Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

Ting Dalton/Mashed
By Ting Dalton AND Mashed Staff/July 7, 2022 3:11 pm EST

Is there anything better than a big ol’ bowl of ooey, gooey cheese sauce that goes on pretty much everything? We don’t think so! As the title suggests, this cheese sauce is easy to make and will only set you back about 20 minutes, making it a no-brainer since you can whip it up so quickly. The sauce is thick and flavorful and it boasts shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese, which complement each other well. Add a little garlic and Dijon mustard for flavor, and you have a fantastic cheese sauce that goes on everything from veggies to french fries and even sandwiches and burgers.

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply came up with this delicious recipe that will be a new favorite. “I love this cheese sauce recipe as it can be used for so many different dishes and elevates simple ingredients to another level,” Dalton says. As for her inspiration behind this dish? “I love the versatility of cheese sauce as it can be used for so many different dishes and ingredients. And once you get the hang of making this, you can make many sauces,” Dalton notes. 

Gather the ingredients to make cheese sauce

Ting Dalton/Mashed

To start, you’ll need to gather all the necessary ingredients to make this delicious cheese sauce. Pick up some butter, all-purpose flour, milk, Dijon mustard, a garlic clove, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese. You can also sub in other cheeses if you want. “You can use stronger cheeses including blue cheese or gruyere,” Dalton says. “Whatever cheese you like.”

Melt the butter and add the flour

Ting Dalton/Mashed

Select a medium-sized pan and place it on your stove. Turn the heat up to medium and toss in the butter. Wait for the butter to melt before you add in the flour. Be sure to work quickly with a wooden spoon to combine the butter and flour together. The mixture should turn into a thin paste.

Add the minced garlic

Ting Dalton/Mashed

Throw the minced garlic in with the butter and flour and stir for about 30 seconds. The garlic is the secret ingredient that takes this cheese sauce to the next level. “It really adds another depth of flavor to the cheese sauce, and even just one clove makes all the difference,” Dalton shares. “I found this out by accident as I threw some in by chance, and now I do it all the time.”

Add the milk, and bring to a boil

Ting Dalton/Mashed

Now it’s time to add the milk into the mix. Use a whisk to incorporate it with the other ingredients and continue whisking vigorously until the mixture comes together and begins to thicken. “A whisk is the easiest way to get a silky, lump-free sauce,” Dalton shares. “If you’re still struggling, warming up the milk beforehand is another hack.”

Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue whisking, and the sauce should thicken.

Add the cheese and Djjon mustard

Ting Dalton/Mashed

Now it’s time to add the star of the dish — the shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Once you add those, you can also dump in the Dijon mustard. Stir until they have all melted into the liquid. “Creamy, cheesy, with touch of garlic notes. Very yummy, very cheesy, and great with pasta!” Dalton says of the flavor. 

Once melted, remove the cheese sauce from heat. 

Serve and enjoy

Ting Dalton/Mashed

This cheese sauce is best when served right away. You can use it on a variety of items, but Dalton shares a few of her favorite serving suggestions. “Pour over cauliflower and broccoli and bake. Use the sauce for mac and cheese,” Dalton shares. “Pour over fish or meat. It’s hugely versatile.”

And if you have any left? “You can freeze cheese sauce for up to 3 months. Let [it] defrost for 24 hours before reheating,” Dalton says.

Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

4.9 from 17 ratings

Fill 202

							Print

Cheese sauce is a great topping for practically any dish — meats, vegetables, burgers, or pasta. Best of all? This cheese sauce recipe takes just 20 minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Total time: 20 minutes

					Ingredients

​​3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups milk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, minced 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

					Directions

Place the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it melts. When the butter is melted, add the flour. Working quickly with a wooden spoon, combine the butter and flour together to create a thin paste. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Slowly add the milk and, using a whisk, keep whisking vigorously as the mixture comes together and begins to thicken. As the mixture comes to a boil, continue to whisk. Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and Dijon mustard until they have all melted. Served straight away or use it in other dishes of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 267

Total Fat 20.3 g

Saturated Fat 12.0 g

Trans Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 58.5 mg

Total Carbohydrates 8.7 g

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

Total Sugars 5.3 g

Sodium 321.0 mg

Protein 12.7 g

							The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
						






											Rate this recipe

Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

Ting Dalton/Mashed

By Ting Dalton AND Mashed Staff/July 7, 2022 3:11 pm EST

Is there anything better than a big ol’ bowl of ooey, gooey cheese sauce that goes on pretty much everything? We don’t think so! As the title suggests, this cheese sauce is easy to make and will only set you back about 20 minutes, making it a no-brainer since you can whip it up so quickly. The sauce is thick and flavorful and it boasts shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese, which complement each other well. Add a little garlic and Dijon mustard for flavor, and you have a fantastic cheese sauce that goes on everything from veggies to french fries and even sandwiches and burgers.

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply came up with this delicious recipe that will be a new favorite. “I love this cheese sauce recipe as it can be used for so many different dishes and elevates simple ingredients to another level,” Dalton says. As for her inspiration behind this dish? “I love the versatility of cheese sauce as it can be used for so many different dishes and ingredients. And once you get the hang of making this, you can make many sauces,” Dalton notes. 

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply came up with this delicious recipe that will be a new favorite. “I love this cheese sauce recipe as it can be used for so many different dishes and elevates simple ingredients to another level,” Dalton says. As for her inspiration behind this dish? “I love the versatility of cheese sauce as it can be used for so many different dishes and ingredients. And once you get the hang of making this, you can make many sauces,” Dalton notes. 

Gather the ingredients to make cheese sauce

To start, you’ll need to gather all the necessary ingredients to make this delicious cheese sauce. Pick up some butter, all-purpose flour, milk, Dijon mustard, a garlic clove, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese. You can also sub in other cheeses if you want. “You can use stronger cheeses including blue cheese or gruyere,” Dalton says. “Whatever cheese you like.”

Melt the butter and add the flour

Select a medium-sized pan and place it on your stove. Turn the heat up to medium and toss in the butter. Wait for the butter to melt before you add in the flour. Be sure to work quickly with a wooden spoon to combine the butter and flour together. The mixture should turn into a thin paste.

Add the minced garlic

Throw the minced garlic in with the butter and flour and stir for about 30 seconds. The garlic is the secret ingredient that takes this cheese sauce to the next level. “It really adds another depth of flavor to the cheese sauce, and even just one clove makes all the difference,” Dalton shares. “I found this out by accident as I threw some in by chance, and now I do it all the time.”

Add the milk, and bring to a boil

Now it’s time to add the milk into the mix. Use a whisk to incorporate it with the other ingredients and continue whisking vigorously until the mixture comes together and begins to thicken. “A whisk is the easiest way to get a silky, lump-free sauce,” Dalton shares. “If you’re still struggling, warming up the milk beforehand is another hack.”

Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue whisking, and the sauce should thicken.

Turn the heat up and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue whisking, and the sauce should thicken.

Add the cheese and Djjon mustard

Now it’s time to add the star of the dish — the shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Once you add those, you can also dump in the Dijon mustard. Stir until they have all melted into the liquid. “Creamy, cheesy, with touch of garlic notes. Very yummy, very cheesy, and great with pasta!” Dalton says of the flavor. 

Once melted, remove the cheese sauce from heat. 

Once melted, remove the cheese sauce from heat. 

Serve and enjoy

This cheese sauce is best when served right away. You can use it on a variety of items, but Dalton shares a few of her favorite serving suggestions. “Pour over cauliflower and broccoli and bake. Use the sauce for mac and cheese,” Dalton shares. “Pour over fish or meat. It’s hugely versatile.”

And if you have any left? “You can freeze cheese sauce for up to 3 months. Let [it] defrost for 24 hours before reheating,” Dalton says.

And if you have any left? “You can freeze cheese sauce for up to 3 months. Let [it] defrost for 24 hours before reheating,” Dalton says.

Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

4.9 from 17 ratings

Fill 202

							Print

Cheese sauce is a great topping for practically any dish — meats, vegetables, burgers, or pasta. Best of all? This cheese sauce recipe takes just 20 minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Total time: 20 minutes

					Ingredients

​​3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups milk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, minced 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

					Directions

Place the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it melts. When the butter is melted, add the flour. Working quickly with a wooden spoon, combine the butter and flour together to create a thin paste. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Slowly add the milk and, using a whisk, keep whisking vigorously as the mixture comes together and begins to thicken. As the mixture comes to a boil, continue to whisk. Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and Dijon mustard until they have all melted. Served straight away or use it in other dishes of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 267

Total Fat 20.3 g

Saturated Fat 12.0 g

Trans Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 58.5 mg

Total Carbohydrates 8.7 g

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

Total Sugars 5.3 g

Sodium 321.0 mg

Protein 12.7 g

							The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
						






											Rate this recipe

Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

4.9 from 17 ratings

Fill 202

							Print

Cheese sauce is a great topping for practically any dish — meats, vegetables, burgers, or pasta. Best of all? This cheese sauce recipe takes just 20 minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Total time: 20 minutes

					Ingredients

  • ​​3 tablespoons butter

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 ½ cups milk

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

     				Directions

  • Place the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it melts.

  • When the butter is melted, add the flour. Working quickly with a wooden spoon, combine the butter and flour together to create a thin paste.

  • Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

  • Slowly add the milk and, using a whisk, keep whisking vigorously as the mixture comes together and begins to thicken.

  • As the mixture comes to a boil, continue to whisk.

  • Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and Dijon mustard until they have all melted.

  • Served straight away or use it in other dishes of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 267

Total Fat 20.3 g

Saturated Fat 12.0 g

Trans Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 58.5 mg

Total Carbohydrates 8.7 g

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

Total Sugars 5.3 g

Sodium 321.0 mg

Protein 12.7 g

							The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
						







											Rate this recipe

Easy Cheese Sauce Recipe

4.9 from 17 ratings

Fill 202

							Print

Cheese sauce is a great topping for practically any dish — meats, vegetables, burgers, or pasta. Best of all? This cheese sauce recipe takes just 20 minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Total time: 20 minutes

4.9 from 17 ratings

Fill 202

							Print

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cook Time

Servings

6

Total time: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 267

Total Fat 20.3 g

Saturated Fat 12.0 g

Trans Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 58.5 mg

Total Carbohydrates 8.7 g

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

Total Sugars 5.3 g

Sodium 321.0 mg

Protein 12.7 g

							The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
						






							The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.