Why Can I Not Make a Cheese Sauce?

[Marlene2]

I have been married for many years and still can't make a cheese sauce using shredded cheese that doesn't become a mass of chunk cheese by the time I am done. Last night I had the cheese melted into the milk; added the macaroni and it curdled leaving a huge mass of cheese. Can anyone tell me how to do this correctly.

 

[MostlyWater]

was it low fat cheese? that does not melt very well.

 

[miniman]

A quick and easy way of making cheese sauce.
50g / 2oz margarine
50g / 2oz plain flour
600ml / 1 pint milk
175g / 6oz grated Cheddar cheese (medium flavour)
salt & pepper


1 Place margarine, flour and milk in a pan. Heat, whisking whilst the sauce thickens

2 Cook sauce for 1 minute, and then add cheese. Season to taste.

 

[texasgirl]

I learned that the best way to do it is to put the cheese in with the other ingredients BEFORE heating. I made a dip a few weeks back by using cream of mushroom soup, milk and kraft cheese slices. I put it all together and heated it all together and it was actually smooth. I put in the fridge and reheated and it was still smooth then. Try that, it will work.

miniman has a wonderful recipe though, YUMMY!!

 

[Marlene2]

Do you add the cheese while pan is on the heat or take it off before adding?

 

[Marlene2]

I didn't see your answer until I had posted the last reply. I have no problem with cheese whiz or processed cheese slices just when I add grated or shredded cheddar cheese.

 

[miniman]

Another thing, I have been told is not to boil after adding the cheese- this can lead to splitting. In my recipe, you should take the sauce off the heat before adding the cheese.

Now Texasgirl is disproving the statement. All I can say is try the two methods and find one that works best for you.

 

[miniman]

I was typing and answered your question before I saw it.

 

[Marlene2]

Thanks for your help

 

[LaurenG]

My mom brought me two cheeses from her visit to sonoma, a garlic one and a pesto one. I didn't know what to do with them so last night I decided to make a sauce to put over my parmesan chicken. I didn't use a recipe, just what I remembered from making potatoes au gratin so I have no idea if its even close,but it was a really tasty sauce.

First I melted butter in a pan over medium-low heat then added a tablespoon or two of flour and cooked it down. I turned the heat down to low and added pieces of the cheeses in along with two slices of american and some grated parmesan. I stirred continously until it was melted then added milk little by little until it looked like the right consistancy.

I know that my lack of measuring is no help at all, but hey it turned out great!

 

[texasgirl]

Another thing, I have been told is not to boil after adding the cheese- this can lead to splitting. In my recipe, you should take the sauce off the heat before adding the cheese.

Now Texasgirl is disproving the statement. All I can say is try the two methods and find one that works best for you.

Not disproving, I just told what I did, that's all.
I really think it depends on the kind of cheese and how much oil it has in it.

 

[Marlene2]

I am wondering if maybe I add too much cheese at once. Maybe melting a little at a time is the answer!!!

 

[jabbur]

The softer the cheese, the better it will melt in a sauce. When I make a cheese sauce, I melt the butter, add a little flour and make a roux. then I add milk and cook it until it thickens. Lastly I add the cheese to melt. The key is to add the cheese with the sauce off the stove or on low. When the heat is too high, the cheese will "break" and clump. I like to add cream cheese to my sauces since it helps it come out creamier. I think everyone here has given you great advice and with a little practice, you'll get it.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I've also heard that you should add the mac when it's cooled down because the introduction of extreme heat or cold can change the texture of the sauce.

 

[Constance]

First you make a white sauce, one of the first things my Grandma Snarr taught me to cook. She said that if I learned to make a good white sauce, I could make all kinds of other sauces and gravies.

Here's my usual recipe. Just remember the preportions are 1 tbl flour to 1 tbl butter to 1 cup milk, and you can make however little or much you want.

White sauce:

2 tablespoons butter or lipid of your choice
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

Melt butter, stir in flour, remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Heat heat on medium or medium high, stirring frequently, until mixture starts to bubble, then reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until sauce is thickened to your satisfaction.

If you are making cheese sauce, add one cup grated cheese just before the sauce is thick enough, remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted. If you want to make that two cups, you can, but if you want more than that, make more white sauce.

Season to taste...if using a powdered spice (like 1/4 tsp Coleman's dried mustard), mix it in with the flour so it will dissolve well. You will have no problem with granular spices.

This sauce doesn't take much to fix, except patience at the beginning.

 

[jennyema]

Constance has outlined a classic method for making bechemel sauce (white sauce) that she turns into mornay sauce (cheese sauce).

It's simple and foolproof. Once you get a handle on it you'll never make sauces any other way.

It's a great base sauce for all kinds of things -- mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, etc.

ALWAYS make sure you add the cheese off the heat, like others have said. CHEESE HATES HEAT, it separates, gets grainy, curdles, etc.

If you have lumps in your sauce, just strain it before serving.

 

[LPBeier]

I prefer to make the sauce first, take it off the heat and add the grated cheese after. This has always worked for me, but never worked for my mother.

 

[LPBeier]

Okay, I missed a whole page here. Jabbur, Constance and Jennyemma have much more eloquently stated what I do! I make a bechemel and turn it into a mornay! The only difference with my sauce is I add some nutmeg, thyme and peppercorns to my milk, which I heat seperately (just to scalding and then let infuse off heat for a few minutes) from the roux (flour and butter) and then stir the hot milk into cooled roux, cook, stirring, until thick, and then strain and add my cheese if I am making a cheese sauce.

 

[Scotch]

I do what Constance does, but I cook the flour in the butter for a minute or two, which gets rid of any raw flour taste, then add the milk all at once and stir over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble and gets thick. Add the GRATED cheese at that point and stir until it's incorporated. I've never had a problem with it, and certainly no lumps of cheese (which is why I emphasize grated cheese).

 

[Vanilla Bean]

I do what Constance does, but I cook the flour in the butter for a minute or two, which gets rid of any raw flour taste, then add the milk all at once and stir over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble and gets thick. Add the GRATED cheese at that point and stir until it's incorporated. I've never had a problem with it, and certainly no lumps of cheese (which is why I emphasize grated cheese).

That's what I do and never had problems.