Learn how to make a delicious and simple cheese sauce that is perfect for homemade macaroni and cheese or to drizzle over vegetables.
A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for béchamel sauce (with a fairly elaborate How-To and troubleshooting tips). Béchamel is a basic white sauce made from whisking melted butter and flour together into a paste and then using that paste to thicken milk. It’s used in all kinds of other recipes, such as lasagna (like this one!) and soufflés.
Scroll down to read more about this cheese sauce recipe, or click here to jump down to the recipe.
Video: How To Make Cheese Sauce
Adding Cheese To Béchamel
Béchamel is a basic sauce so it’s easy to flavor it up in different ways. One of my favorite things to add is cheese. In fact, homemade macaroni and cheese is made with a cheese-doused béchamel.
You start by making your béchamel and then you take it off the heat to add in the cheese. I also like to add some Dijon mustard and cayenne to mine. A small amount of spice helps to balance all that delicious creaminess.
Using The Cheese Sauce
While mac n’ cheese is the obvious choice, this cheese sauce is also an amazing dip or drizzle for vegetables, especially broccoli. Or how about pouring it over a baked potato and crumbling some bacon on top?
It’s so good you can even just dip bread or crackers in it. Go for it!
I’d love to hear all the ways you find to enjoy this.
More Delicious Sauce Recipes
I’m a big believer that a great sauce can truly transform a meal. If you agree, here are all of my delicious sauce recipes for you to browse through. And, here are some of my favorites to inspire you:
- Easiest Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- The Best Gravy Recipe
- Horseradish Sauce (especially good on Prime Rib!)
- Bacon Gravy For Biscuits
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Velouté Sauce
Podcast Episode: Making This Cheese Sauce
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this cheese sauce, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day podcast episodes here.
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Best Cheese Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Learn how to make a delicious and simple cheese sauce that is perfect for homemade macaroni and cheese or to drizzle over vegetables. For making macaroni and cheese, or any kind of pasta, start with 8oz. (that’s 1/2 of a pound) of dry pasta, cook it, drain it, and then mix it with the sauce. For 16 oz. of pasta, make a double batch of the sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. Dijion mustard (optional)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes while whisking continuously.
- Add 1/4 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat until you’ve added 1 cup of milk. Add remaining milk and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Let boil one minute and take off the heat.
- Add cheese, salt, and Dijon and cayenne pepper, if using. Stir until cheese is melted.
This post originally appeared in March 2017 and was revised and republished in July 2021.
The cheese sauce was so delicious. I’ll make it like this every time. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m so glad you loved it.
this was a very simple to make liquid gold ! I am beyond happy with this, I tried it both with ,and without the Dejon, for me it was better without. my girlfriend wanted me to add honey to it once, so now i always add honey, and jalapenos , plus the cayenne pepper and eat on pasta, and our tater tot meals. we both like spicy. thank you so much
You’re welcome, Bud! I’m so glad you both love it and thanks for sharing your adjustments with us.
We love creamed eggs on toast and this recipe is delicious on the eggs and toast. My husband loves it. Surprisingly. He’s a country boy from Kentucky, meat and potato man. Didn’t think he would go for it. Surprise he thinks it’s a great breakfast. 🙌
I love that idea, Roberta, thank you for sharing! Since you loved it, I’d really appreciate you adding a 5 star rating which helps others find this recipe too. Thanks!
I don’t typically write reviews on recipes I use but I felt the need to for this one.
I make a casserole at least once a week that leaves me with leftover pasta or egg noodles. I never want to waste them and my 18 month old loves Mac and cheese so I try to make a cheese sauce to be able to utilize the pasta. I’ve tried quite a few recipes and this one seems to be the best by far as it didn’t make the pasta one big congealed lump. It was delicious with some peas added in (have to sneak those veggies in) and hopefully my husband likes it as well!
Love to hear that, Amanda! So happy you like the recipe and adding in peas is a great idea. :)
Poured over baked potatoes. Served along side a nice T-Bone Steak.
Kat, That sounds amazing! I’ve never had it on baked potatoes but am not at all sure why. Trying it soon! Thanks for your comment and rating :-)
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. The texture is spot on and it tastes like restaurant cheese sauce. The hubbie said he loved it too but that he didn’t like the dijon in there. I couldn’t really taste it so I don’t know what he meant. Giving it 5 stars!
Rosie, I’m so happy you like it. Interestingly, my boyfriend doesn’t like the dijon either. I can only just taste it, like a tiny tang that cuts the richness. But I leave it out for him. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and rating. I really appreciate it!
Love this recipe
I didn’t have sharp cheese I used half herbarna and half bacon gouda it was perfect.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Betty!
Brilliant basic cheese sauce. Adding the cheese off heat is key for me when dealing with cheddar especially retailer brand. I can just taste the sauce with brocc and cauli but tonight pasta/chili bake. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Deb! So happy it worked well for you.
BUT can you can it?
I’m not sure I understand your question, Christine. It won’t be shelf-stable to be canned and stored long term. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. Reheat over low heat on the stove, stirring frequently. If you really need to reheat in the microwave, do short intervals and stir in between, to minimize separation. Hope that helps!
I cant eat tomatoes and I want to make a cheese sauce that I can put in a jar and can in a pressure canner then just spoon over hot pasta when I make it for my family. I make my own tomato sauce and can it so I want to be able to do the same for myself.
I am disabled and winter is very hard on me and Im unable to do much cooking. So it would be nice if my husband could make meals for us both, but he is also disabled. Which is why I can as much as Im able to when I AM able to. lol
Oh, I can understand that! I’m not very familiar with canning so I don’t have a good answer for you. Sorry!
Holyy!! This is AMAZING! Great texture, it’s like restaurant sauce! I used mozzarella cheese instead of sharp cheddar since I did not have any. But it is so good! I am going to cook this for my friends! I am a college student so this was super fast and easy! I never comment on blogs but this is so awesome I just had to. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your comment, Hansini! Glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds good for the cheese lovers in the family.
Absolutely, Calvin!
Going to give this a try for my kids!
Wonderful, Amanda!
Would use this for a dip or on baked potatoes,Yum!
Delicious, Debbie!
This is the cheese sauce I make for scalloped potatoes (which is really potatoes au gratin). . I usually use 2 kinds of cheese, depending on what I have on hand. So easy.
Yummy, Susan!
Great veggie sauce
Thank you, Deborah!
This sounds perfect for us . We eat a lot cheese sauce.
Yummy, Judy!
That does look pretty easy. I don’t think I’ve ever made a cheese sauce like this.
It’s tasty, Sarah!
This cheese sauce sounds delicious! Maybe if I make it I can actually get my sons to eat more veggies?!? Thank you for sharing!
It’s worth a shot! Enjoy, Andrea!
Made this tonight to put over some extra Italian vegetable noodles. It was great. I halved the recipe and it turned out perfect!
My husband had thirds he liked it so much. I added chopped garlic as we has just harvested ours. Delicious!
Brenda, the addition of the chopped garlic sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try that!
I am absolutely in love with your site and your videos!! I googled up the recipe for cocktail sauce because I couldn’t remember the proportions and found myself still watching the quick recipe videos 45 minutes later!! Awesome site, awesome layout, awesome recipes and absolutely fabulous videos!! Thank you for putting your creative awesomeness out there! ?
That’s so sweet, Chanda! Thank you and hope you continue to enjoy all the recipes.