Cheese sauce?

[Garband]

Well, I tried to make a cheese sauce the other day, and I definitely messed up. Big time. It was all clumpy and looked like yellow cottage cheese (way too much margarine).

I Googled how to do it, but I'm not sure what to do and what not to.. The page I used last time didn't have measurements, which could be where I messed up, or it could've just been completely wrong. Who knows. lol

Regardless, I could use your all's help. How do I make a cheese sauce (like the cheese part of macaroni and cheese)?

 

[GrillingFool]

Make the white sauce first, THEN slowly add the cheese while it barely
simmers. Stir constantly till the cheese is assimilated.

Can't add the cheese until it has something to melt into.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

here is my 2 cents worth. 1 use good cheddar cheese medium or sharp
2 make sure it is grated (melt's faster) use a good quality butter or oil. 1 tbl of flour+1TBL of oil or butter will make a ruxe that will thicken about one cup of milk.
If you know how to make a cream sauce you are half way there. Season with S&P
and a little dry mustard or a spoonfull of ball park mustard, a few dashes of L&P sauce
then add your cheese and stir till disolved and CHECK your seasonings reseason if needed
Now 2 cup = 1 pint 2pints=1 quart. you can take it from there.
Mac and cheese was the first dish I learned how to make it really is not hard to make

 

[Garband]

Make the white sauce first, THEN slowly add the cheese while it barely
simmers. Stir constantly till the cheese is assimilated.

Can't add the cheese until it has something to melt into.

I have no clue how to make a white sauce first... I tried to make a roux first with a cup and a half of flower and a cup and a half of "butter" (I was out so I used margarine), then add in some random amounts of milk (it said equal flower and butter, nothing about what amount of milk). It kept thickening and not being "saucey" so I added more margarine and milk, but it never thinned out.

here is my 2 cents worth. 1 use good cheddar cheese medium or sharp
2 make sure it is grated (melt's faster) use a good quality butter or oil. 1 tbl of flour+1TBL of oil or butter will make a ruxe that will thicken about one cup of milk.
If you know how to make a cream sauce you are half way there. Season with S&P
and a little dry mustard or a spoonfull of ball park mustard, a few dashes of L&P sauce
then add your cheese and stir till disolved and CHECK your seasonings reseason if needed
Now 2 cup = 1 pint 2pints=1 quart. you can take it from there.
Mac and cheese was the first dish I learned how to make it really is not hard to make

Thanks for the guide... But, I have no clue how to make a cream sauce or anything. lol I don't really need help with the cheese part I guess, just the roux base. Sorry, I should've clarified in the first post.. But 14 hour drive takes it out of ya, you know? lol

 

[stassie]

That's a LOT of butter and flour. I think you'll find that that's where your problems lie!

 

[vyapti]

when I make white sauce, I use 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour and 1 quart of milk. That should be enough for a pound of pasta, or adjust quantities, but keep the porportions. Make the roux and cook the flour a little. Then pour warmed milk in, slowly as you wisk. Then stir the grated cheese in, a little at a time and allow to incorporate. The sauce will thicken with the cheese.

 

[Andy M.]

Acup and a half of butter and flour will thicken 6-8 cups of milk. Figure two tablespoons each of butter and flour to thicken a cup of milk. After you have this part done and have simmered the combo for a couple of minutes, slowly stir in the shredded or grated cheese.

Your first attempt got clumpy like cottage cheese because you got the sauce too hot when adding the cheese. You can take the sauce off the burner and stir in the cheese. There is enough heat in the white sauce to melt the cheese.

 

[Garband]

when I make white sauce, I use 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour and 1 quart of milk. That should be enough for a pound of pasta, or adjust quantities, but keep the porportions. Make the roux and cook the flour a little. Then pour warmed milk in, slowly as you wisk. Then stir the grated cheese in, a little at a time and allow to incorporate. The sauce will thicken with the cheese.

Awesome, thanks. Does the temperature of the milk really matter?

Acup and a half of butter and flour will thicken 6-8 cups of milk. Figure two tablespoons each of butter and flour to thicken a cup of milk. After you have this part done and have simmered the combo for a couple of minutes, slowly stir in the shredded or grated cheese.

Your first attempt got clumpy like cottage cheese because you got the sauce too hot when adding the cheese. You can take the sauce off the burner and stir in the cheese. There is enough heat in the white sauce to melt the cheese.

Yeah, the amount of flour/butter I used definitely was too much. lol I was afraid to eat the stuff because of all the butter. lol

I took it off the heat before I added the cheese.. I guess I just didn't let it cool enough. Thanks for the info guys. =)

 

[knight76]

Awesome, thanks. Does the temperature of the milk really matter?

I normally have the milk hot enough that you can see steam rising from it, but not boiling or even simmering. Just hot.

 

[Garband]

I normally have the milk hot enough that you can see steam rising from it, but not boiling or even simmering. Just hot.

Alright, thanks. The sight I used said to have cold milk if the roux is hot, and hot if the roux is cold, so I used cold milk. lol

 

[Russellkhan]

I've used cold milk without a problem.

 

[knight76]

Alright, thanks. The sight I used said to have cold milk if the roux is hot, and hot if the roux is cold, so I used cold milk. lol

I think that would be fine, the secret is to add the milk to the roux very slowly at first. I usually only add maybe 2 tablespoons of milk at first and whisk it in, it will go real thick like paste, then add maybe 3 table spoons of milk and whisk like crazy again till it is mixed in, then add more, more, more increasing the amount of milk that goes in each time.

Thats how I do it, then back on the heat till it thickens.

 

[Andy M.]

Alright, thanks. The sight I used said to have cold milk if the roux is hot, and hot if the roux is cold, so I used cold milk. lol

With a roux, the temperature of the liquid to be added doesn't matter. The flour won't clump because each grain of flour is coated with fat.

 

[Garband]

Does the rate I add it matter? The site didn't say anything about how fast to do it, so I just dumped the milk in... I didn't think it would affect it really. I also forgot to mention that I didn't use all the flour...

 

[Andy M.]

I add the milk in a steady stream as I whisk briskly. If you didn't add all the flour, the sauce will be thinner. All adding more flour will do is make it thicker.

 

[knight76]

Does the rate I add it matter? The site didn't say anything about how fast to do it, so I just dumped the milk in... I didn't think it would affect it really. I also forgot to mention that I didn't use all the flour...

Dumping the milk in and then whisking will make it very hard to get it with no lumps.

Just add it slowly bits at a time and whish it smooth. Try it, see how you go, that is how I do it and have never had lumps yet.