Homemade Cheese Sauce

 

Homemade Cheese Sauce 

Welcome! In this post, I am sharing a recipe for homemade cheese sauce.  If you are reading this post, then you probably love cheese. Me too - I  love cheese.  I have always loved cheese.  However, many  beloved cheese sauces and dips from the grocery store are full of saturated and way too much sodium.  This recipe is my attempt to make a healthier cheese sauce that still tastes good and reheats well.  

Why make a homemade cheese sauce?

• It is quick to make. All you do is make the roux, add in the milk, and add in the cheese.
• It reheats well in the microwave.  Simply warm the desired amount of cheese sauce in a microwave-safe container.  
• It pairs well with different foods.  You can serve it with vegetables, potatoes, and pretty much anything else you can think of!
• It tastes delicious!

About That Cheese

• If you are able to shred your own cheese from the block, please do it!  Many prepackaged shredded cheese contain extra starches and fillers that make it harder for the cheese to melt.  Shredding your own cheese eliminates that problem!
• When you make this cheese sauce, feel free to experiment with different kinds of cheese.  Most cheese sauce recipes call for cheddar - nothing wrong with that - but don't be afraid to switch things up.
• I typically use a combination of reduced fat cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese  (any cheese that melts - cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey, etc...)
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and anything else you like

Note: This recipe yields about two cups of sauce, and it lasts in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days.

Instructions:

• Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over Medium heat.
• Whisk the flour - 1 tablespoon at a time - into the butter.
• Let the butter and flour cook for 2-3 minutes.  Whisk the mixture as needed.
• Add the milk a little at time while gently whisking the mixture.
• Reduce the heat from Medium to Low (or a Melt setting) and start adding the shredded cheese a little at a time.  Keep stirring with the whisk to keep it smooth.  
• Once the cheese has been incorporated, remove the saucepan from the stovetop and place it on a trivet.  
• Add seasonings to taste.  

What to do with the sauce?

Drizzle it over a baked potato!

Serve it with cauliflower florets! 

Cheese Fries!

You can also use this sauce as a topping for hot dogs, tater tots, and more!

Let me know if you made this sauce.  What do you like to use it for?  What kind of cheese did you use?