American•comfort
Homemade Cheese Sauce: Perfect For Nachos & Fries
A simple homemade cheese sauce made with cheddar, butter, flour, and milk. Great as a dip or poured over pasta—ready in minutes and full of flavor.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (warm for best results)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour until you get a smooth paste (this is your roux). Let it cook for 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- 2
Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
- 3
Lower the heat and stir in the shredded cheese a handful at a time. Stir until melted and creamy. Add salt to taste.
- 4
Your cheese sauce is ready! Pour it over nachos, mix it into macaroni, or serve as a dip with fries.