The best substitutes for mozzarella

Mozzarella is a great addition to many meals, especially Italian dishes. It is a mild flavored cheese that adds depth of flavor and texture to a dish, without being overwhelming.

If you are preparing a dish at home that requires mozzarella and when you open the fridge you realize that you have run out of it or you are looking for an alternative to this soft white cheese, we will explain it to you.

What is the best substitute for mozzarella? The best substitute for mozzarella depends on the recipe you’re making. In general, the best substitutes are white cheddar, provolone, gouda, Parmesan, ricotta, and feta. It is best to use a cow’s milk cheese instead of mozzarella, but there are some exceptions.

There are quite a few substitutes for mozzarella depending on what you cook. Here’s everything you need to know to find the best mozzarella substitute, no matter what’s on the menu!

How to choose the best substitute for mozzarella

What you use as a substitute for mozzarella will depend on the food you are cooking. However, there are a few varieties of cheese that work well in most dishes, if you’re not too picky about the substitute you use.

Some of the best cheeses to use in place of mozzarella are

• Provolone
• white cheddar
• cheddar
• Gouda
• Edam
• Parmesan
• Ricotta
• feta
• Swiss cheese
• Asiago
• Havarti
• Roman

There are also a few criteria that the substitute must meet, ensuring that your replacement has the right consistency and flavor and includes similar ingredients to achieve the same results as the mozzarella.

Here’s what to look for in a cheese used to replace mozzarella:

• Cow’s milk - Ideally, the cheese should be made from cow’s milk. This means that it tastes similar to mozzarella, especially if it is a mild cheese. There are some exceptions, but in general it is better to use a cheese made from cow’s milk.
• Meltable - Mozzarella cheese melts wonderfully , whether it’s on top of a pizza or mixed into a pasta sauce. The cheese used as a substitute for mozzarella must also have the ability to melt. If the cheese doesn’t melt, it won’t work in place of the mozzarella and could end up chewy and tough.

Be aware that some supermarket cheeses have a lot of preservatives and additives that can affect the melting point of your cheese and make it stringy or burnt instead of melty and creamy.

It’s best to choose pure cheeses that are minimally processed—just enough that the cheese is safe to eat, but not so much that it can’t perform its best in the kitchen.

The best alternatives to mozzarella cheese

Whether you don’t like mozzarella or can’t find any to use for your dinner, there are alternatives to turn to.

To choose the best substitute for mozzarella, you have to know what the specific recipe you are cooking calls for. Some recipes just call for a cheese that melts well, while others call for a soft, soft cheese for a delicate flavor.

For this reason, some cheeses may be ideal as a substitute for mozzarella in a salad, but may not work as well in a dish that requires heat, such as pizza or pasta.

There are also mozzarella alternatives that are almost identical to mozzarella, such as Bel Paese and Oaxaca Cheese, but they are not easily found in local North American grocery stores.

So, to help you find the best cheese to replace mozzarella, here are some great options for different dishes, so you can get as close to the original as possible without using mozzarella!

The best mozzarella substitute for lasagna

Who doesn’t like a good serving of lasagna? It’s one of the most comforting meals you can ask for. The mozzarella in the lasagna wraps it all up, helping to make the lasagna crisp and golden on top.

The cheese you use in place of the mozzarella in the lasagna doesn’t have to be too stretchy, as the lasagna will have to curdle and is cut into individual portions.

However, the cheese should melt well and be able to turn a nice golden color when aged.

Here are the best mozzarella substitutes for lasagna:

• Gouda (mild) - Mild Gouda works very well in lasagna. The sweet and buttery flavor of mild Gouda blends perfectly with the rest of the dish. Gouda melts easily into a smooth and creamy consistency, perfect for topping fresh lasagna!
• Havarti - Havarti is a cheese made from cow’s milk and is a semi-soft cheese. Havarti’s subtly sweet flavor and elastic texture make it a highly versatile cheese. You can grate or slice the Havarti to put on top of the lasagna, where it will melt beautifully.
• Edam - Edam is very similar to Gouda, with the same density and elastic properties. It is sweeter and slightly creamier than Gouda, which could add a bit more depth of flavor to lasagna. Edam retains the flavor of herbs and spices quite well, making it a perfect ingredient for a flavorful lasagna.
• Cheddar - Cheddar has little elasticity, so it hardens quite quickly after being heated and melted. This actually works great for lasagna, as the melted cheddar hardens after cooking, allowing you to cut perfect slices for serving. Also, cheddar takes on a nice golden color when cooked, which looks great on food. You can also choose between different cheddars with different levels of strength and spiciness, depending on what you prefer.

Now, we haven’t mentioned ricotta because most lasagna recipes already call for ricotta to form the inner cheese filling between the layers. You’ll want to choose another cheese that complements the flavor and texture of the ricotta.

However, you can even choose another cheese to fill the middle layers. If you feel like experimenting, we have another article on the best substitutes for ricotta cheese in lasagna .

The best substitute for mozzarella for pizza

Mozzarella and pizza are a perfect match, and it may seem like pizza just isn’t the same without it.

However, there are some great substitutes for mozzarella to use on pizza to still get a sticky, stringy melted cheese finish that melts well and offers great flavor.

The following cheese options blend well, but have different flavors. You will get a great result using any of the options below, but the cheese you choose will depend on the flavor you want to achieve with your pizza.

Here are the best mozzarella substitutes for pizza:

• White Cheddar - White cheddar is an ideal substitute for mozzarella. It has a strong flavor and melts very quickly. Its strong flavor and creamy consistency make it great on pizza, and you can still enjoy the stretchy, gooey cheese you’d use with mozzarella, only with more flavor!
• Provolone - Provolone tastes pretty close to mozzarella and is probably the best choice for making a pizza when you don’t have mozzarella. Although the texture of provolone is very similar to that of mozzarella when melted, being fibrous and elastic, it has a slightly stronger flavor.
• Cheddar - Cheddar is a very popular cheese for pizza. It is semi-hard and quite pale in color. Young cheddar has a nutty flavor and is rich, with a firm texture. As cheddar ages, it becomes more crumbly. You’ll get great flavor by using both young and aged cheddar on the pizza, but you won’t get the same stringy effect, since cheddar has little elasticity once it’s melted.
• Edam - Edam has a light, subtle flavor and is a semi-hard cheese. There are some nutty undertones to the cheese, which you can pick up on on your pizza. Edam is made from partially skimmed milk and has a firm, smooth texture. Its mild flavor makes it a good substitute for mozzarella on pizza, as well as its melting ability.
• Gouda - Gouda is also a popular choice to use on pizza. It has a rich, buttery flavor, and can also have some sweet undertones. Being creamy, semi-hard and made with whole milk, it melts well and is sticky and soft on the pizza once melted.
• Young Asiago - Asiago is a hard cheese, rich in flavor and sharp. Being such a hard cheese, it’s easy to grate and use as a topping, but you’ll want to choose a younger asiago as it will melt more easily and be softer than versions that have aged longer. The younger versions melt well, like mozzarella.
• Romano - Romano is a very strong flavored cheese, so only consider this cheese if you are looking for a punch of flavor. With the Romano you will undoubtedly get that cheese flavor on your pizza, as well as a delicious creaminess.
• Parmesan Reggiano - Parmesan Regiano is a very popular cheese to sprinkle on many different foods to add an extra depth of flavor. Parmesan is actually the copied version of this cheese. The original version, though hard, melts well and becomes sweeter with age. The grainy texture and nutty undertones taste great on pizza, and it melts well too. Regular Parmesan tastes good sprinkled on already cooked pizza, but Parmesan doesn’t melt like real Parmesan Reggiano.

You can even choose to use a blend of these cheeses to create your perfect combination of flavors and textures.

The best mozzarella substitute for caprese salad

Mozzarella, fresh tomato, balsamic glaze and basil – what more could you ask for when it comes to simple and flavorful salads?

Again, if you find yourself without mozzarella or want to try something different, you need to know what would be the best cheese to use instead.

Here are the best substitutes for mozzarella in salads:

• Young Mild Gouda - Mild Gouda is, once again, a great substitute for mozzarella, even when it doesn’t need to be melted. You can also use a smooth Edam. They must be young cheeses and must not be smoked. This way, the flavor of the cheese will not overpower the other ingredients in the dish.
• Feta - Feta has more flavor than mozzarella, but it’s crisp and light, just like you’d want in place of mozzarella. When making a Caprese salad, you can use feta instead. It adds more flavor, but still pairs well with other ingredients. In a salad, you can crumble the feta to cover all the other salad ingredients. Take salad to a higher level.
• Provolone - Provolone is as close to mozzarella as you could want and is mild enough to substitute for mozzarella in a salad or main dish. It has a stronger flavor, but is still considered mild and won’t take away from any other flavor in the dish.
• Young Mild Cheddar - Mild cheddar can be used in place of mozzarella in salads and main dishes. It can be easily sliced, and young cheddars have a mild flavor that goes well with many different ingredients.

You don’t have to worry about stretchiness or melting of the cheese as it will be served sliced and cold. The cheese has to have a mild flavor that tastes fresh and is fairly similar in consistency and texture to mozzarella.

The Best Substitutes for Mozzarella in Chicken Parmigiana

You might think that since Chicken Parmigiana is baked in the oven, it would need a type of cheese similar to that in lasagna. Although both dishes use mozzarella, their substitute cheese is quite different.

You could use other cheese options instead of mozzarella, but the options below are the ones that work best with the flavors and ingredient combination of the Chicken Parmigiana.

These are the best substitutes for mozzarella in chicken parmigiana:

• Pepper Jack - Pepper Jack is spicy and has a bit of a kick to it. The pepper jack flavor pairs very well with the herbs and spices used in the Chicken Parmigiana. Pepper jack melts very well, but is not a good choice for pizza, as it becomes greasy due to its high oil content. This high oil content works well with chicken Parmesan as it adds more moisture to the chicken to prevent it from drying out.
• Young Swiss Cheese - Young Swiss cheese has such a wonderfully distinctive flavor. It is semi-sweet and slightly nutty, and it goes very well with the other ingredients in the Chicken Parmigiana. Swiss cheese has a stronger flavor than mozzarella, but its flavor doesn’t overwhelm the dish. It melts into a creamy texture and just adds to the overall dish.
• Ricotta - Ricotta is not known for its melting properties when used on pizza or to top lasagna. When heated, it doesn’t melt, but instead becomes wonderfully smooth and creamy in consistency, which is absolutely ideal in place of the mozzarella in Chicken Parmigiana. This creamy, saucey consistency serves to even out the tomato in the dish and helps keep the chicken moist, so you have a perfectly balanced dish as a whole.
• Jarlsberg - Jarlsberg is quite similar to Swiss cheese, but it is also quite different. When melted, it becomes a thick, creamy texture, and has a buttery, sweet flavor. It sits perfectly on top of the chicken and adds a delicate touch to the dish.

Related questions

Can I melt the mozzarella in a sauce?

Although you can technically melt mozzarella in a sauce, the sauce will not have a smooth and creamy texture.

To get this texture in a sauce, as well as a cheesy flavor, you would need to use cheddar or another high-moisture cheese that doesn’t have a stringy consistency.

Does fresh mozzarella melt?

Fresh mozzarella does melt and it only takes a few minutes to do so. When heated, cheese releases moisture, which helps prevent dishes from drying out.

What cheeses do not melt?

There are quite a few cheese options that don’t melt. It is not good to use them instead of mozzarella in cooked dishes, since you will not get the same result on the plate.

Some cheeses that do not melt are

• Curd
• Paneer
• feta
• Ricotta
• halloumi

Some of them change consistency when heated, but they don’t melt like you would want cheese on top of a pizza or lasagna to melt.

Why don’t some cheeses melt?

Cheeses with a low water content do not melt as well as those with a high water content. Parmesan does not melt very well , unless it is pure Parmigiano Reggiano, as it has a low water content.

Can I use fresh mozzarella in lasagna?

Yes, you can use fresh mozzarella in lasagna, although most recipes call for shredded mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella tastes wonderful in lasagna and adds a fresh flavor to the dish.