This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy
This basic cheese sauce recipe comes together in just 10 minutes with butter, flour, whole milk, and your choice of freshly shredded cheese – cheddar, Gruyere, havarti, smoked gouda, and more all work beautifully. It’s a simple, from-scratch sauce you can drizzle over veggies, toss with macaroni, or serve as a dip for pretzels and fries.
It just really takes things to the next level, you know?
Being able to make a simple, basic cheese sauce is honestly kind of life changing.
I mean, yes. They do sell gloppy, melty cheese in jars but…is it actually even cheese? 🤨
Making a cheese sauce at home is so simple and it takes just about every food to the next level.
Steamed broccoli? Not so boring when you’re dipping and drizzling it with melty cheddar.
French fries? Yeah, if they’re not dipped in our smash burger sauce, they’re for sure getting dipped in cheese sauce.
Craving mac and cheese? Just pour this over the cooked pasta.
Everything is just better with cheese. Sorry, but those are the facts.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
- It’s endlessly flexible. Cheddar, Gruyere, havarti, smoked gouda – use what you love or what you’ve got on hand.
- Smooth and creamy every time. One simple trick (pulling the pan off the heat before adding the cheese) keeps the sauce silky instead of grainy.
- Done in 10 minutes. No fuss, no specialty ingredients. Just a basic béchamel base and good cheese.
Ingredients & Tips:
Choose your cheese wisely. Different cheeses give you different results. Cheddar is classic and sharp. Havarti is mellow and ultra-creamy. Gruyere adds a nutty depth. Smoked gouda paired with cheddar is a personal favorite for a smoky mac and cheese situation. Using a blend almost always gives you more complex flavor than a single cheese.
Always shred your own. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to prevent clumping in the bag, and that coating prevents it from melting smoothly into the sauce. A quick grate makes a real difference here.
Add garlic. Toss 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic into the melted butter and let it cook for 30 seconds before adding the flour. It gives the sauce a subtle, savory depth without overpowering it.
Try a splash of hot sauce. A couple dashes of Frank’s Red Hot won’t make the sauce spicy, but it adds a nice layer of flavor. Worth trying.
Adjust the consistency. Too thick? Stir in a splash of milk. Want it richer? Melt in a little more cheese. This sauce is forgiving and easy to tweak.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions:
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and then add your flour and dry mustard powder.
Use a wire whisk to combine the mixture into a thick paste. You’ve just made a roux! Let it cook for 2 minutes.
Whisk the milk into the roux and continue cooking and whisking for 4-5 minutes to thicken it up. You’ve now made bechamel.
Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese a handful at a time, letting it melt between each addition. Do this off heat to keep the sauce from getting grainy.
Helpful Tip!
Storage & Freezing:
- Refrigerator: Store leftover cheese sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Warm gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash of milk to loosen it back up as needed. Avoid high heat, which can cause the sauce to break or turn grainy.
- Freezer: The internet says that cheese sauces made with a béchamel base can be frozen, but the texture may change slightly after thawing. I’ve personally never tried freezing this one.
Serving Ideas
This sauce does a lot of heavy lifting in the kitchen. A few favorite ways to use it:
- Spoon over a burger or grilled chicken sandwich
- Toss with 8 ounces of cooked macaroni for a quick stovetop mac and cheese
- Pour over steamed or roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or baked potatoes
- Drizzle over french fries or tater tots
- Serve as a warm dip for pretzel bites or tortilla chips
Basic Cheese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Pinch of mustard powder
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 6 ounces freshly shredded cheese such as cheddar, Gruyere, havarti, swiss, monterey jack, smoked gouda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the flour and mustard powder and whisk to combine the two. The mixture will be fairly thick and come together into a thick paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk, whisking constantly as you pour. Continue cooking and whisking for 4-5 minutes until the mixture thickens up into the consistency of a thin gravy. The longer you cook, the thicker the mixture will get, but keep in mind that it will thicken more once you add the cheese. The timing of this will vary a bit depending on how high the heat is.
- Once the mixture is the consistency you’d like, remove the pan from the heat and begin adding the cheese a handful at a time. Stir well after each addition to melt the cheese into the sauce. Doing this off the heat prevents the cheese sauce from getting grainy.
- Once the sauce is done, add in the salt and pepper. Stir well, taste, and add additional salt or pepper to taste.
Leave a Review