Equipment
Ingredients
Roux Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g all-purpose flour
Liquid
- 480 ml whole milk, warm or room temperature
Cheese & Seasoning
- 225 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g dry mustard powder
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 128 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 201 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 74 mg
- Calcium
- 181 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 129 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 85 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 36 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Grate the cheddar cheese using a box grater and set it aside to come to room temperature while you prepare the base.
Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the all-purpose flour to the melted butter. Whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture smells slightly nutty and turns a pale golden color. This cooks out the raw flour taste.
Gradually pour in the warm whole milk while whisking vigorously to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to whisk until the mixture is completely smooth.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. The internal temperature should reach around 85C or 185F.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gradually stir in the freshly grated cheddar cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt completely before adding the next. Do not return to the heat.
Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, and dry mustard powder. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Always grate your own cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose and other anti-caking agents that prevent a smooth, cohesive melt and can leave your sauce grainy.
- For a silkier texture, warming the milk slightly before incorporating it into the hot roux prevents the butter from seizing, drastically reducing the risk of lumps.
- The addition of dry mustard powder does not make the sauce taste like mustard. Instead, it acts as an emulsifier and a flavor enhancer that cuts through the fat to amplify the sharpness of the cheddar.
- Never boil the sauce once the cheese has been added. Excessive heat breaks the emulsion of the cheese, separating the fat from the proteins and creating a greasy, lumpy mess.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly. Add a splash of warm milk to restore the creamy consistency if it has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is grainy or separated
Cause: Cheese was added while the pan was still on active heat, causing the milk proteins to curdle, or pre-shredded cheese containing anti-caking agents was used.
Fix: Sometimes an immersion blender can partially smooth out the sauce, or vigorously whisking in a splash of cold milk, but severe separation cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Always remove the pan entirely from the heat before adding the cheese, and only use freshly grated block cheese.
Sauce is too thick
Cause: The roux was over-reduced, or the sauce has cooled down too much.
Fix: Whisk in warm milk, 15ml at a time, until the desired pourable consistency is reached.
Prevention: Avoid boiling the milk vigorously; keep it to a gentle simmer.
Lumps in the sauce before adding cheese
Cause: Milk was added too quickly or was too cold when hitting the hot roux.
Fix: Pass the white sauce through a fine mesh strainer before adding the cheese.
Prevention: Warm the milk slightly before adding, and pour it in a very slow, steady stream while whisking vigorously.
Cultural Context
This cheese sauce is built upon a classic Béchamel, one of the five French mother sauces, which is transformed into a Mornay sauce with the addition of cheese. While traditional French Mornay relies on Gruyere or Parmesan, the American adaptation utilizes sharp cheddar to create the vibrant, deeply savory sauce that forms the backbone of iconic comfort foods like macaroni and cheese.
