Description
Creamy Cheese Sauce elevates classic french fries with rich, tangy flavor. Homemade condiment blends sharp cheddar and smooth cream cheese for irresistible dipping perfection you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, whole or 2%
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps (16 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika or smoked paprika
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp hot sauce or Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Roux Foundation: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until silky and translucent, then whisk flour into the liquefied butter to create a golden, smooth base without any lumps.
- Milk Infusion: Gradually stream milk into the roux, stirring continuously to prevent clumping and ensure a uniform consistency, allowing the mixture to simmer and thicken into a velvety sauce for 2-3 minutes.
- Cheese Integration: Reduce heat to lowest setting, gently fold in shredded cheese, stirring consistently to facilitate even melting and create a luxuriously creamy texture.
- Seasoning Harmony: Sprinkle garlic powder and paprika into the sauce, mixing thoroughly to distribute aromatic seasonings and enhance the flavor profile.
- Final Refinement: Taste and delicately adjust salt and pepper levels, ensuring a balanced and rich sauce, then remove from heat and serve immediately over crispy fries to maintain optimal temperature and taste.
Notes
- Control Heat Carefully: Monitor flame intensity to prevent burning butter or scorching roux, which can create bitter flavors and ruin sauce texture.
- Whisk Consistently: Use continuous, smooth whisking motions to eliminate flour lumps and create silky, uniform sauce consistency without grainy elements.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Add cheese gradually off direct heat, stirring gently to ensure smooth integration and prevent cheese from separating or becoming stringy.
- Season Strategically: Taste and adjust seasonings incrementally, understanding that garlic powder and paprika can dramatically transform sauce’s flavor profile, so start with small amounts.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg