How to Make Cheese Sauce

When most people think of cheese sauce, they think of melting a brick of American cheese in a pan, maybe adding a little milk, and viola! Cheese sauce! What most people do not know is that there is a quick, easy, delicious, and, most importantly, alternative way to make cheese sauce at home which does not require American cheese.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 shredded cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• sauce pan
• whisk

1. Gather the ingredients: butter, flour, milk, and sharp cheddar cheese, along with salt and pepper, if desired. If the cheddar cheese is not already shredded, be sure to shred it at this point. You may consider shredding more than a cup and a half of cheddar depending on how thick you want the cheese sauce to be.

2. Melt the two tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a small or medium-sized sauce pan on the stove top. The pan should hold at least two cups, though a three or four-cup pan would be better. Be careful the heat on the stove top is not too hot, as this will cause the cheese sauce to burn.

3. Add one tablespoon flour once the butter is fully melted. Vigorously mix the flour and butter for one and one-half minutes to two minutes, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Use extreme caution not to burn the mixture. The mixture is burned if it gets darker than golden brown in color. If the mixture does get burned at this point, it's best to throw it away and start over. If you choose to continue after the mixture has burned, the cheese sauce will more than likely have an off-taste.

4. Add one half cup milk immediately once the butter and flour mixture is thick and bubbly and a golden brown color. Stir the milk, butter and flour immediately upon pouring the milk in, and every two minutes or so thereafter to ensure proper consistency of the cheese sauce. Whole milk is best to use, and cream is a good substitute, but any type of milk will do except skim. Using skim milk will cause the cheese sauce to have a thin texture.

5. Stir the mixture every two minutes until it becomes thick and steam rises from it. Be sure not to scald the milk by letting the mixture get too hot or cook too long. Do not let the mixture boil.

6. Remove the mixture from heat. Take the pan off the stove- just turning off the heat on the stove top is not enough. Add the shredded cheese one half cup at a time, stirring after adding each half cup. Sharp cheddar cheese is really good to use, as is pepper jack cheese, a "taco blend" cheese, or even Colby.

7. Once the cheese is mixed in to the desired consistency, add some salt and/or pepper to the cheese sauce for taste. Other spices may be added at this point as well, such as chili powder, garlic powder, or even an all-purpose seasoning salt or mixture. Be sure to add a little at a time and taste before adding more. The spices in the cheese sauce really stand out! Serve immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• This versatile cheese sauce can be used for many different dishes, depending on the type of cheese and spices used. Put it on steamed or fresh vegetables, chips, meat, fish, or as part of a sandwich.
• Experiment with different cheeses and spices to find a combination the family enjoys the most.
• Use care when operating a stove, and supervise children while using a stove.