into some canned tomato soup, or some instant mashed taters. Cubed in a pasta salad. We were broke when I was first married. You're broke when you cook up the last bit of instant mashed tater flakes, with no butter or milk, add the last 2 "cheap" hotdogs, smother it with a package of instant beef gravy and call it a good meal. And the wife said there was nothing to eat. True story.

Years later, I picked up a block of cheese. It was cheaper than Velveeta. Could have swore it was made by Bongard's, but could be wrong. Tasted exactly the same. Can't find anything on-line, but will look when I go to the store next. It's been many years now.

[IrishChef]

Oh yeah. The guberment stuff. The stories I could tell. hehe.

The cheese was actually pretty good. Not by itself, but in something. It made a killer grilled cheese Sammy. (ate lots of those) Throw it into some canned tomato soup, or some instant mashed taters. Cubed in a pasta salad. We were broke when I was first married. You're broke when you cook up the last bit of instant mashed tater flakes, with no butter or milk, add the last 2 "cheap" hotdogs, smother it with a package of instant beef gravy and call it a good meal. And the wife said there was nothing to eat. True story.

Years later, I picked up a block of cheese. It was cheaper than Velveeta. Could have swore it was made by Bongard's, but could be wrong. Tasted exactly the same. Can't find anything on-line, but will look when I go to the store next. It's been many years now.

Had many meals in college of Bongards Pepper Jack, with crackers and cheap summer sausage.....Kinda liked that combo with a nice can of $4.99/case Schlitz......

[eDJ]

Re:

IrishChef, you're the second person I've known who was into that. I once dated a German girl whose dad was a meat cutter. He introduced me to that when she took me by his place. Don't remember what beer we were drinking but he had all kinds of sausages in the fridge to try. I even tried it with peperoni.

She would put a dab of blue cheese salad dressing on hers, but I just followed her dad's lead. I knew the next day she and I would be traveling with the windows down.

[tenacious bee]

The gubmint cheese I have seen was made by land o lakes . It is labeled American cheese and a quality one (if there is such a thing) at that. My mother in law gets a box of stuff from the senior citizens center every so often. She gives most of the cheese to us as the hunk she gets is like 4x4 x12". Lol.