Cheese Sauce Recipe

Cheese This foolproof cheese sauce recipe and method is easy and delicious, with no lumps!

It took me the longest time to learn to make a smooth cheese sauce, without giving myself a headache in the process! I lost count of how many recipes I tried to follow until I came up with this easy method. Enjoy!

Ingredients
About 2 tbsp butter (or margarine)
About 2 tbsp flour (or slightly less cornflour)
About half a litre of milk
About 1.5 to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Method
Melt the butter in a small to medium sized pot, at medium to high heat. Take the pot off the stove, and add the flour, mixing until as smooth as possible (I find a wooden spoon works best for this). With the pot still off the stove, add about half a cup of the milk to your butter/flour roux. Blend that really, really well. This is one of your secrets to no lumps! Now put the pot back onto the stove at a medium to high heat, and while continuing to stir (don't stop stirring!) slowly add the rest of your milk. Keep stirring, and once all the milk is added, and your mixture is super smooth, bring it to the boil. Then turn the heat down to let the sauce simmer. Once the sauce has reached simmering temperature, only then add your cheese, and again, do it little by little while continuing to stir. Once all the cheese is added, leave the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes, and then serve.

Hints & Tips

More haste equals less speed. If you don't try to rush the sauce, it will actually go quite quickly, and will be nicely done.
When you're adding the flour to the butter, the end result must be nice and moist, but not too wet.
Rather add too little milk than too much. If, at the end of the process, you find the sauce is too thick, you can always add more milk to thin it out, but trying to thicken it at this point doesn't work so well.

Variations

A heaped teaspoon of mustard (preferably dijon) enhances the flavour, without tasting of mustard (for those who don't like it). Add it once all the cheese has been added.
A quarter cup of white wine gives a nice flavour too, added after all the milk has been added.
A generous pinch of freshly chopped parsley adds some colour and doesn't do any harm to the flavour of the sauce.
Half a teaspoon of your favourite dried herb also works well, without being overpowering.
Dried onion or garlic flakes (a little sprinkle) can add a different dimension.
Instead of all cheddar cheese, try combining cheeses, such as adding (or using entirely, depending on what you're using the sauce for) stronger cheeses such as blue or gorgonzola.

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Cheese Sauce Recipe