I agree with the package concern, however cheese comes in packages anyway.  

How lazy can one get?  I have never and would never purchase shredded cheese anymore than I would buy packaged cut lettuce.  People these days have too much money that they would even consider it.  It takes a moment to shred and personally I do it while my meal it cooking.  

I buy shredded cheese......in particular, Tre Stelle's shredded Asiago and crumbled Feta.  It's not a matter of being lazy at all.  Much of my reasoning is a matter of hygiene and the fact that you often save money and get the convenience thrown in, particularly if you buy it at Costco.

Sometimes the shredded stuff goes on sale for less than the block, in which case I'll get it for pizzas. Other than that, I avoid it. I'm still not sure what the "cellulose" is that they put in there to stop it from clumping... Isn't that sawdust?  (and why I choose to overlook that when I make pizza is yet another question)

I shred my own mozza and cheddar, but we do buy Kraft Tex-Mex shredded cheese for tacos and quesadillas. It's spicier than regular cheese. However, the majority of the cheese we eat in our house is bought by the block.  

Altho I think that the flavour of shredded is not as intense and the block, I will sometimes buy a package for convenience, and often freeze the remainder (I know this is a no-no, but have had it mould on me)  I find it is good for toppings on casseroles

No I don't.  I tried it a few times but it kept molding within days of opening the package.  Plus I find it more expensive then my local cheese man.

I buy shredded for things like casseroles, I really like the convenience of it. For every day eating we buy block cheese because I agree with the others that the flavor is more intense. Our 2 year old hates mild cheese! No shame in saving a couple of minutes though by getting the cheese shredded for you though!

I like my cheese the old-fashioned way. Like you, Catherine, I buy it in big honkin' blocks, from a purveyor who asks "how much cheese" by moving a knife along the cheese wheel. So no, I wouldn't buy it pre-packaged and shredded. But I will get back to you on this when I juggle kids on top of a job, a husband, and everything else in life!

never

I buy both.  Unfortunately, cheese in Ontario is very expensive so I buy a smaller amount pre-shredded but only when they're on sale and I toss them in the freezer (I've never experienced a problem when doing this).  Another thing I've found is that it's very hard to find a good variety of block cheeses.  I once found a pack of shredded Asiago cheese in a Wal-mart Superstore of all places.  I couldn't find it in any form in any of the regular grocery stores.  But the real question should be when are the cheesemakers going to stop gouging us with the high cheese prices!?

Being a well organized person and multi-managing, packaged cheese is sometimes the alternative to being late or stressed.  My dinner parties do not suffer from pre-shredded cheese.  

I buy shredded cheese all the time. I find that if I buy the block that I eat it more often. With the shredded I only use it when I need to. It helps if you are trying to loose weight!

These days more and more people are being told that they have some form of diabetes. Do any of the  chefs do any programming that  would meet the  give prep and cooking ideas keeping this group of ever increasing numbers of people in mind?

I would never buy pre-shredded cheese. The cost is crazy and I'm not too big on the "anti-clumping" agents they add to it. Aside, how long does it take you to grate a cup of cheese ? A minute ?

I don't think cheese prices in Ontario are too bad either, unless you're shopping at Pusateri's or other vogue food destinations.

I've seen really low prices on several cheese brands in the past 6 weeks.

Say Catherine, do you suppose the dairy industry and cheesemakers in this case, experience milk surplasses that allow them to discount heavily during certain times of the year ? Yogurt , ice cream, domestic cheddar, cream, chocolate milk have been big supermarket deals the past 6 weeks.

Mouldy Cheeze ?? Never if you do it this way.

Buy the block...cut it in sizes and wrap in regular weight tin foil. Then freeze. Always keep wrapped in the foil in fridge. Voila!!

I do not buy pre-shredded cheese.  My preference is to go to a market and purchase my cheeses there, however, I do buy the Black Diamond brand cheese (which is pretty much the same quality as in the bag, but pre-shredded) - so, I suppose I'm guilty of another "foodie" crime.

To save time I usually buy the pre-shredded cheese. My favourite dish is avocado rice and beef burritos which uses shredded Monterey Jack cheese. You can check out the recipe here:missavacado.com/avocado-recipes/. Enjoy :)

We're cheese snobs. SO we only buy bricks of cheese. If we have to shred a large quantity, we do it in the food processor. Otherwise, we shred and if we have leftovers we put it in a ziplock and put it in the "cheese only" section of our fridge. No need for the pre-shredded stuff!