Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe

Creamy, rich, and full of flavor, this Cheddar Cheese Sauce recipe is perfect for pouring over vegetables, pasta, baked potatoes, and more. Quick and easy to make in just minutes!

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese, sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 137kcal

Equipment

saucepan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk plus more to thin the sauce if needed
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese freshly grated - medium cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Serving suggestions: over vegetables, as a dip for pretzels, or serve with nachos

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute - stirring constantly so it does not burn.
Slowly add the milk, continuing to stir until fully incorporated - cooking for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble.
Fold in the cheese. Continue to cook and stir until fully melted and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper before serving, if desired.
Serve over vegetables, with chips, or pretzels.

Notes

This can be made with different cheeses like sharp cheddar, colby jack, or pepperjack cheese if desired.

Prepackaged cheeses often contain extra ingredients like anti-caking agents to help prevent it from clumping in the bag. Use fresh blocks of cheese, hand-grated right before cooking if possible. It will melt better.

To thin - add more cheese. Too thick - add more milk.

If using it for nachos, you can add chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce for some spice.

If using it as a dip for pretzels, add a little garlic powder.

STORING
Allow to cool before covering. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Reheat over the stovetop on medium heat. Add a splash of milk to thin and stir constantly until fully heated through.

Nutrition