An apparatus for producing a cheese product includes a grinder operable to receive raw cheese and grind the cheese into granules having less than 0.25 inches in length. The apparatus further includes a dispenser operable to dispense the granulated cheese into one or more molds. The apparatus further includes a dryer comprising a microwave element. The dryer is operable to heat and remove moisture from the granulated cheese using at least microwave radiation in a heating zone. The apparatus further includes a cooling tunnel operable to cool and remove moisture from the dried cheese.
