ISO Healthy Cheese Sauce Recipe

[PA Baker]

Does anyone have a recipe for a healthy cheese sauce? By healthy I'm thinking no Velveeta/only natural ingredients, etc. I'm looking for something that will make some new veggies a little more palatable to Sofie since she's into dipping and dunking foods.

 

[GotGarlic]

Basic cheese sauce

Here's a basic cheese sauce recipe. Use your cheese of choice depending on the other components of the meal (cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, etc.):

Cheese Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon.

 

[kadesma]

Pa,
most kids love to dunk,but,wouldn't a cheese sauce firm up after it tarts to cool? Would Miss Sweetie Pie eat diced up veggies with the sauce poured over them? I got Cade and Carson to eat broccoli by cutting in a dice, then melting cheese and so they didn't have to use theri fingers I got some of those long fancy toothpicks cut off the pointed end and let them stab the veggie and cheese that way. I sit with them as I would not allow a little one to have a toothpick with out supervision. I've tried several cheeses on them and they went for it..I just picked soft, mild cheese that melt easily..They love a soft brie and I even tried a smoked gouda..Just an idea for you
kadesma

 

[Andy M.]

GotGarlic's recipe is a good one. Just be sure not to boil the mixture with the cheese added as it will cause the sauce to break. I actually whisk in the cheese with the burner off.

 

[BreezyCooking]

And if you're looking for less fat in your recipe, GotGarlic's recipe will also work well with 2% milk instead of whole milk if you so desire. However, I do draw the line at low-fat cheeses - find them relatively tasteless & impossible to cook with.

 

[jennyema]

It will work fine with skim milk for that matter.

But I agree -- no low fat cheese.

 

[csalt]

As something different from cheese sauce, you could also try, parsley sauce; bar b q sauce, honey & mustard sauce etc etc.

 

[PA Baker]

Thanks, everyone! And yes, I agree about low-fat cheeses!

Kads, I'll try just melting some cheese over things too--she's just so into dunking right now I figured I'd capitalize on that! And would you believe she loves plain steamed broccoli. She asks for it a lot--even for breakfast!

 

[Caine]

I checked several cheese sauce recipes at Cooking Light, and they're all pretty much the same basic recipe, with only the type of cheese changing:

Basic Cheese Sauce​

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese of choice

Preparation

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce-pan, and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 5 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a sieve, discarding solids. Place flour in pan; gradually add 1/4 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over low heat 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining milk; cook until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and add cheese, stirring until melted.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 113(55% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 4.3g, mono 1.9g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 6.8g; CHOLESTEROL 22mg; CALCIUM 203mg; SODIUM 144mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.8g