I wouldn’t be so bold as to say a good cheese sauce can solve any problem, but it certainly does make almost everything coming out of the kitchen better. Way better.
Just 5 minutes and 4 simple ingredients you probably already have on hand and you’re on your way to game-changing homemade cheese sauce for fries, nachos, vegetables and lots more.
Once you try this warm gooey sauce, you’ll see just how simple it is and will never buy that stuff in a jar again. It whips up in just 5 minutes with 4 simple, grocery store ingredients and makes the best topping or even mac and cheese.
Any frozen potatoes (think tater tots) become practically gourmet with this sauce.
What kind of cheese should i use?
There are many options (sharp cheddar being my go-to), but here are a few others to get you started:
- Sharp Cheddar for vegetables, a dipping sauce for pretzel bites, or cheese fries
- Gouda cheese sauce for a more adult macaroni and cheese.
- Pepper Jack for spooning over nachos along with this 5 minute Blender Salsa
- Swiss Cheese for any dishes that use ham for a classic combination
what’s in this cheese sauce?
- butter
- flour
- milk (2% used, can use whole milk; skim not recommended)
- brick of cheese
why grate my own cheese?
I highly recommend grating your own cheese for a few reasons:
- It melts like a champ!
- You get more cheese for your hard earned dollar.
- It tastes better!
- You can consider it your upper body workout without judgement.
how to make cheese sauce:
Gather all the ingredients ahead of time because the sauce comes together really quickly. If you’re using it over Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli, you can make this cheese sauce in less time than it takes to air fry the broccoli (8 minutes in case you’re wondering).
Grate the cheese, then make the roux – a butter-flour blend that thickens the sauce.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium to medium-low heat, then sprinkle the flour over the top and whisk until smooth.
Pour in the milk and season with salt then continue whisking constantly until the milk and flour mixture are combined. Increase the heat, bring to a full boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the white sauce thickens.
Remove the pan from the heat (overheating may cause the sauce to be too thick or grainy) then slowly add the cheese, gently stirring until it’s melted and the sauce is smooth and silky.
Taste and adjust salt as you like then eat right away. If your sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk and stir.
Enjoy!
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Easy Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk 2% used - skim not recommended
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Grate the cheese then set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then sprinkle the flour over the top. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour in the milk and salt, whisking constantly until the milk and flour mixture are combined. Increase the heat, bring to a full boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the pan from the heat then add the cheese, gently stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is silky. Taste and adjust for salt then eat right away.
Ramon says
This is a fabulous appetizer. Great flavor, a little zing, add a margarita. Bring in the mariachi.
Bernie says
Thanks Ramon! Couldn’t agree more. Easy, cheesy – what else do you need eh?
Izelle says
Perfect. I used lots of Gouda and added cheese spread. Places on stovetop until gouda melted. Very good on schnitzel.
Bernie says
Thank you! — and Yum! I love your variation – can’t go wrong with extra cheese right?! Great idea adding to schnitzel. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Enjoy the day – Bernie
Lauren says
Made the cheese cause tonight to go over some cauliflower and loved it!! Really rich and added a ton of flavor. Made me actually enjoy eating veggies 🙂 I’ll try this over nachos in the future. AND as an added bonus – I was very worried about the cheese sticking to the pot and having a hard time washing and it came out so easily which always makes the end of a meal even better – love an easy clean up!
Bernie says
Thank you so much Lauren! A good cheese sauce makes almost everything better! Definitely a great addition to nachos – or pretty much anything else 🙂
Sarah says
Loved this! I wanted to do something fun for my boyfriend, so I made some cheese sauce to go with my second attempt at air fryer fries. Both went great!
Mine was a little thick and I had forgotten your advice to add some milk, but neither of us minded because it’s cheese! My boyfriend completely cleaned the bowl! The only change I made was adding a couple splashes of Frank’s Red Hot at the end for a little kick.
Bernie says
Hi Sarah – I’m so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the recipe so much! What a fun date night idea. Yum – love the addition of Frank’s for a little kick – sounds delicious! Thanks for taking the time to comment ~ Bernie
Centuryfoods says
Thank you so much Lauren! A good cheese sauce makes almost everything better! Definitely a great addition to nachos – or pretty much anything else . And update for article.
Bernie says
Thanks for stopping by! You’re absolute right – never underestimate a good cheese sauce! – Enjoy the day.
JenExxifer says
Thank you for this great recipe! It’s our new burger topper and dipping sweet potato fries in it is delicious.
Bernie says
Thank YOU!! Now I have new ways to enjoy the cheese sauce – never tried it on burgers OR sweet potato fries – sounds delicious – will be trying ASAP! – Bernie