The Hands-Down Best Shredded Cheese Brand Is Packed With Fresh Dairy Flavor

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Shredded cheese is a convenient commodity for those who don't want to put out the effort and elbow grease of shredding a large block of cheese to make their next batch of macaroni and cheese or sheet pan quesadillas. And while you might not think pre-shredded cheese is as fresh as its block counterparts, we've found some brands that beg to differ. We tasted and ranked shredded cheese brands according to flavor intensity and texture, and the hands-down best was from Cabot Creamery. 

We sampled Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar and the 4 Cheese Mexican blend featuring Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso quesadilla. Both were delicious, but the Sharp Cheddar was absolutely bursting with flavor that blew us away. It was as bold and sharp as a block of cheese and surprisingly, just as fresh tasting. While other shredded cheese brands tasted muted at best and almost stale at worst, Cabot's shredded cheese blends had a fresh dairy flavor that landed them in first place by a landslide. We also liked the thicker shred of the rustic-cut cheese which melted beautifully into a creamy and decadent consistency. Even if you're eating it right out of the bag, the creaminess and quality of the cheese all but melts in your mouth. Another bonus about Cabot cheese is that it is mostly lactose-free, so lactose-intolerant cheese lovers can enjoy shredded Seriously Sharp Cheddar in a grilled cheese sandwich, for instance.

We were blown away by the flavor and freshness of the two Cabot shredded cheeses we tried, and customers agreed with our assessment. A customer on Facebook said, "Their seriously sharp cheese is my favorite cheese ever!" A customer from Dakin Farms described Cabot's shredded Seriously Sharp cheddar as "Complex, nutty, and rich" while others applaud its fresh flavor despite being pre-shredded. A sharp cheddar would make the perfect addition to a scratch-made macaroni and cheese or a classic grilled cheese sandwich. Then again, one Facebook review simply states, "My favorite cheese for eating directly out of the package while I stand in the light of the fridge at 3 am."

A Walmart customer praised the Mexican cheese blend as "nice creamy clean tasting cheese ... [that] didn't hurt my stomach and lasted in my fridge way longer than any other cheese." Others loved how easy it is to cook with and how beautifully it melted into all manner of dishes from quesadillas to enchiladas. In fact, in a separate ranking of Mexican cheese blends, we also gave Cabot Mexican cheese blend a favorable review.

In addition to the two shredded varieties we tried, Cabot also offers shredded Vermont sharp, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Mac & Cheese, and various others. Based on how much we and customers loved the Seriously Sharp and Mexican blends, it's safe to say the others are worth trying.