How to make a Lower Calorie Chopped Cheese that still tastes good.

[@EthanChlebowski]

Save 20% on your first Native purchase! Click here bit.ly/nativechlebowski and use my code CHLEBOWSKI - Thanks again Native for sponsoring this video.

[@misterhat5823]

Thumbs down for sticking the shill in the middle of the video.

[@jacobanderson8219]

Hey Ethan. A bit late to the party here I know, but do you think you could do an episode dedicated to chili? Have a recipe for a midwestern chili that I've been working on for about two years now, would love to see your opinion on it if you'd like me to give the recipe. Proportions I use are usually for a family of seven (we have a small compound here in Indiana, with almost everyone having at least one day to cook dinners), but I imagine you'd be able to compensate for that fairly well given your talent at downsizing recipes.

[@morrius0757]

I don't know if the calories would be different, but you need to take a page from vegans and vegetarians on how to make things seem beefy when they aren't, maybe add a little Marmite and some mushroom powder. You could also add some yeast extract to make it taste more cheesy "It actually is what a lot of vegan cheeses use". I eat meat but enjoy eating meatless occasionally so I watch the YT channel Sauce Stache and he makes some amazing things.

[@anthonylosego]

Can you remake the lower calorie one IDENTICALLY to how you did it, but before you use the lean meat, mix 1/2 tsp of baking soda in 1 tbsp of cold water thoroughly, then pour over your meat. Mix it as well as you can to ensure all the slurry is in all parts of the meat. Put in your fridge for 20 minutes. Then continue as before. This will keep the meat proteins from leaking out all the moisture and make it brown up making umami beefy flavors to an nth degree in the same cooking time. Do this first to the low calorie one and don't tempt yourself on the high calorie one. As though the high cal wasn't heavenly enough, this would knock it out of the park. lol. The idea though is to make the low cal taste good so you desire it more. Making the high cal one taste even better is kinda going backwards... unless, you just want to do it anyways! hahaha

[@dreamcatcherpone]

I started watching your videos last year, and started putting them to practice at the start of this year. Lost 38 pounds so far because of the methodologies you've explained in your catalogue. I'm glad the algorithm crossed our paths. Add 1 more (me) to counter of people you've positively impacted. Thanks, man. :D

[@EthanChlebowski]

I’m glad to hear it, congrats on the success ✊

[@Klaatew]

Congrats!!

[@uwirl4338]

Holy fuck that's a lot of weight lost in 4 months

[@abbynormal7525]

Congratulations ❤! That is awesome and very impressive.

[@thewiirocks]

I didn’t follow Ethan’s template, but he did inspire me to lose weight while making some amazing meals. Down 29 pounds in 2.5 months and still dropping. The hardest part is realizing that you’re going to need *more* food as you lose weight and energy levels increase. It’s incredibly counterintuitive and I now understand why I always bounced off the wall in the past. Thanks for inspiring us all, Ethan!

[@beinerthchitivamachado874]

PLEASE always do both versions, Ethan. As a Skinny Dude trying to GAIN weight, I need to always be consuming caloric bombs, lol.

[@HumbleManatee]

Exactly what I was thinking. He showed off that delicious sandwich at the beginning and started discussing the lower calorie option and i thought he'd skip over the original. Glad to be proven wrong and I can't wait to make this

[@SeraphsWitness]

Tip: Fat has twice the calories per gram as protein and carbs. That's your big opportunity there. Peanut butter sandwiches!

[@hirotakasugi4891]

lots of mcdonalds

[@granddaddyofthemall6320]

@@SeraphsWitness Peanut butter is slave food I'll stick to beef.

[@joeyazzata29]

Same🤣

[@Viewer500]

One thing I typically do with my chopped cheese to make it “healthier” is to use ground turkey and diced up mushrooms. The turkey can be dry, but the mushrooms add a fatty texture to the meat that I find to be great. Plus once you add the cheese you can’t even taste them. Would recommend!

[@griffinmaeve]

Seconding adding mushrooms!! I usually mix mushrooms into meat dishes bc I'm trying to eat less meat overall and as a bonus it makes meals healthier and cheaper!

[@Vallgor]

@@griffinmaeve I'd have to say, adding some good umami-rich shrooms could also help with the lack of flavor by using lower-fat meat or even like you and Frank May said turkey meat. Could also even use the mushrooms funk to circumvent using a lot of any salty dressing or sauce. Really good idea with the mushrooms mate.

[@amontpetit]

I find turkey works best when it's in something with other flavours, where "beef flavour" isn't the goal.

[@pulykamell]

I bet ground or finely diced (like with a cleaver) chicken thigh would work really well. Paired maybe with green chiles or roasted poblanos, and pepper jack for the cheese, maybe mixed with some white American for extra meltiness. It's turning into a different sandwich at this point, of course, but I bet it would be good. Then again, kinda hard to screw up this formula. :)

[@singerofsongs468]

@@pulykamell it’s almost like a chicken cheesesteak, which is a great sandwich, 10/10. sounds really good with chiles and pepper jack!

[@T90MT]

Im fasting and this deeply hurts me inside.

[@EthanChlebowski]

A post fast chopped Cheese would be incredible, stay strong 💪

[@jflores85]

I should be fasting today

[@oliveater2358]

That's because you're a glutton.... for punishment. What are you even thinking watching this while you're fasting?!

[@Squeeko639]

@@EthanChlebowski thats exactly what I plan to do! Although, probably more likely for suhoor. Stay strong @k2bp!

[@absolutmauser]

Hang in there! It will taste even better when you make it!

[@rosuchristian7013]

I love your "lower calories version" videos, they help me a lot with my fitness journey. Favourite cooking channel on my list, keep it up!

[@sebastiancastillo8704]

I make a version of this with low-carb Mission wraps. I add gochujang to my onions, which gives them a lot of flavor. Also use like 97% lean ground. The full meal in two wraps with lower-fat cheddar cheese slices is like 450 calories for 50 grams of protein. Very filling, tastes great.

[@Pyroific]

I lost my love for food, flavor and cooking over the last few years, but this channel is slowly but surely helping me get back into actually wanting to cook again. love the lower calorie options you include!

[@brisketchick]

I'm sorry to hear you've lost that love. I think I feel similarly, and I'm loving Ethan's videos as well. I hope your love of cooking continues to return and grow!

[@rockshot100]

Ethan cooks in a very sensible way, and cleans up as he goes. NO playing around. Also like how he makes extra and freezes it for later. I suggest sticking with the simpler stuff without a lot of clean up. You are on the path for healthier eating. He is a lot like Chef John of Food wishes, but some of his stuff is complicated. I did probably 2 hundred of his dishes, and everybody thinks I am a fantastic cook. Not one was less than "very good".

[@sahmedalee]

For the low calorie sauce, use half mayo and half yougurt to reduce the calories, and to give it a spicy kick may add siracha or low calorie hot sauce. This is my go to sauce for sharwma, but i think it will fit in here as well.

[@mattmcfadden1036]

Have you experimented with adding a dollop of Better Than Bouillon Beef to the lower fat beef to bring out a beefier flavor? I wonder if that would help with the flavor profile. May add a nice crust too. These are great videos, I really enjoy all of your series.

[@lorel747]

Loving the daily upload, but would love another day in my life / what I eat in a day video. Keep it up dude!

[@EthanChlebowski]

For sure, planning to do a full week soon as well

[@mrtspence]

A small hack I use for making lean or extra-lean beef taste beefier is adding a tablespoon or so of concentrated beef stock (homemade is best but use what you've got!) and some gelatin to keep everything bound up and not making the sandwich too soggy. It works like a charm.

[@rockshot100]

Have you ever tried a 1/4 tsp of baking soda per lb. of meat? Thank me later.

[@granddaddyofthemall6320]

@@rockshot100 Slave style stretching out meat.

[@quiseanrobinson1141]

@@rockshot100for lean beef or just any meat ?

[@rockshot100]

@@quiseanrobinson1141 Works best on ground meat, but would do the same on a roast chicken. I don't take the skin off so it browns nicely, you could lightly brush it with that diluted in half.

[@ianCD_]

We see the production upgrade Ethan. You keep doing you man

[@cseymour97]

Yes! I've missed these low calorie alternative videos! They were my favorite during the covid lock down! It really helped me realize we can still eat good food and not load up on calories

[@Cryley]

Your honesty is what really matters when it comes to these types of videos. Good job 👏

[@jermboat44]

Immediately cooked the lower cal inspired version after watching. Used a bit less 85/15 and clocked in around 750 calories for 4 separate sandwiches for the week! Blew me away! Thanks for the inspiration as alway

[@CraftyGazelle]

Toast your bread. Or optionally, after assembling your sandwich, apply a grill press and leave it on the griddle for a quick 30-45 sec. Cut it at a slight angle, so you have the perfect bite in both halves. That’s how they do it here in NY

[@PapeySapote]

Some people don’t like toasted bread. I always tell the deli guys not to toast my bread o anything I order.

[@Existential_Robot]

I know people love toasted bread, but I have an autoimmune disease that ravages my teeth and a large portion of my body, and eating toasted bread is the fastest way for me to lose my teeth. I'm sure I'll enjoy it more when I have my implants, but it's just not something I enjoy because it hurts to eat, and I don't think I'm going to suddenly start singing its praises once I do become able to eat it.

[@Matthew-kh6th]

The level up in your content over the last year+ has been inspiring. Keep crushing it.

[@jobobminer8843]

I like how you discussed a lot of options for reducing calories outside of the ones you did and also talked about why you chose to use certain methods (you wanted a more authentic chopped cheese) This way, we have building blocks of all sort to mix and match

[@sueannesullivan3827]

I love how huge Ethan’s bites are! 😂

[@joshsnyder4868]

It's actually his moustache trying to get a bite at the same time!

[@Heavens_Rejected]

I would love to see a video from you breaking down the differences (if there is any) of the various types of salt. Rock salt, sea salt, kosher salt, pink salt, does it really matter what I use?

[@techpriestemily]

Seconded, salt is such a huge thing in cooking, it'd be nice to know.

[@daltigoth3970]

Rock salt, sea salt and pink salt are all just rock salt, but are sourced from different places, so there might be some extremely slight variations in taste and other minerals contained within the salt. The "salt" flavor is going to overpower anything else in it and most of those other minerals are in such small volume that they don't even matter, especially once it is mixed in with whatever you are adding the salt to. Simply put, salt is salt, so unless it is a very impure salt, there is no difference. The source labeling is mostly just a marketing gimmick. Any of the aforementioned salts can be found in rock form that you have to grind up yourself, and all of them can also be found in some pre-ground varieties. Salt grinders usually have some way to adjust how finely they grind the rocks, but hand grinders are not as precise as machine grinders are with the size of the granules coming out of them, so there can be a lot of fluctuation which makes it difficult to get exact measurements with hand-ground salt (and it can be tiring if you need a lot, such as for pasta water). The bigger difference is going to be with how you intend to use the salt, and the "grain" classification is what you'll really want to pay attention to - Kosher is one such grain classification. Kosher salt and table salt are rocks that have been machine-ground with some anti-caking agent added so the granules don't stick together. Kosher salt are large granules, while table salt is very fine granules. The larger granules of the kosher salt cause it to take longer to dissolve, so it doesn't distribute as well in the doughs of baked goods, though that might be desirable in some cases, so this is one area where you'll want to pay attention to what type of salt a recipe is calling for. Kosher salt is often used for sprinkling on meats before cooking and for finished dishes where you want people to see the little salt crystals. Flake salt is another option, but it is shaved from the rock rather than ground and is a lot more expensive so most home cooks aren't going to bother with it.

[@cadynreyes6369]

I made this from the Newsletter. Very cool to see you made a video about it

[@pigeonhed2979]

I'm happy for your success Ethan. Keep up the great work!

[@T-Bone223]

These are the videos I absolutely love. Makes my life and fitness journey so much more fun

[@whitneykani710]

This looks amazing Ethan. Thanks for the great content.

[@heyitsmort7744]

I love taking these recipes and removing any low-calorie elements. Tastes even better and helps the bulk!

[@RyanWithersAway]

Dude. I love your channel. Always inspires me to put spins on recipes I love

[@thepurplebox380]

Your timing is impeccable. I was just craving chopped cheese

[@bubrub23]

Can't wait to read my Sunday morning letter after this ❤❤❤

[@alcotoasty]

Hey Ethan! I loved your videos man! For the lower fat ground beef, I watched a youtuber named Felu - Fit by Cooking (I'm sure others did as well but I saw through him), he suggested using a teaspoon or two of unflavored gelatin in the pan when you're finishing up 90/10 or 95/5 ground beef, as it gives that 'high fat content' mouth feel of the higher fat content ground beef. I have given it a try and it makes it much tastier.

[@edwinbear7065]

Seriously I love the calorie reduction videos you do. They're so helpful to me in eating better.

[@Eldin_00]

For most things I I make with ground beef, I split the difference and go with 80/20, which has fewer calories than the 73/27 but enough fat to still get most of the way to that good beefy flavor.

[@Miniac]

11:36 "Kinda just blacked out there for a second" 😂I guess I need to make this sandwich!

[@michaelfrietsch8246]

Picked up some 73/27 beef yesterday. Guess I know what I’m making real soon 🤔

[@thewayofbass2534]

This was great, watched this while I was working out, realized I have all the ingredients in my house. I made it and it was very good! Keep up the good work 😎

[@MelanieOh]

I had some success following your black bean burger recipe and turning it into a chopped cheese, tbh

[@artifishul]

I'd love if you put the macro/calorie breakdown side by side at the end

[@joedillier7113]

love the illustrations!

[@dwsmith1982]

Some Worcestershire sauce can go a long way towards enhancing the beefy flavor of low-fat ground beef if you are trying to make a lower-fat version of one of these.

[@chriskenny7883]

I really enjoyed the sandwich component drawing!

[@MittBritt20]

Game changing content. My mouth is salivating

[@jenniferfuentes6805]

I've never made or eaten a chopped cheese before but I definitely will now thank you!!

[@valerierg4714]

As a gym goer, love this content!

[@bryank427]

def gonna try making ur jalepeno variety here...looks fantastic.

[@jim3565]

I use thinly slice mushrooms and a little bit of ground beef for my low calorie chopped cheese.

[@CliveBixby0214]

Wrapping the sandwich in foil is akin to serving a burger and fries in a red basket with paper lining. It just subconsciously elevates the flavor and creates a great experience.

[@ThePokestopPapi]

Excellent presentation as well!

[@darthyves]

Ketchup and toasted/panini bread and this would be even more delicious than it already looks

[@katl8825]

I’m loving the new art! Not sure if it’s you or a new staffer but loving the style :)

[@on333]

I love your videos man, everything from the how good the food looks to the explanations and the overall chill vibe

[@tlaren]

I've never had a chopped cheese before, but... wow, these look amazing. You're the reason I'm looking at getting a flat top griddle, just to make stuff like this. I might have to try this with 85/15, basically split the difference between the two for fat content. Either way, it looks fantastic~

[@MrCaddySlash]

Getting a flat top is worth the purchase

[@Amine-ol8ee]

Please please please more of the low calorie version food videos!!

[@PastelKenshi]

Ethan, how could u pre season tomatoes , salt draws the liquides out and makes it mushy since it’s super thin the effect will happen fast, always season with salt as a final touch in salads or sandwiches

[@PastelKenshi]

Also you NEVER wrap with aluminium THEN cut with knife while having minced meat and sauces inside that can be a refuge to tiny aluminium bits due to the cutting

[@PastelKenshi]

And yeah I saw you removing those tiny aluminum shards in the end of the video when you were taste testing 😅 its just a bad habit that you can pass to your viewers and it’s very toxic to our bodies coming from our healthy smart chef content

[@AlanMillerFencepost]

Mix in a little baking soda in the beef to let it hold moisture better while browning?

[@KB_2161]

Gelatin helps hold in the moisture. I also add beef bouillon

[@Supergforce777]

I will be doing this for 4/20 this week

[@TheArcSet]

Thanks for this. Never heard of the sandwich, but I appreciate theses.

[@gargoyled_drake]

in general if you want to lose weight, just cut out bread, potatos or anything that binds, it's not easy, but it does a lot of the beginning foot work along with exercise.

[@yeezusog5780]

Appreciation comment for the great work on editing and the illustrations ☝🏼☝🏼

[@k1ck8ss]

Bro you’ve been killing these recipes the last couple of weeks.

[@polythewicked]

This isn’t bad considering I could never finish a whole sandwich. Maybe half, so a bit over 500 calories is fine for a meal, especially if you had some veg on the side.

[@tai2691997]

Finally, a new mic! Yes!

[@pabbaditya]

You could try to put the cheese straight on the griddle (hoop cheese style) and flip the beef on top of the cheese. Youll get that crispy salty bit from the higher fat version in the lower calorie version.

[@willcook6967]

Have you thought about compensating for the less beefy flavor of the leaner meat with a little beef bouillon? Maybe mix in powder or brush a paste version over top before the flip? I bet that would really take it over the top?

[@brisketchick]

I love your approach to decreasing calories. Still using quality and flavorful ingredients is key!

[@kriscastro]

i like watching you do the lil dancey dance during the taste test when the food is real good

[@woltews]

I would have sped out half the ground beef for finely chopped mushrooms but kept the full fat beef , used a hole wheat bun , put chopped garlic in with the meat mushroom mix , used finely sliced cabbage instead of lettuce for more crunch . A yougert sauce made with balken stile yougert , lime juse and zest , calbrian chilies , white pepper and garlic .

[@wm-nu1yf]

I usually add fat free greek yogurt to the mayo when I'm using mayo for something, similar to what you did with the sour cream. The yogurt I get doesn't have that weird chemical taste that a lot of fat free stuff has, so it is tolerable.

[@rikkansi]

What brand of yogurt is it?

[@wm-nu1yf]

@@rikkansi Friendly Farms. I get it from Aldi. I think it's like their store brand. All of the Aldi stores around here have it (South Florida) but I haven't seen it in any of the other stores in the area.

[@rikkansi]

@@wm-nu1yf Ah yes, the Aldi yogurt is pretty good. Thanks!

[@wm-nu1yf]

@@rikkansi No prob :)

[@erikafloriana7237]

That sandwich looks so good!

[@evan]

I’ve made a variation of the low cal chopped cheese 4 times this month! Using 5% fat mince 😎

[@domonicramey3960]

Love this series!

[@HenkJanLeeuwik]

Amazing content, everything I look forward to in a video. Keep up the good work!

[@RidleyJones]

Could you amplify the beefiness of the second one by putting in some bouillon or Worcestershire sauce in it while cooking?

[@MrShowTime32]

Great video, I will have to try this one day

[@supaTronic]

I make these with leaner meat like 95/5, reduce fat or fat free cheese, light mayo, low sugar ketchup. Can even replace with low carb buns @ 50g per bun... instead of hoagie roll to cut even more calories.

[@dennispovloski8102]

I don't know if this is a dumb question, but is it possible to replace the beef fat with a "healthier" fat (idk like plant based) to keep the beefy taste up? Or is it specifically the beef fat that does that? Maybe a better way to ask is does the beef flavor come from the beef and is carried by the fat, or does the beef fat itself give the flavor?

[@SlikRikx]

I would flip the ground beef before chopping it up to get maximum surface area browning

[@wannabelikegzus]

An 8" Morabito hoagie roll clocks in at 120 calories, or about 1/3 the calories of a 10" Amoroso roll. The sauce and cheeses add another 300-400 calories, so cutting those portions down or using low-fat options would also make a big difference. However, with only moderate reductions, you could pretty easily get the sandwich down to 700 calories.

[@SupaFranky7]

Finally more lower calorie ideas with real quality, thank you. The "faster/better" recipe trends have swamped the great channels for years now.

[@t.c.2776]

if I wanted to go low cal but with flavor... I might saute the onions in a bit of butter first and add the 90/10 beef, sprinkled with Accent, on top of that and let the butter add a bit of fat and flavor... use jarred sliced red bell peppers as the veggie topping and maybe get creative and use some blue cheese crumble under the american cheese, mayo with a dash of steak sauce and a dash of frank's hot sauce... and lightly toast the roll...

[@PhoenixPwnsAll]

Dont cut the aluminum foil with the serrated knife, 11:05 I can see bits of the foil on the sandwhich, wrap it in paper instead.

[@eldoradocanyonro]

Add some lime juice or other citrus/acid to the cooking meat to help with the moisture sensation you're looking for. Swap your sour cream for low fat greek yogurt, especially if you're mixing it in with other things.

[@Fly1ngHawaiian]

Hey Ethan! If I were to grind my own meat of 73/27 beef what cuts of meats would you recommend? Love your content!

[@Maplecook]

Italinish is one of my favourite cuisiney things!

[@emmanuellececchi8557]

Never had this type of sandwich before. Now I am thinking when I will be able to make it for my hubby and me.

[@GreenGardenGamer]

The thing I really love about your videos/approach in the kitchen is how you take the basic principle(s) (or as you've said, blueprint/framework) of what makes a given dish/sauce/etc and play around with certain variables to make it your own. It really speaks on how flexible we need to be in the kitchen and if we have a foundation of similar components to a well known food just make it how you'd want to for taste/caloric value/overall eating experience. Cheers!

[@farmitzdugan]

I have tried this wrapping method as well but I end up with little flecks of aluminum foil and I noticed that you did too. I was thinking parchment might work better. What do you think?

[@nope9439]

I wrap in parchment

[@vedocorban]

Man this makes me hungry. And I'm even having dinner while watching!

[@stevegranado]

I roll with impossible meat on a bolillo roll with siracha mayo. Call it the California chopped cheese. Hits. Every. Time.

[@NA-su3jk]

Appreciate your videos, ty. I am recently bound to, sadly, avoid carbs for health reasons, like... just a bit of whole wheat bread is max for me - no breads, no sweets. So i wonder if there are things like soy paper or nut-based "breads" things that are good? Just a content idea, along the health lines. Btw i know lettuce leaf wraps and spaghetti squash or zucchine curls are my good options but i am trying to see what else is out there that gets me closer to tasty portable sandwich type food? Ty!

[@chrispeuler9404]

Could you try adding a beef bouillon cube to the lean meat? Might pump up that beefy flavor with less calories.

[@cletusspartacus]

There was a place I used to go to in Midland Tx called smiling moose deli and they had a chopped cheese there that was really good. I really don’t know of any places in Texas that make these.

[@JamesTMurray]

I know the Adobo seasoning has some MSG in there, but do you think adding some to the low cal version would up the beefy flavor?

[@rockshot100]

MSG is NOT bad for everybody, really most people don't have any reaction. They put it in almost everything you buy but change the name in the ingredients. So you change the name and magically nobody gets head aches from it. "yeast extract" is one of the words for it. Old wives tale, for sure.

[@madman12377]

Here to watch and make the high calorie version 👍

[@greenblack6552]

I like the new microphone. The previous videos had a bit of an echo, possible due to the large room. But the audio quality is waaaaay better now.

[@angelcruz3989]

I remember having my first chop cheese after football practice in middle school by yankee stadium, I was hooked instantly. so I feel you on the “tryna slow down cuz this shit type heavy” side.

[@frankpower97]

since it's dryer beef you could use the chinese trick (also made famous by america test kitchen) and add a pinch of baking soda to tenderize everything (papain is also a thing if you don't like even the faintest taste of baking soda)

[@caleblarson9720]

Dude I just made this. So flipping good

[@bdolcourt]

Adding a touch of unflavored gelatin and a sprinkle of MSG will help give back some of the mouth feel lost by reducing the fat.

[@TiaraAlicea]

These look so good! Definitely inspired me to make a chopped cheese. 🔥🙌🏽🤤 Can we see it made the ocky way in the next video???

[@Scott-yu4yt]

looks great ill defo give the low calorie one a try! wonder if we could make a sauce with fat free greek yogurt as a base too

[@vert1]

Hey Ethan, what's your go to knife? Love your videos. You've got me cooking up a storm and I can't wait to try even more of your recipes. Looking to invest in a really nice knife though and I'd love to hear what your every day knife is. Thank you for helping me lose 33 pounds so far. You're the man.