Review: Velveeta's Vel2Go Has Made A Pocket Full Of Cheese Possible

Have you ever been out enjoying a meal at a restaurant and thought to yourself, these french fries could use a hefty dollop of processed cheese? Or maybe a single slice of cheese on a burger just doesn't hit the right note. Well, fear not, Velveeta is here to meet your on-the-go cheese needs with its latest limited-time launch.

Velveeta, the block of processed cheese that makes bowls of Mac & cheese extra comforting, has just dropped a single-serve version of its product. Vel2Go is a condiment pack of Velveeta cheese being sold online by Walmart while supplies last. Customers who snag them from Walmart's website get three cartons with four packets of Vel2Go in each carton for a total of 12 packets.

Cheese lovers can smear, drizzle, dip, and drench whatever they want in the thick, cheddar-like substance. But, is this first-of-its-kind cheese condiment as versatile as other sauces? When hot sauce can spice up pretty much anything, what does cheese have to offer us?

After all, there are many delicious ways to use Velveeta cheese that have nothing to do with making cheese dips. Even a batch of fudge can be made silky and smooth by using Velveeta to enhance the texture. With that in mind, let's see if this on-the go cheese takes everyday foods to the next level either on its own, with nachos, on a hot dog, in a bowl of ramen, or over steamed vegetables. 

It's rare that something considered a condiment could be enjoyed all on its own. Sure, a childhood version of myself would probably love the idea of a plate of ketchup, but as a grown up? That being said, Velveeta might be a different story.

These are hefty condiment packets. The Vel2Go is 1.1 ounces of cheese and because Velveeta is known to be thick, the sauce has to be pushed out from the packet. This is not the kind of sauce you can tilt over and let gravity do the work; you'll need to actively squeeze the sauce out.

In terms of taste, eating Vel2Go on its own reminds me of eating Easy Cheese straight from the can. Would I do this on the regular? Probably not. But, if you were to peek in on me alone in my apartment on a random night, you might find open packets of Vel2Go strewn about.

Ideally, a small packet of Velveeta cheese would come in handy when you're craving nachos. So, I put this Vel2Go to the test and I have to say it was mostly passable. I squeezed the cheese over tortillas chips and shredded chicken, but the cheese mostly came out in globs. Drizzling from this packet wasn't really an option.

A zap in the microwave made the cheese melt quickly (maybe even too fast). One bite into a hot tortilla chip covered in melted Velveeta was enough to tell me the packet served its purpose. The chips that did get enough cheese on them were tasty, if just a hint too salty. Plus, with only about an ounce of Velveeta in each Vel2Go packet, it would take at least three packets to fully dress a small plate of nachos.

This Vel2Go would be fine in a pinch, but not necessarily a condiment that would elevate your nacho plate on its own. This condiment packet still needs support from others.

For transparency, I will note that I am not a big fan of cheese dogs in general. A hot dog with just melted cheese is not enough to satisfy my taste buds. To give the Vel2Go a fighting chance, I poured the pack of cheese over the hot dog and took an initial bite.

But then, I thought 'why not upgrade this cheese dog to a chili cheese dog?' I then poured Fritos Chili Cheese chips over the hot dog to add crunch and more levels of flavor. In this case, to cover one hot dog, the Vel2Go pack lived up to its purpose as a condiment packet. I could see someone pulling this out while eating a hot dog on the run or at a baseball game.

The combination of chili cheese chips and melted cheese elevated this hot dog for me. I could also see many other combinations like grilled onions, green peppers, pickles, and other toppings being used as well.

The use of a Vel2Go packet to upgrade instant ramen was by far the best use for this limited time offer that I found. The internet is swimming with ways to level up instant ramen noodles, like adding an egg, kimchi, minced garlic, and yes, cheese.

Generally, what I like to do with my spicy ramen at home is add egg, the best mayo out there, minced garlic, lime juice, and only some of the spice packet included with the noodles. For this impromptu recipe, I replaced the mayo with the Vel2Go and went without the egg. I added a small bit of lime juice and a little minced garlic. If you prefer a ramen experience with more broth, then this won't be for you.

However, I very much enjoyed the creamy, cheesy texture of the Vel2Go mixed with the hot ramen noodles. The balance of flavor was perfect and not as salty as the other uses of Vel2Go. There is a lot of room to build on this recipe (or any other cheesy ramen recipe) but just one packet was enough to coat the noodles. Vel2Go may have found its niche in instant ramen.

I've never been one to dress my vegetables in cheese, but I understand the appeal. In this case, plain steamed vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli weren't helped by the coating of hot cheese. The plate was bland, but I don't consider that the fault of cheese pack so much as just a lack of seasoning.

The warm creaminess is perfectly fine with vegetables, but by no means will you be impressed with the flavor unless you bring a little more seasoning into the mix. The fact that the plain steamed vegetables don't have a strong flavor actually puts the saltiness of the Vel2Go on full display. It's not inedible by any means, but the saltiness might be a little overwhelming for some. 

Once again, the packet led to dollops of cheese on some vegetables and not others. The packet simply doesn't make it easy to drizzle or spread the cheese over everything. This particular combo of cheese and veggies was decent but nothing special.

Vel2Go is a newcomer in the condiments category and has plenty of competition to contend with. From barbecue sauces to hot sauces to the condiment king — ketchup; our nation has long been obsessed with sauces. The bright side for Vel2Go is that people already enjoy Velveeta cheese in many recipes.

However, the packet does have its limitations. 1 ounce of cheese is not enough to cover a plate of food, though it is just enough to satisfy a craving. Some foods like tortilla chips and noodles were meant to have a melty cheese, but others (like hot dogs) might need more to satisfy.

Vel2Go may be the first cheese condiment of its kind, but it has a long way to climb before it can stand among the go-to sauce packets often included in your takeout order. As someone who encourages others to put Tajin on everything, there's plenty of room for more condiments in my kitchen junk drawer.