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5-Minute Cheese Sauce | Healthy Kitchen Hacks

5-Minute Cheese Sauce | Healthy Kitchen Hacks

Easy thick and creamy cheese sauce for topping broccoli, nachos, or a big bowl of mac and cheese.

Easy Homemade Cheese Sauce - For more #healthy recipes, follow @TspCurry

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We share kitchen shortcuts and tricks on how to cook more healthfully and deliciously in the kitchen. Teaspoonofspice.com

It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks Wednesday – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals.

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Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:

5-MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE (VIDEO)

This is the one recipe I make more than any other. And you will too. Then, after making it just two or three times, you won’t even need a recipe. It’s that easy.

You’ll pour this thick, creamy 5-Minute Cheese Sauce on:

EASY 5-MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE | @TspCurry

Vegetables – and watch them disappear from your kids’ plates. It’s delicious on:

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Baked potatoes
  • Sauteed spinach

>>Nutrition Bonus – Thanks to the fat found in the cheese, there will be increased absorption of the nutrients in vegetables. Bottomline: eat full-fat salad dressing on salads and some fat on other veggies.

EASY 5-MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE | @TspCurry

Nachos – Serve as nachos over corn chips or baked sweet potato chips

It’s fun to switch up the cheese in this 5-Minute Cheese Sauce. Substitute these cheeses for Cheddar in the recipe:

  • Pepper Jack cheese – Spice up your nachos. Top nachos with black beans, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, and light sour cream
  • Blue cheese – 5-Minute Blue Cheese sauce is heaven. Use to top cauliflower, roasted beets, or even chicken breasts.
  • Gouda – For a quick (and fun!) fondue, sub in Gouda. Serve with whole grain bread cubes and cooked vegetable pieces.

5 MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE | @TspCurry

Make easy Mac and Cheese

This cheese sauce recipe is easier than most because it doesn’t involve making a roux (flour cooked in butter). Instead, the flour is just whisked into the milk and heated until thick. The key to the recipe is using a higher fat milk.

Milk variations:

  • Whole dairy milk – my favorite with the thickest, creamiest results
  • Reduced-fat (2%) milk – Most often I use 2% milk because that’s what I have on-hand. Results are still very, very good.
  • Low-fat (1%) milk – Results will be thinner
  • Fat-free milk – Not really recommended, unless you add another tablespoon of flour. You may taste the flour a bit in the final result.
  • Soy beverage – Again results will be thinner. Add a 1 1/2 teaspoons flour more

>> Nutrition Bonus: This sauce is lower in salt as the only salt is from the cheese, not butter or added salt. 

BONUS hack:
This 5-Minute Cheese Sauce also a delicious base for soup. Just add cooked veggies like: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower or others. Then puree the 5-Minute Cheese Sauce and the veggies together into a creamy soup using a blender or immersion blender.  Easy thick and creamy 5-Minute Cheese Sauce for topping broccoli, nachos or bowl of mac and cheese via @TspCurry Click To Tweet

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5 MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE | @TspCurry

5-Minute Cheese Sauce


5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Serena Ball
  • Yield: 4-5 servings 1x

Description

Easy thick and creamy cheese sauce for topping broccoli, nachos, or even a big bowl of mac and cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup milk (whole or 2% recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, whisk together milk, flour and garlic powder. Put pot over medium heat and stir constantly until just before boiling.
  2. Cook 1-2 minutes more until thick, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Notes

Salt and pepper may be added to taste. I don’t usually add any as I think the cheese has enough flavor.

If cheese sauce hardens after removing from heat, just rewarm on stove or in a microwave-safe dish.

What type of cheese would you add to this cheese sauce? Gouda? Blue cheese? Garlic & herb cheese?

EASY 5-MINUTE CHEESE SAUCE FOR BROCCOLI, NACHOS AND A BIG BOWL OF MAC AND CHEESE. So simple, you won't even need the recipe after making it like twice! Check out this Healthy Kitchen Hack at Teaspoonofspice.com #kitchenhacks

Kari McGrath

Friday 5th of July 2019

Very easy and delicious. I was trying to find a cheese sauce to make instead of buying the pre-made veggie packs with cheese sauce that have so many chemicals in them. Thank you!

Serena Ball

Monday 8th of July 2019

Thanks so much for letting me know, Kari! We just made this sauce yesterday for 'fettucini alfredo' - I used freshly grated Parmesan (grated on the large holes of a box grater) instead of Cheddar. It was a hit with the kids!

Sheila

Monday 12th of February 2018

This is brilliant. I did not realize it was easy to make these creamy cheese sauce. Can't wait to try this on my spaghetti later tonight. Thank you for sharing this.

Serena Ball

Monday 12th of February 2018

Ohhh! Bet the Cheese Sauce would be great on chili too - like your blog name! (: Thanks for visiting Sheila!

Ushmana Palmo Rai

Saturday 10th of February 2018

This is genius! Easy yet hearty! Gonna try this as a topping on my spaghetti! Thanks for sharing. All the love from Nepal xoxo

Serena Ball

Sunday 11th of February 2018

Well hello to you Ushmana in Nepal! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you love this on your spaghetti!

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