Liven up everything from broccoli to baked potatoes, or drizzle this 5 minute easy cheddar cheese sauce recipe over a tray of loaded nachos! The possibilities are endless for this easy homemade recipe that's made without processed cheese.
“The only cheese sauce recipe you’ll ever need! Turns out perfect every time.” – reader, Holly
My parents were lucky in that my brothers and I didn’t need much convincing to eat our vegetables when we were growing up.
Well besides lima beans. If I never see a bag of frozen succotash again, it’ll be too soon.
That said, if your kiddos (or you) need a little coaxing, I can’t tell you how effective my Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce recipe is in making veggies a little more exciting to eat.
Watch How to Make It
Ways to Use Homemade Cheese Sauce:
This cheddar cheese sauce recipe takes just 5 minutes to make and is totally luscious. Here are my favorite ways to use it!
- Drizzled over steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
- Drizzled over baked potatoes with the works (chopped bacon, chives, sour cream, etc.)
- Dunked into with tortilla chips
- Stirred into cooked pasta or rice
- Drizzled into breakfast burritos
The recipe is adapted from the cheddar cheese sauce I made to swirl into my Cheesy Taco Soup, except it has a tad more shredded cheddar to really pump up the flavor.
The result is sensational! Thick and extra-cheesy – perfect for convincing any veggie hater to eat their greens or, for those who don’t really need an extra push, a special, occasional treat.
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Pin ItWhy is My Cheese Sauce Grainy?
If you’ve ever made homemade cheese sauce that came out grainy, I feel for you. It’s a truly disappointing feeling! That said….
- The key to achieving a smooth and creamy cheddar cheese sauce is to never let the milk boil. The milk should should stay at a very gentle simmer – really, an occasional bubble – while thickening. This will result in a smooth and creamy cheese sauce.
Can I Use Pre-Shredded Cheese?
Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents to prevent the shreds from sticking together, which can result in an overly-thickened, gloopy cheese sauce.
For a super smooth sauce, stick with freshly-grated cheddar cheese.
Now let’s get you some!
How to Make Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Step 1: Make the roux.
Start by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in gluten-free flour (or AP flour if not GF) and cook for 1 minute.
Step 2: Whisk in milk.
Next, slowly whisk in milk, season with salt and pepper, then cook while stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened, 3-4 minutes.
Again, do not let the milk boil! Turn the heat down a touch if the milk starts to go beyond a very gentle simmer.
Step 3: Stir in freshly shredded cheese.
Turn off the heat then add freshly shredded cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Taste then add additional salt and pepper if desired.
That’s all she wrote! Drizzle the cheese sauce over your favorite cooked vegetables then devour. I hope you love this decadent, delicious, and EASY recipe – enjoy!
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Creamy Parmesan-Garlic Orzo
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Green Beans and Bacon
- The Best Way to Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Creamy Garlic Shells
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup milk, 2% milk fat or higher recommended
- 1-1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, not pre-grated
Directions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour then whisk for one minute. Slowly whisk in milk to create a smooth sauce then season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook while stirring slowly yet constantly until milk has thickened, 4-5 minutes, being careful to adjust the heat so that the milk never boil. Turn off the heat then sprinkle in the cheese. Stir until sauce is melted and smooth then taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Always use freshly grated cheese as pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly.
- The key to getting a non-grainy cheese sauce is to never let the milk boil. It should always be at a gentle simmer.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Thanks for the recipe. It was simple, fast, and easy to make.
Whenever I add flour to the butter, it comes out in lumps. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Kelly. Did you try adding the flour slowly to the bubbling butter before adding the milk?
Hey Kelly! I usually sprinkle it in then whisk until smooth. Sometimes it can crumble up a little but it should smooth out when you slowly stream in the liquid.
I used this last night. Came out great!
Thank you for making this recipe, as well as others. God has blessed you with your talents and desire to reach out with practical things that are so helpful in our daily lives, like cooking.
Sincerely,
Crystal Rollison
I used coconut milk and Sargento brand pre-grated cheese and it came out great! It got the thumbs up over the package Mac and cheese we usually eat. Thanks for the tasty, easy recipe!
Was easy to make and tastes great! Just wonder why mine didn’t turn out so orange in color? Mine pale yellow. Maybe I’ll try sharp cheddar next time for an extra zip!
I think it just depends on the color of your cheese. Also, orange food is REALLY hard to photograph and always turns out a little wonky, so that might be it too!
Hello from a fellow Iowan…you have a wonderful blog here, and the photos are superb. I would be tempted to use this cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese, too.
i MADE THE SAUCE and just pored it over some steamed broccli floret’s and the family loved it so much they ate it all. I will defiantly use this sauce recipe again. Taste great!
Thanks Kristin. This sauce is a keeper and is how I start my sauce for Macaroni-N-Cheese. I add grated onion, white pepper, dry mustard, and (the secret) a pinch of grated nutmeg. Put into an 8″x8″ baking dish. Mix in cooked elbows, top with a little more cheese, bread crumbs and a dusting of paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is crusty brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Or, forget all my nonsense and just pour Kristin’s sauce over steamed broccoli or whichever vegetable you’ll eat. (Personally, I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like)
Iowa Girl – can you explain the bit about the wooden spoon? Why is it important to switch? And why wooden? I made the sauce yesterday exactly as directed, and it was delicious, of course, but I could actually detect the flavor of wooden spoon. (Maybe my wooden spoons aren’t cleaned properly?? Although I am meticulous about clean dishes). I would just like to understand the importance of the wooden spoon. Thanks in advance!
I’m sorry I asked this question again. Just went over the other comments and got my answer. Thanks everyone.
Love cheese sauce on my veggies. Just wondering why pre-shredded cheese isn’t as good as the kind you have to shred. Is chunk cheese you shred fresher?
Just made this to go with my dinner, using 1/4 cup 2% and 1/4 cup evaporated milk (that I had left over from another recipe), and a mixture of pre-grated colby jack and cheddar, and it turned out amazing! Soooo thick and creamy, much better than any cheese sauce I’ve ever had that used processed “cheese”. Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll definitely be using this again and again!