Hard Cheese

try Asiago


Gypsy

 

You could try smoked mozzarella, which is a bit stiff but still relatively soft/mild. Depending on how large you are allowing your grating to be it could work. I would think that if you are looking for a hard cheese, you must have a reason, what is it? Do you wish that you can bake it and not have it melt? Generally speaking a hard cheese is one that has been aged, and also had the flavor concentrated as moisture is removed. I find it a bit of an oxymoron to ask for a mild/delicate hard cheese. I do speak with limited experience, so I hope someone can come along and either correct or validate what I've said.

 

You can buy the cheapest brand of parmigiano, the equivalent of kraft american cheese.  It's sure to have a very bland flavor.  Just stay away from words like "aged" and "Reggiano".

Why may I ask are you shooting for "bland" flavor in your chips?  I've never tried to achieve a bland flavor in my cooking.  God forbid someone says "wow, what a wonderfully bland chip you've made!"

 

Manchego has a milder flavor then parm. more later.

 

no, i don't have a particular brand or flavor of Manchego to suggest.  the most bland cheese I could think of is processed mozz, it's hard enough and really bland compared to fresh mozz.  I suppose you could try a dry or aged pecorino they get pretty hard, not sure how well they melt though. Gruyere can be nice and hard but has a more distinctive flavor then Manchego. stay away from Muenster, I don't ever recall a hard one per se but they have all kinds of in your face flavor. Maybe a Gouda? non smoked as the smoky flavor pervades anything. best of luck.

edit: just looked at   www.cheese.com  ... um ....wow...

 

Perhaps something like a Jarlsberg?
Or an Emmenthal?

Or, if you want to use something more cheddar-y try something like a Wensleydale or Lancashire.

Scottish Dunlop cheese is a bit 'rubbery' - so maybe something you could try?

 

Jack cheese. Or colby, both are pretty blah

 

    If you're looking for bland and tasteless, I'd stick with a young, cheap parmigiano.  Something nice and soft that you would find in the normal grocery store section.   

   All the rest of the cheeses are nice, and have their own character...but I don't think I'd spend money on a good manchengo, gruyère, etc just to melt.   Of course...the nice depth and saltiness of a decent parmigiano could compliment quite a range of flavors.

    What do you plan to do?  

  dan

 

Aged Jack may be worth considering ....