Cheddar Cheese Sauce with a Bechamel Base

Leta's Note:

A cheddar cheese sauce good for serving over vegetables. (Source: LeCordon Bleu Professional Cooking)

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 qt

• 2 ounces clarified butter
• 2 ounces bread flour
• 4 cups milk
• ½ small onion , peeled
• 1 whole clove
• ½ small bay leaf
• salt
• nutmeg
• white pepper
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Make a Bechamel sauce as follows: Heat clarified butter in medium size saucepan.
2. Whisk in bread flour and stir and cook over low heat until light cream color, but at least 1 minute.
3. Cool slightly.
4. In another saucepan, scald the milk.
5. Gradually add milk to the roux (flour and butter mixture) beating constantly with whisk.
6. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.
7. Reduce heat to a simmer.
8. Stick the bay leaf to the onion with the clove.
9. Place onion in sauce.
10. Simmer at least 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
11. Season very lightly with salt, nutmeg and white pepper.
12. Strain through a china cap.
13. Place plastic wrap on sauce to prevent formation of skin.
14. Cool in cold water bath and store in freezer in ziplock bags for later use, or keep warm over warm water bath for use in dishes being currently prepared.
15. To 1 qt of this Bechamel Sauce, add the cheddar cheese, dry mustard and worcestershire sauce.
16. Whisk over low heat until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Reviews

[chia]

this is delicious. i added some cayenne pepper, and actually served this over pasta and asparagus, kind of a macaroni and cheese dish. very good, thanks leta

[franzcooks]

This is awesome! Normally I don't like white or cheese sauces. The Bechamel portion is beyond compare. It's kind of scarry to make, but well worth it. This may be another food group!

[Abby McLocklin]

I adore this Bechamel derivative! I am a culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta and this is the exact formula that we learn for Bechamel then Cheddar Cheese Sauce when we begin learning sauces. This doesn't need a thing and is wonderful on just about anything :)