R2-D2 Cheese

Don’t you call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease!
(C-3PO to R2-D2 right before they enter the escape pod, in the beginning of Episode IV)

Well, an R2-D2 glob of grease is EXACTLY what we are going for here… So let the melted cheese fun start!

This was our very first venture into molded Star Wars cheese heaven…it was super easy compared to carving, which we had done in previous years.

After some experimenting, we figured that a chunk of mozzarella from the deli counter works best. It molds extremely well, and looks and tastes about the same before and after the molding process. Many cheeses do not hold up well – they separate and become greasy or gritty and chalky.

Needed:

R2-D2 Silicone Mold
2 -2.5 lb Chunk Mozzarella from Deli Counter
Large Microwaveable Bowl
Large Platter
Fixings (olive mix from olive bar, or grape tomatoes and crackers)
Optional: Nachos (you’ll see why in a bit)

How To:

Cut the cheese… (heh-heh! I can’t even write that without giggling….With 2 young kids, potty humor is very popular these days…I digress, or regress, maybe is more accurate)
…into 1″ cubes.
Put cheese in large microwaveable bowl and microwave until a soft gooey glob. DO NOT microwave until it is all melted!
Press glob-o-cheese into the silicone mold, making sure you get all the nooks and crannies. Smooth the bottom, and let cool to the touch.
While you let cool, have a snack! Use any unused melted cheese for nachos!
Cover the mold with plastic wrap, and put in fridge overnight.
Take the mold out of the fridge an hour or so before serving (cheese usually tastes better at room temperature), turn upside down on platter and press cheese out from the back.
Decorate with fixings around the cheese. We have tried crackers and tomatoes, and olive mix with crackers on the side (my fave).

Tips:

The BIG trick is to not let the cheese liquefy. It should be a soft gooey lump, which you then press into the mold. If it is microwaved too long and melts entirely, even mozzarella cheese will separate and not mold nearly as nice.