Buzz
Sometimes, you might suddenly crave a creamy and delicious cheese sauce. If that's the case, learn how to make cheese sauce at home and drizzle it over nachos, broccoli, or baked potatoes for a tasty and affordable snack. You can choose from the most basic cheese sauce recipe to variations like flavored or vegetarian cheese sauces. Experiment with different types of cheese, such as sharp cheddar, Gouda, or Swiss, to create your perfect cheese sauce.
Ingredients
Basic Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) butter
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) flour
- 3 cups (700 ml) milk
- 2 cups (480 ml) shredded cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Variation Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) shredded cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) sodium citrate
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) optional liquid (water, beer, or wine)
Vegan “Cheese” Sauce
- 1 small zucchini, peeled and sliced
- 5 small Yukon Gold potatoes
- 180 ml water
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon regular or smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Optional toppings: Red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños
Steps
Basic Sauce
Gather your ingredients. The quality of the ingredients will directly impact the quality of your cheese sauce. Start with shredded or block sharp cheddar cheese. If using a block, use a grater to shred 2 cups of cheese.
- You can substitute cheddar with other cheeses like Gouda or Swiss.
- To enhance the flavor of the basic cheese sauce, consider adding salsa, hot sauce, beer, or wine.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Place a saucepan over medium heat and slowly melt the butter to prepare the cheese sauce. Keep an eye on the butter to ensure it doesn’t brown or burn, as this can alter the sauce’s flavor.
Whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour. Gradually add the flour to the melted butter, using a whisk to combine until the mixture is smooth.
- Cook for a few minutes until the mixture slightly changes color. Be careful not to burn it, as this can give the sauce a burnt taste.
Pour in 3 cups of milk. Slowly add the milk to the mixture, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
- Avoid lumps by pouring the milk gradually and stirring constantly to ensure a smooth consistency.
Season with one teaspoon of spices. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, cayenne, or other seasonings like rosemary or dried thyme to the mixture. Get creative to enhance the flavor of the cheese sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of your preferred seasoning. You can adjust the sauce to taste after adding the cheese.
- Be cautious with salt. Once you add too much, it’s hard to fix, and many cheeses already contain salt. If you use salted butter, the sauce will already have some saltiness.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Take the saucepan off the stove before adding the shredded cheese to prevent the sauce from separating or clumping.
Stir in the shredded cheese. Gradually add handfuls of cheese to the saucepan. Use a spoon to stir and wait for the cheese to melt completely before adding more.
Serve immediately. Cheese sauce thickens as it cools, so serve it right away. Drizzle it over fries, baked potatoes, or steamed vegetables.
Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This sauce can last up to 3 days.
- Avoid reheating leftovers on high heat or boiling, as the sauce may become too thick or separate. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring constantly until desired consistency is reached.
Variation Sauce
Gather your ingredients. This recipe requires sodium citrate, a salt used as an emulsifier. Sodium citrate reduces the acidity of the cheese, making proteins dissolve more easily and preventing the sauce from separating. It creates a smooth, velvety texture.
- Find sodium citrate at specialty stores. It resembles salt, with a salty and slightly sour taste. Only a small amount is needed, so avoid adding extra salt to the sauce.
- If sodium citrate is unavailable, substitute with 2 teaspoons of citric acid and 2.5 teaspoons of baking soda. Citric acid is available at many grocery stores.
- Use high-quality cheese for this variation, such as Pepper Jack, Gouda, or Gruyère. These cheeses often come in blocks. Use a grater to shred 1 cup of your chosen cheese.
Dissolve ½ teaspoon of sodium citrate in ½ cup of liquid. Mix sodium citrate with water, beer, or wine in a medium saucepan. The liquid should just cover the bottom of the pan; with ½ cup, you may not need to pour it gradually.
Heat the mixture. Place the saucepan over medium heat and warm until it simmers but doesn’t boil. You’ll see small bubbles forming on the surface.
Add the shredded cheese to the saucepan. Stir in the shredded cheese with a spoon until it melts and blends into the liquid. The sauce will have a smooth, thick consistency thanks to the sodium citrate.
Serve on the dining table. Pour the sauce into a bowl for dipping fries or vegetables, or drizzle it over fries to make nachos. You can even pour it over steamed vegetables to enhance the flavor of the dish.
Vegetarian sauce
Gather the ingredients. Sometimes vegetarians or those who are lactose intolerant also crave cheese sauce. While nothing can perfectly replicate the taste of cheese in a perfect cheese sauce, a vegetarian cheese-style sauce can help curb those cravings. The key to making a vegetarian cheese sauce is to use starchy vegetables like zucchini and potatoes to create a smooth, thick texture without separating.
Prepare the zucchini. Preheat the oven to 213°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the zucchini, then slice it into 0.5 cm thick pieces and arrange them on the baking tray.
Bake or steam 5 small potatoes until cooked. Peel the potatoes and cut each into quarters. Arrange the potatoes on another baking tray and place them in the oven with the zucchini for about 10 minutes until tender.
Mash the cooked potatoes with a fork. Use a dry measuring cup to measure out 1 cup of mashed potatoes. Precise measurement is crucial to achieve the desired consistency and thickness of the sauce.
Add the cooked zucchini to the blender. Include ¼ cup of nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt, ¾ teaspoon of regular or smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of low-sodium soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fresh lemon juice into the blender.
Blend the ingredients until smooth. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed. Avoid adding more than 1 cup of water until after blending at high speed for a few minutes.
Taste and season the sauce. Adjust the flavor by adding more lemon juice, salt, or other spices to enhance the taste. If using Worcestershire sauce as a substitute for soy sauce, you may need to add extra salt.
Sprinkle additional seasonings as desired. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a few slices of chili, or ¼ cup of diced tomatoes to give the sauce a fresh and aromatic touch. This recipe yields 2.5 cups of sauce.
