Quick and Easy Cheese Sauce for the Beginner

If you want to learn to make a quick and easy cheese sauce, then this is the tutorial for you. If you noticed, we first learned how to make a roux, then country gravy, and finally white sauce. The next step would to be cheese sauce! Can you guess what is coming after? You’ll have to stay tuned tomorrow!

This is simple to do and will make you incredibly happy if you love cheese. It can be used in all kinds of dishes or as a topping for steamed vegetables. It actually freezes quite well, but keeps in the fridge about 1 – 2 weeks depending on how fresh your milk was at the time of making it. What will you put with your quick and easy cheese sauce? What if you added some nacho seasoning, cut up some hot peppers to simmer with the sauce and had some tortilla chips? Wouldn’t that be nice?

cheese sauce

Cheese Sauce

Wonderful for using as a dip or as the basis for macaroni and cheese.
Print Recipe
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Servings4
Calories 152.2

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (1lb) freshly shredded cheese
  • 2 cups (480mL) milk or cream
  • 2 tbs (30g) butter
  • 3 tbs (30g) flour
  • 1 tsp (5g) salt
  • 1 tsp (2g) ground mustard
  • 1 tsp (2g) paprika
  • ½ tsp (1g) turmeric

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a 3 quart saucepan on medium heat.
  • Add the flour, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk until the mixture turns brown, about 2- 3 minutes.
  • Gradually add in the milk, stirring and allowing the flour mixture (roux) to absorb the milk. This will prevent lumps. Add in the salt and spices if using.
  • Cook on medium low, stirring often to prevent burning until milk begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
  • Turn heat to low and start adding cheese 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until it melts. Once melted, turn off the heat to prevent the oils in the cheese from separating.

Notes

You can omit the spices if desired.  

Nutrition Facts
Cheese Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
152.2
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
11.5
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
 
7.3
g
46
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2.8
g
Sodium
 
360.1
mg
16
%
Carbohydrates
 
2.8
g
1
%
Protein
 
8.8
g
18
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.

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