How would I make a creamy cheese sauce from scratch?

Question

When I make mine it doesnt come out as creamy or orangey as Id like it to, what can I do to make it better?

Answer 1

Here are a couple of recipes, it sounds to me like you arent adding enough cheese and milk.

NACHO CHEESE SAUCE

1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. chopped red pepper
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp. minced jalapeno peppers
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
nacho corn chips

Mix together peppers, olive oil, garlic and butter in a saucepan.
Sprinkle in flour, pour in milk and stir until mixture simmers -- do not allow to boil. When mixture begins to thicken, stir in the cheese and remaining ingredients, Simmer on low heat an additional five minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

Serve with nacho chips.


DAD'S VEGGIE CHEESE SAUCE

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp butter substitute
1 tbsp flour
milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper

Melt butter & butter substitute in pot on about heat of 7. Add in flour. Stir with whisk. Gradually add milk. Stir until mixture starts to thicken. Add in cheese. Reduce to low heat add salt & pepper. Simmer until cheese is melted.
Pour over your favourite steamed veggies.

**Recommendation: Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots**

Answer 2

Certain cheeses are better at melting than others, but the trade-off is that the taste isn't as good. Velveeta or Cheez-Whiz make the smoothest, most brightly colored cheese sauces, but the flavor isn't the greatest and you're ingesting all sorts of additives, dyes, and preservatives. A good extra-sharp Cheddar gives cheese sauce the best flavor, but it doesn't always incorporate smoothly into the flour-butter mixture.

The only way that I've found to get a good sharp Cheddar to melt smoothly is to grate it on the finest side of your grater or in the food processor. Melt two tablespoons of butter and add two tablespoons of flour. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then add a cup of the grated extra-sharp Cheddar.

Stir until it melts, then slowly blend in a cup of milk, stirring constantly. If you're not satisfied with the color, you can mix a few drop of yellow and red food coloring until it's the orange shade that you prefer. Blend into the hot cheese sauce and mix thoroughly until the color is uniform.

Answer 3

You have to make a white (bechemel) sauce first. You need to cook the flour, not just throw it into some cheese and milk. Add equal parts of oil and flour to a pan. So... if you are using 2TB oil, you need 2TB flour. Put the oil in the pan, get it hot. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, stir, stir and stir... do not let it burn but you want it brown and nutty smelling. Keep stirring. While your oil is heating up, put some milk on the stove to simmer. Do not boil it, but get it pretty hot. If you add cold milk to your hot flour, it will go funky. For 2 TB of flour I would not use more than 1 1/2 cups of milk. When your flour is cooked, add in some of the hot milk, and stir again, keep stirring. Whisking is better. You do not want any lumps. Keep adding a bit of milk at a time and stirring. As soon as it comes up to heat, the milk will get very thick (providing you have used enough flour and oil and not too much milk). Now, add in your grated cheese, a handful at a time. Stir until it is melted. When all your cheese is melted, VOILA cheese sauce.

Answer 4

First you start with 2 tablespoons of butter/marg melt it and then once melted add 2 tablespoons of cornflower mix it round and get all the lumps out, then add 1 1/2 cups of milk and then a mixture of swiss, tasty, parmesan about half a cup in total added to the milk and about a half a teaspoon of crushed garlic and 2 tablespoons of parsley all this is down in a saucepan on the stove. Make sure you keep the heat on low and stir it cause if you don't the milk will burn and stick to the bottom. It will start to thicken and taste great. If it is not as thick as you would like take another tablespoon of cornflower mix with cold water in a cup first and then add a little at a time to your sauce you may not need all of it so just add it a little at a time,cause it will thicken quite quickly. Then enjoy

Answer 5

Into a large frying pan, at least 2 inches thick, dump a heaping 1/3 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of oil (canola or vegetable). Turn heat on, medium or low, and blend flour and oil to make a thick paste. Gradually add four cups of milk--don't pour in more than 1 1/2 cups at a time. (If you are constantly stirring this, you may turn the heat up if desired.) Keep stirring paste into milk, you will feel the milk begin to thicken. When you have all four cups of milk stirred in with a relatively thick consistency, add a dash of salt, pepper, and several cups of cheese, either grated or cubed.

The amount of cheese you put in is to taste. Start with three or four cups, mix until melted, and taste. Keep adding until it tastes cheesy enough to you!

Answer 6

Velveta brand cheese just melts creamy by simply heating it up, but I like a stronger cheese taste so, I use extra sharp cheddar. In a 2 Qt. saucepan put at least a 1/4 stick of butter, and start with about 1/8 cup of heavy cream or at least "half & half". Do not boil, just bring it up to a low med. heat and add your cheese. Not all at once, but cut up into cubes for control purposes. do not leave this once you start. Keep stirring to prevent sticking and keep adding your cheese. I make a standard 8oz. block. Now once it has all melted, determine if you need more cream. make it to your own taste.

Good luck & enjoy.
I love it on just about all vegetables

Answer 7

Try extra sharp cheddar for a darker color, or look for a cheese from your grocer's deli area (where the gourmet cheeses are). They will have a wider selection of cheeses, and hopefully a deeper-orange colored one.

If youre not stuck on keeping it au natural... you can put a *TINY* drop of red and yellow food coloring in with your sauce after its heated through, for extra bold color.

For extra creaminess, use heavy cream or half n half instead of milk if youre not worried about calories. Also try adding a pat of butter or two. If calories are an issue, then use fat free half n half, and light margarine or butter.

If you normally put pepper in it, try white pepper rather than black, this will give it a non-splotchy appearance.

Answer 8

2 tbs. butter, melted, and then 2 tbs. of flour. Cook the flour for 2 minutes and add 2 cups milk. Wisk until it comes to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. mustard powder, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Remove from heat and stir in 8oz of shredded sharp cheddar.

Answer 9

Same amount of Butter and flour, melt butter in a pan, add in flour, let it cook for a little while, add half & half until desired thickness, add grated cheese any kind. Heat until melted! Add salt & pepper to taste.

Answer 10

google the recipe for Bechamel sauce then melt your cheese in that, shouild get a better result