Sometimes all it takes to spice up a dish is topped it with a creamy and delicious cheese sauce. Learn to make it at home and use it to accompany nachos, broccoli or baked potatoes. In no time at all, you will be able to prepare an inexpensive and tasty snack. You can make a very simple recipe, try a more elaborate one or a vegan one. Experiment with different types of cheese, such as Cheddar, Gouda, or Swiss cheese.
Ingrediants
Simple cheese sauce
- 60 g of butter
- 60 g of flour
- 700 ml of milk
- 470 g of grated or thinly sliced cheese
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
More elaborate cheese sauce
- 240 g of grated or thinly sliced cheese
- 2, 5 g of sodium citrate
- 120 ml of a liquid of your choice (water, beer or wine)
Vegan cheese sauce
- 1 small courgette, peeled and cut into rings
- 5 small Yukon Gold potatoes
- 180 ml of water
- 60 g of nutritional yeast
- 2, 5 g of garlic powder
- 2, 5 g onion powder
- 2, 5 g of fine sea salt
- 3.5 g smoked or classic paprika
- 10ml low sodium soy sauce or tamarind sauce
- 15 ml of fresh lemon juice
- Optional toppings: Chili flakes, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Make the Classic Cheese Sauce
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
The quality of the ingredients can affect that of the sauce. Start with a strong flavored Cheddar cheese, cut into strips or in blocks for grating. If it is in bulk, use a grater to get 470g of flakes.
- You can replace Cheddar with other cheeses, such as Gouda or Swiss.
- To spice up the base sauce and accentuate its flavor, add Mexican salsa, hot sauce, beer, or wine.
Step 2. Melt 60 g of butter
Slowly melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Keep an eye on it as it blends. It should not turn brown, dark in color, or have a burnt appearance, as this will alter the flavor of the sauce.
Step 3. Add 60g of flour while mixing with a whisk
Slowly add the flour to the butter, stirring gradually with a whisk. Mix well until the ingredients have blended completely.
Let the sauce cook for several minutes, until the color begins to change slightly. Avoid burning the roux, as otherwise it will have a burnt aftertaste
Step 4. Add 700ml of milk
Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened.
Try to prevent lumps from forming. Slowly pouring in the milk and turning constantly will help you avoid them
Step 5. Incorporate 1 teaspoon of spices
Add 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, or other herbs, such as rosemary or dried thyme. Listen to your creativity and enrich the flavor of the cheese sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of a spice of your choice. You can adjust the taste once you have added the cheese.
Be careful when adding salt. It is difficult to remedy an excess of salt, by the way many cheeses are already quite tasty by nature. If you used salted butter, the sauce may already be quite savory
Step 6. Remove the sauce from the heat
Doing this before adding the grated cheese prevents the sauce from separating or curdling.
Step 7. Incorporate the grated cheese
Pour in a handful at a time. Swirl the sauce with a spoon and allow the cheese to melt gradually before adding more.
Step 8. Serve immediately
The cheese sauce hardens as it cools, so serve it right away, sprinkled on chips, baked potatoes, or steamed vegetables.
Step 9. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator
It should last up to 3 days.
Do not reheat leftover sauce over high heat or let it simmer. This would cause it to separate or become stringy. Heat it over low heat, stirring constantly until it is ready to be served
Method 2 of 3: Make a Processed Cheese Dip
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
This recipe calls for sodium citrate, a type of salt that acts as an emulsifier. This means that, when added to the sauce, it reduces the acidity of the cheese, makes its proteins more soluble and prevents them from separating. Helps create a smooth, creamy texture.
- Sodium citrate can be found in well-stocked supermarkets and online. It resembles salt, is tasty and slightly sour. You will only need a very small amount for a good result, so that it does not increase the sodium level of the sauce.
- If you can't find sodium citrate, you can use 2 teaspoons of citric acid and 2 and a half teaspoons of baking soda instead. Citric acid can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, kosher food stores, or online.
- You should use a high-quality cheese for this elaborate sauce, such as semi-soft cheese, Gouda, or Gruyere. These cheeses are usually sold in blocks. Use a grater to obtain 240 g of grated cheese.
Step 2. Mix 2.5g of sodium citrate with 60ml of the liquid of your choice
In a medium-sized skillet, mix sodium citrate and water, beer, or wine. You should have enough liquid to cover only the bottom of the pan - you won't need to use the full 120ml, so pour it in progressively.
Step 3. Heat the liquid
Heat the skillet over medium heat and bring the contents to a simmer, not to a full boil. Bubbles should form on the surface of the liquid.
Step 4. Add grated cheese to the pan
After adding it, stir with a spoon until it melts and mixes with the liquid. Thanks to the sodium citrate, the sauce should have a smooth and creamy texture.
Step 5. Serve the sauce
Pour it into a bowl and dip chips or vegetables into it, or pour it over the nachos. You can also pour it over steamed vegetables to make them tastier.
- The sauce should maintain a creamy consistency, even as it starts to cool.
- This sauce can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Method 3 of 3: Make the Vegan Cheese Sauce
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients
Even vegan or lactose intolerant people may crave cheese sauce. While it's impossible to perfectly mimic the taste of the original, a vegan-style sauce can help you satisfy this craving. The secret to preparing it properly is to use starchy vegetables such as zucchini and potatoes, to give it a creamy texture and prevent it from separating.
- You will need a high-powered blender, food processor, or other similar tool to create a creamy consistency.
- Nutritional yeast is available in organic food stores in the form of flakes or powder. It has a strong, decisive flavor reminiscent of that of walnuts. Deactivated yeast is a popular vegan substitute for cheese in various recipes.
- If you are allergic to soy sauce, you can replace it with vegan Worcestershire sauce, available at many health food stores. It achieves a similar result, but you need to add more salt to mimic the tangy flavor of soy sauce.
Step 2. Prepare the zucchini
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the zucchini completely with a vegetable peeler. Then, cut them into 6 mm rounds and place them on the baking sheet.
- Season the slices with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the zucchini for 15 minutes, they should have a soft consistency.
- Peeling the zucchini prevents the sauce from taking on a strange green-yellow color.
Step 3. Cook 5 small potatoes by roasting or steaming them
Peel them and cut them into quarters. Arrange them on another baking sheet and bake them with the zucchini for about 10 minutes, until they take on a soft appearance.
- You can also quickly cook the potatoes in the microwave for about 5 minutes after you have covered them. Let them cook until they acquire a very soft texture to the touch.
- Do not boil the potatoes, as they will accumulate water and make the cheese sauce runny.
Step 4. Make a mashed potato with a fork
Then, use a dry measuring cup to measure 250g of puree. It is important to measure them for accurate results and a solid sauce.
Pour 250 g of mashed potatoes into a high-powered blender or food processor
Step 5. Put the cooked zucchini in the blender
Then, add 60 g of nutritional yeast, 2, 5 g of garlic powder, 2, 5 g of onion powder, 2, 5 g of fine sea salt, 3, 5 g of smoked or classic paprika, 10 ml of sauce. low sodium soy or vegan Worcestershire sauce and 15ml fresh lemon juice.
Pour 180 ml of water and, if necessary, add more, without exceeding 250 ml
Step 6. Blend the ingredients until smooth
You may need to turn off the blender, collect residue from the bottom and sides of the glass to make sure all the ingredients are well blended. While stirring the sauce for several minutes on high power, add no more than 250ml of water.
- The sauce will feel very solid at first, but will begin to loosen thanks to the water from the courgettes. Keep blending until it becomes thick and creamy.
- If the sauce feels too thick after a few minutes in the blender, add a very small amount of water. If it looks a little runny, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes to thicken it.
Step 7. Taste and season the sauce
You may want to add some lemon juice, salt, or other spices to bring out the flavor. If you are using Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce, you will probably need to add more salt.
Step 8. If you want, add more ingredients
Sprinkle a handful of chili flakes, a few sliced jalapeños, or 60g diced tomatoes to add a fresh and flavorful touch to the sauce. This recipe makes it possible to obtain about 600 ml.
