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Cheddar Cheese Sauce

This quick and easy cheese sauce recipe is a versatile homemade go-to to stash in your recipe repertoire. Use it to top veggies, burgers, pasta or as a stand-in for nacho cheese sauce. Here's how to make it.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 95 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk more, if needed
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne or store-bought or homemade hot sauce to taste
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles ring the edge of the pan.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the bubbling butter.
  3. Stir constantly until a thick paste, or roux, forms. It may become quite thick and almost paste-like. This is okay. And if it doesn’t become crazy thick, that’s okay, too. Expect this to take 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Constantly whisking, slowly pour the warm milk into the flour and butter mixture in a steady stream.
  5. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. It should be thick but still spreadable and pourable.
  6. Stir in the cheese and whisk until completely melted.
  7. Season with the cayenne or hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.
  8. If you’re the fussy sort (um, like me), strain the sauce through a sieve to remove any lumps before serving. The sauce will thicken even more upon cooling.

Notes

  •  
  • Avoid boiling--When heating the milk, avoid boiling, as this can cause it to curdle. Likewise, don't let the cheese sauce boil after the cheese is added, or your sauce may be grainy.
  • Storage--Cheese sauce can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating--Warm the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Chances are you'll need to add more milk to loosen it up.

Nutrition Information

Serving 0.25cup Calories 95kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 2g (1%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 24mg (8%) Sodium 382mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 95

% Daily Value*

Serving 0.25cup
Calories 95kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 382mg 16%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.