# Which Cheese Melts the Creamiest?



## FluffyAngel (Feb 3, 2012)

Which of these cheeses will melt the creamiest, taste the cheesiest yet not be stringy like Cheddar or mozzarella:  Swiss, provolone, or havarti? I want to use it to drizzle over those hot potatoes.


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## jennyema (Feb 3, 2012)

FluffyAngel said:


> Which of these cheeses will melt the creamiest, taste the cheesiest yet not be stringy like Cheddar or mozzarella: Swiss, provolone, or havarti? I want to use it to drizzle over those hot potatoes.


 
Pretty much the same. So use the one you think tastes best.

The "creamier" the cheese the more "stringy" it is when melted. A dry cheese like pecorino romano doesn't "string."  

If you want creamy make up a little mornay sauce to pour over them.


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 3, 2012)

I would use a combination of American process cheese for creamy texture and cheddar for taste.  Those two added to a cream sauce with a little cayenne pepper would be fantastic on the potatoes or a green vegetable like broccoli.

If you need an inexpensive shortcut then I would go with a can of Campbell's cheddar or nacho cheese soup thinned with a little milk and spiked with cayenne.  Not ideal but a fast inexpensive item for the emergency shelf.


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## salt and pepper (Feb 3, 2012)

Fontina, Known for it's melting qualities.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 3, 2012)

Butterkaise melts well, as do cheeses such as cream cheese, neufchatell, farmer's cheese, brie, camembere, etc.  Cheeses with a higher butterfat content will have less protien per unit voume, and thus, are less stringy.

If you heat a bechemel sauce, or cream to about 170' or so (using a candy thermometer, and add grated cheeses like cheddar, colby, Gruyere, harvarti, aged swiss, or Pinconing sharp, or any of the hard cheeses like Parmesano Regiano, Asiago, or Romano Pecorino, with the sauce removed from the heat, you will end up with a silky smooth cheese sauce.  Overheating will cause the protiens to bind into stringy clumps.  This is called breaking the sauce.  Watch your temperatures and you will have a winning cheese sauce.

Good luck with your cheese sauce.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Steve Kroll (Feb 3, 2012)

Of the three cheeses specifically mentioned by the original poster, Havarti would probably be the creamiest. But as one poster mentioned, a mornay sauce is your best bet. It's really nothing more than a bechamel sauce to which grated cheese has been added. If you go that route, you could use any of the cheeses you have.


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## taxlady (Feb 3, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Of the three cheeses specifically mentioned by the original poster, Havarti would probably be the creamiest. But as one poster mentioned, a mornay sauce is your best bet. It's really nothing more than a bechamel sauce to which grated cheese has been added. If you go that route, you could use any of the cheeses you have.



That's what I was thinking.


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## Bigjim68 (Feb 3, 2012)

IMO, Raclette is the best melting cheese.


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## Kayelle (Feb 3, 2012)

Then there's always a jar of Cheese Whizz.  Ducking and running.........


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## Dawgluver (Feb 3, 2012)

Kayelle said:
			
		

> Then there's always a jar of Cheese Whizz.  Ducking and running.........



Great minds think alike, Kayelle.  Guess I'd better duck, run, and whistle too!


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## Rocklobster (Feb 4, 2012)

Kayelle said:


> Then there's always a jar of Cheese Whizz.  Ducking and running.........


I was going to mention that also....can I hide behind you two?


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## Addie (Feb 4, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> Great minds think alike, Kayelle. Guess I'd better duck, run, and whistle too!


 
I am running with you.


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## lyndalou (Feb 4, 2012)

Me too.


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## taxlady (Feb 4, 2012)

That's one of the things that came to my mind and I don't even like Cheese Whizz.


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## vitauta (Feb 4, 2012)

who is brave enough to lead this cheese whiz brigade?  do we really need to be apologists about this simple process cheese fact?  must we always be purists about our food fancies?


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## JGDean (Feb 4, 2012)

Jalapeno Velveeta is good


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## Addie (Feb 4, 2012)

Cheese Whiz is Velveeta in a liquid form. Same formula.


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## Addie (Feb 4, 2012)

vitauta said:


> who is brave enough to lead this cheese whiz brigade? do we really need to be apologists about this simple process cheese fact? must we always be purists about our food fancies?


 
I see families at the food bank and when they get a small box of Velveeta, they are so happy. It means their kids can have a lunch that they like. And they can get two days of meals with it. They don't turn their nose up at it. If you want to see folks that aren't purists, go to a food bank to help out. Canned veggies are sometimes the only veggi the kids get. Sugared cereal means they don't have to put sugar on their cereal. They can use it for something else.


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## taxlady (Feb 4, 2012)

vitauta said:


> who is brave enough to lead this cheese whiz brigade?  do we really need to be apologists about this simple process cheese fact?  must we always be purists about our food fancies?



Bravery isn't an issue for me. I hate the stuff and don't eat cheese or "cheese food" that colour.


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## vitauta (Feb 4, 2012)

i guess all i was trying to say, is let's put it out there without the pc for once....


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## Kayelle (Feb 4, 2012)

Addie said:


> I see families at the food bank and when they get a small box of Velveeta, they are so happy. It means their kids can have a lunch that they like. And they can get two days of meals with it. They don't turn their nose up at it. If you want to see folks that aren't purists, go to a food bank to help out. Canned veggies are sometimes the only veggi the kids get. Sugared cereal means they don't have to put sugar on their cereal. They can use it for something else.



I *really *agree with you Addie, sometimes we really do get caught up in "food snobery" and we need to be more aware of those who can't afford the very best of the best.  Actually I think Vit is in agreement on this point.


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## vitauta (Feb 4, 2012)

my point is really about processed foods--our aversion which is sometimes too rigid to let our guard down and admit to a few exceptions without shame or apology....   (but thank you, kayelle, for your support and rescue attempt)


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 4, 2012)

vitauta said:


> i guess all i was trying to say, is let's put it out there without the pc for once....



Why apologize?  If I use Velveeta in a recipe, I will say so.  Yes, for the most part I use natural foods, try not to include additives.  Read labels and try not to buy additives.  But, if I am making Chile con Queso Dip...the only things that taste right are a can on Nalley's Chili - no Beans and a 1 pound chunk of Velveeta.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 4, 2012)

vitauta said:


> i guess all i was trying to say, is let's put it out there without the pc for once....



I use Velveeta, Cheese Whiz, store bought salsa, potted meat, Vienna Sausage, canned sardines, etc.  I'm not a food snob, or food prude.  I use whatever is needed to make whatever it is that I'm trying to make.  That being said, I prefer to make a home made cheese sauce, combining milk, grated cheddar, grated swiss cheese, and grated Parmesano Regiano.  I can't always afford to have all of those cheeses in my fridge at the same time, especially since I'm the only cheese lover in the house.  But when I can, I make my own "Velveeta" with real cheese, a bit of salt, and a touch of prepared mustard.  The texture is very similar to the store purchased product.  After all, the original Kraft used to use ends and pieces of real cheese to make Velveeta.  It was a way to use the small cheese pieces that couldn't be sold on store shelves.  And it was better tasting than what we can purchase today.  and Cheese Whiz is simply Velveeta with more moisture added to make it softer, though in my opinion, it's also saltier in flavor, which is what makes it taste great on a Philly Steak sandwich.

I think that it's safe to say, if I were a rich man, I'd still eat it, and the other things I mentioned.  

seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## jennyema (Feb 4, 2012)

I think Velveeta is disgusting, sorry.

I do in fact use it in limited quantities in Mac and cheese I make for others.

But bears no resemblance to real cheese.  It's plastecine and bland.


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## Aunt Bea (Feb 4, 2012)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I use Velveeta, Cheese Whiz, store bought salsa, potted meat, Vienna Sausage, canned sardines, etc.  I'm not a food snob, or food prude.
> 
> seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



It is not because I am a food snob or a food prude, I just don't like em.

We do seem to freak or flame, whatever the term is, when someone posts about a food we do not care for.  In my case I feel the world is going to come crashing down around me when I submit a post about the evil Crisco.  I know it is not good for me.  I also know that sugar, white flour, smoked fatty meat and the "recipe" are not good for me.  I don't understand why we need to win people over to our point of view or judge the choices others make.  I enjoy seeing the different things people use and how they do things.  To me the whole thing is a big buffet and I can pick and choose those things that are right for me.  Please don't think I am preaching, I am as guilty as anyone. I just don't understand the need that we as humans seem to have.


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## Steve Kroll (Feb 4, 2012)

Well said, Aunt Bea.

I'm kind of a food snob and I'll be the first to admit it. I have my own reasons for not wanting to eat certain foods, but I don't expect everyone to conform to my likes or dislikes.

There are some things I just don't eat, and Velveeta is one of those things. I've never liked it, even when I was a kid. Part of the reason is because I grew up in a rural Wisconsin town surrounded by creameries and cheese factories. Process cheese food was a bit of a taboo in that part of the country. 

So be it. Obviously a lot of people do like it or it wouldn't still be around after almost 100 years. You can't knock success.


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## Addie (Feb 4, 2012)

I do use can goods. Tomatoes, evaporated milk, cream style corn, wax beans, tuna fish, tomato paste, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup for when I am too sick to make it myself, etc. I really have no interest in trying to make these items myself. As sick as I was this past two weeks can you just see me in the kitchen trying to make the noodles and then the broth with the chicken? And who is going to clean the kitchen after? Not me. I will be laying on the floor dead. There are some foods I just plain do not like. White bread, okra, oatmeal, buttermilk, yogurt to name a few. Yet when my kids were small I bought these foods for them (except the okra) because they liked them or were good for them. Now that they have all left home, I no longer have to buy them. Although I do have some buttermilk culture in the fridge for biscuits. 

At holiday time, when I have a lot of baking to do, I will buy the refrigerator pie dough. I don't like it, but I will use it to save time. I prefer to bake and cook from scratch. I am a label reader. I have found that since I have been making an effort to keep chemicals out of my diet, I feel much better. I am not always successful in that endeavor. 

I prefer cheese. If the product says Cheese Food, Processed Cheese, or any other word with cheese, I tend to avoid it. Years ago the government used to give out food. One of the items was a five pound block of processed cheese. I was very happy to get that cheese. Along with the pounds of butter and other items. Powdered eggs though just couldn't be disguised.  The cheese gave my kids a lunch to take to school. And it also went into the mac and cheese. It was often a snack for them. 

As you can see, I have been on both sides of the fence. So I don't think I could be called a food snob or elitist. I now live alone and can eat much better than when I had a family of five kids to feed. And as they get older, they too are learning to eat better.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm with Bea. I'm a real cheese lover, I eat lots of cheese--usually eat some every day, and I just plain don't like Velveeta. It's got a kind of rubbery texture and one dimensional flavor to me. I just don't like that. It doesn't bother me if other people like it. Other people eat lots of things I don't like and I probably eat a lot of things other people don't like. It's a free country! 

My favorite best melting cheese is Gruyere, and I love its taste... As far as the OP's problem, I'd make some Mornay sauce. I learned that from reading Julia Child's cookbooks. It's a lot easier than the recipe looks. Make some roux, check. Stir in some milk, check. Stir in some grated cheese, check. Season it with maybe salt, paprika and a dash of cayenne, done!


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## taxlady (Feb 4, 2012)

"Food prude", I like that term. I think that's me. It's not that I'm not adventurous, I'm just a prude about weird, unnatural stuff in my food.


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## taxlady (Feb 4, 2012)

This is probably politically incorrect, but it breaks my heart when people who like good food tell me they eat Cheese Whizz. One more vote for fake food.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 4, 2012)

But TL, Cheese Whizz is so convenient! You just put the nozzle in your mouth and squeeze the button and guzzle it down! 

I'm curious. What does Velveeta do when you melt it in a sauce pan? Does it become some sort of pourable thing, or what?

BTW my comment about making Mornay sauce above was intended to agree with the others who had already suggested making Mornay. I had just meant to point out that making a roux based sauce is easier than it may sound to people who haven't done it yet.


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## HistoricFoodie (Feb 4, 2012)

_.....but I don't expect everyone to conform to my likes or dislikes._

To me, Steve, this is the crux of the matter. 

I have no arguments with how other people prepare food, or the choices they make. What gets to me, though, is the my-way-or-the-highway dogmatism many people develop when it comes to food. 

You want to make everything from scratch, using locally available seasonable products (an impossibility, actually, but that's another discussion)? That's your choice. Prefer to use convenience products as much as possible? That's your choice, too. What counts is the end result. You do it your way, and I'll do it mine. 

The folks who particularly irk me are the ones who proclaim, snootily, how they never use convenience foods. Uh, huh. Until I ask them if they grew the grain and milled the flour they used in that "scratch" cake. Or if their avoidance of convenience foods means that you won't find, in their kitchens: prepared mustard, ketchup, sugar, granular salt, milk, peanut butter.....well, the list of staples and condiments that they don't make themselves goes on and on. Maybe those products are inconvenient? 

And let us not forget that the "secret" ingredient in a Philly Cheese Steak is---wait for it---cheeze whiz. Anything else and you're not getting the true gelt. 

Anybody here brave enough to argue against one of the most iconic sandwiches of the 20th century? I'm certainly not.


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## taxlady (Feb 4, 2012)

In Montreal a Philly cheese steak sub doesn't have Cheese Whizz. I guess it's not authentic, but it's danged good with a nice, white cheddar. I just wish they would make them on whole wheat.


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## Addie (Feb 5, 2012)

I love the chefs that say they only use fresh ingredients locally grown. Do they realize that most folks who have worked in a restaurant have seen the Sysco Foods 18-wheeler back up to there delivery door? They are not deliverying fresh and locally grown foods.


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## Claire (Feb 5, 2012)

Sorry, but for chile con queso, velveeta is the name of the game!  And Kraft American Deli Delights are a favorite for grilled cheese sandwiches.  NOT the ones individually wrapped, they mostly taste like vegetable oil.  In fact, I've bought Velveeta maybe 3 times in my life.  Just for when I want chile con queso.  And, although I use the Kraft American for its smoothness in a grilled cheese, I usually sprinkle a grating of good, strong cheese to it!


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## Soma (Feb 5, 2012)

bechamel sauce.....sounds so fancy, I'd have to look it up. Is it simply a 'white sauce' (what my mother always called it)?....made by melting butter, adding flour, then milk or cream, whisking, cooking on low until thick.....?

I add whatever cheese I have on hand to this, to make a cheese sauce.


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## Addie (Feb 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> bechamel sauce.....sounds so fancy, I'd have to look it up. Is it simply a 'white sauce' (what my mother always called it)?....made by melting butter, adding flour, then milk or cream, whisking, cooking on low until thick.....?
> 
> I add whatever cheese I have on hand to this, to make a cheese sauce.


 
It's your Mama's sauce. Fancy name, home cooking.


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## Steve Kroll (Feb 5, 2012)

Addie said:


> I love the chefs that say they only use fresh ingredients locally grown. Do they realize that most folks who have worked in a restaurant have seen the Sysco Foods 18-wheeler back up to there delivery door? They are not deliverying fresh and locally grown foods.


Seems like we've strayed far, far, away from the original topic here.

Addie, the point is that chefs like you describe try to select and build dishes around locally sourced ingredients. Of course they don't have their own sugar plantations or wheat fields, but that isn't the point.

While you may scoff and think it's silly, I have a lot of respect for chefs that do that. They are putting money back into their own communities and promoting regional ingredients. And in some small measure, they are also conserving resources that would otherwise be spent on fuel to truck in ingredients from some nameless agribusiness vendor many thousands of miles away. In my humble opinion, there is far too little of that type of thing these days. 

Does it make a huge difference? Probably not. But it does draw some attention to the way that we tend to get our food in this country. There are people out there who only think of food as something that comes from the store. They don't give a second thought to the farmers who grow it.

Seven months out of the year, I make an effort to buy vegetables and meat that come from the area where I live (or at the very least from my home state). You'd be surprised how much is readily available. Of course I can't get local bananas or peaches. We don't grow those here. I can't get local sugar, either, so I buy honey that comes from a beekeeper about 10 miles away. I do the best I can with what's available.

As for condiments, I also make a lot of my own. I make and can ketchup from homegrown tomatoes. I grind my own mustard seeds and horseradish. I make hot sauce from peppers grown in my backyard. I also make wine from my own grapes and foraged fruit.

You might be surprised how well you can eat using local ingredients.


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## ThePurpleChef (Feb 5, 2012)

If you want to go through the trouble, you can make a béchamel (white sauce) and add cheddar cheese. Just keep whisking until it turns into a sauce.  I don't have an accurate recipe, but I've made béchamel cheese sauces plenty of times. You should be able to find a simple one on the internet using milk, roux (equal parts butter and flour), and cheese.


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## jennyema (Feb 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> bechamel sauce.....sounds so fancy, I'd have to look it up. Is it simply a 'white sauce' (what my mother always called it)?....made by melting butter, adding flour, then milk or cream, whisking, cooking on low until thick.....?
> 
> I add whatever cheese I have on hand to this, to make a cheese sauce.



Yes.  A béchamel sauce to which cheese has been added is called Mornay Sauce.

Make sure you add the cheese with the base sauce off the heat.  If it's too hot your sauce will be grainy.  It just needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese.


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## taxlady (Feb 5, 2012)

jennyema said:


> Yes.  A béchamel sauce to which cheese has been added is called Mornay Sauce.
> 
> Make sure you add the cheese with the base sauce off the heat.  If it's too hot your sauce will be grainy.  It just needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese.



Thanks for the tip.


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## Soma (Feb 5, 2012)

So "mornay sauce" is bechamel sauce + cheese? (and bechamel is a fancy name for basic white sauce). I think I'm getting it now.


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## jennyema (Feb 5, 2012)

Soma said:


> So "mornay sauce" is bechamel sauce + cheese? (and bechamel is a fancy name for basic white sauce). I think I'm getting it now.



Yes and yes!  Super easy.

If you make béchamel with chicken stock it's called Veloute Sauce.  Still just white sauce with a fancy name.


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## HistoricFoodie (Feb 5, 2012)

Soma, just think of all his as shorthand that helps communicate.

You could say, for instance, "I use a dairly-based white sauce with cheese added to it." Or you can just say "mornay," and most people will understand.

The important thing is this: If you don't understand a term, ask. There are no stupid questions.


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## vitauta (Feb 5, 2012)

oh please


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## Claire (Feb 5, 2012)

I took home ec through junior and senior high school, for an "easy A".  Somewhere in my Junior or Senior year of high school, we had to perfect what were called, if I remember right, "the Mother Sauces".  I don't remember how many there were, but mornay, bechamel, hollandaise were among them.  The test was to make them without breaking.  

In fact, I learned a lot in my home ec classes.  Mom was (and is) a marvelous cook, seamstress, and house-keeper.  But there were a few things like the above that I had to study because they were not in her repetoir.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 5, 2012)

I think a basic understanding of the French mother sauces is very important because they're so easy to make and can dress up ordinary foods into seemingly fancy dishes. Bechamel (white), Mornay, Veloute, Soubise, Brown sauce... The list just goes on and on. The main dividing point is stock based or milk based, and from either of them it's often only one or two more ingredients and some seasoning to make all the variations. In many cases the pan scrapings are an important part.


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## Claire (Feb 5, 2012)

Greg, I still have a problem with my mother sauces in that they break.  I, I might say, did get an "A" on them as a teen.  But I think a lot of it is trying to use lower fat milk products rather than full fat cream.  Every once in awhile an old home ec teacher gets into my brain and I remember stuff like ... well, bring all the ingredients to room temp before mixing.  Duh!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 5, 2012)

I was trying to understand the breaking comment. I haven't found that to be a problem but I'm not one who avoids fats. In fact I often use heavy cream or whipping cream to finish off sauces. Maybe I've just been lucky. Also, I probably don't push sauces to the limit. I'm content when it tastes okay and looks okay and don't try to keep adding this or that to the breaking point.

Could you not be making enough roux? I understand roux is the main thing that holds it all together. Just guessing. I don't measure when I'm making sauces, but rather just add what seems right. Maybe I make more roux than other people. My sauces don't seem floury but maybe I'm not experienced enough to be a good judge of that. All I know is that my sauces are easy to make and they taste good to me.


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## Claire (Feb 5, 2012)

I think my problem is (a) trying to use low-fat alternatives and (b) not remembering to bring everything to room temp before mixing so that I'm not adding cold ingredients to hot ones.  I'm not talking about when using a roux, I never have a problem with that.  I really did take Home Ec as a  kid and know what I'm messing up.  Mostly it's called ... being lazy!!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 5, 2012)

Using low fat alternatives could be a big problem. I don't think the Mornay would work very well from skim milk and non-fat cheese substitute. Probably most of my ingredients are at room temperature (not the butter which obviously doesn't matter) but I'd probably add cream from a carton that's been out of the fridge and on the counter for 20 minutes. Maybe I'm just lucky. It's often the case that being lucky trumps being skillful.  One thing for sure, I'm no expert, although not a novice either. I probably began making sauces seriously about several years ago, back when I really started to get into Julia Child's books.

Another thing to keep in mind is to add ingredients a little at a time. I naturally do that because I'm not measuring things. I'll add some ingredient, incorporate it, then taste it to see if I need more. If it's cream for example I wouldn't add so much that it would shock the temperature of the sauce. I would also probably have the sauce fairly hot since I stir it almost constantly. I usually make the sauce at the end so everything else is probably cooked and the sauce becomes my sole focus. It's the last thing I need to get done so that I can serve.


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## taxlady (Feb 5, 2012)

If you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.


































ducks and runs


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## CharlieD (Feb 5, 2012)

FluffyAngel said:


> ... Swiss, provolone, or havarti?...



Havarti, for sure.


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## Dawgluver (Feb 5, 2012)

taxlady said:
			
		

> If you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.
> 
> ducks and runs



 "When you're out in the sea, and something bites your knee, that's a moray.  When you're stuck in the sand and something bites your hand, that's a moray.  When you're stuck in a rut and something bites your butt, that's....."


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## Greg Who Cooks (Feb 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> If you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.



Yuck! I'm glad I have a slow Internet connection and your link wouldn't load.

I don't want to see eel on my plate. (Didn't we already have this topic?)


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 5, 2012)

taxlady said:


> if you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.
> Ducks and runs





dawgluver said:


> "when you're out in the sea, and something bites your knee, that's a moray.  When you're stuck in the sand and something bites your hand, that's a moray.  When you're stuck in a rut and something bites your butt, that's....."




rofl!  Gxn!


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## HistoricFoodie (Feb 5, 2012)

_If you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.
_
Boo. Hiss.

Let's see your punning license.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 5, 2012)

HistoricFoodie said:


> _If you add eel, it's called a moray sauce.
> _
> Boo. Hiss.
> 
> Let's see your punning license.



We get them out of specially marked boxes of Cracker Jacks.


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## HistoricFoodie (Feb 5, 2012)




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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 5, 2012)

There are five mother sauces, Bechemel, Veloute', Espagnagnole(Brown Sauce) , Hollandaise and tomato sauce, though some would replace the Tomato Sauce with Vinaigrette.

Bechemel:  Traditionally, Bechemel sauce was made with a thick veal stock.  Today, it's usually made with a white roux and milk or cream, with a bit of salt and nutmeg.

From it, small, or derivative sauces are made, such as Alfredo - Bechemel with Parmesano Regiano (though many make this sauce simply with heavy cream and Parmesan Regiano), Mornay - Bechemel with Guyere, and others.  The following URL shows a few of the many derivative sauces made from Bechemel: RecipeSource: Bechamel Sauce

Veloute is also made with a white roux, though I cook to the blonde stage (very lightly browned), then combined with veal, poultry, or pork stock or broth (in the U.S., this is simply known as a flour based gravy).  Here is a site that gives a little more information: What is Velouté Sauce?

And so it is with the other mother sauces.  They are not usually used by themselves, but are the mothers, from which other sauces, called daughter, small, or derivative, sauces are made.  A few exceptions would be sausage gravy, which if you think about it, is a sausage grease Bechemel to which browned sausage is added.  Creamed chipped beef is Bechemel with dried chip beef is re-hydrated and served in.  Chicken Ala King is Bechemel with veggies and cooked chicken meat added.  And so it is with creamed veggies.  

Another cheese sauce that can be made with Bechemel is Cheddar Sauce, usually made by adding a bit of yellow, prepared mustard, and grated sharp cheddar cheese, with the Bechemel removed from the heat.

The technique is very simple.  Simply combine equal parts fat and flour over medium heat and stir until combined.  Add a bit of salt, and nutmeg and stir while slowly adding milk or cream.  The sauce with at first begin to clump, and then turn into a thick paste.  As more milk or cream is whisked in, it will start to loosen up and become very creamy smooth.  Continue adding liquid until a velvet-smooth sauce is formed.  Remove from the heat and add whatever cheese or other ingredients is required to make the kind of sauce you want.  The cheese should be grated and at room temperature so that it will complete melt and combine with the Bechemel sauce.  The strength of the cheese flavor depends on how much, and how strong the cheese is.

Veloute can be made from the broth from split-pea soup, before the soup is cooked down to the thickened stage.  This will temper the strong flavor of the pea broth when the Veloute is added back into the soup.  This is called binding the soup, and will keep pea solids from sinking to the bottom of the pot, or suspend the solids.  It isn't required for pea soup, and many opt to thicken the soup by simply boiling it down until the split-peas dissolve and naturally suspend themselves.  Which version you like best is completely up to you.

So, as you can see, Bechemel is much more than simply a "white sauce".  It is the mother from which a myriad of small sauces are built.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

T


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## blissful (Feb 7, 2012)

Last year sometime... I made some 'velveeta'.

It was water, milk and plain unflavored gelatin, whirred in a blender until dissolved, add cheese (cheddar). The cheese should not be melted, or hot, but just a little cooler than room temperature. Run the blender until it was creamy, shiny and not grainy.
I packed it in plastic wrap, in the form of a square log--some cardboard container.
It melted beautifully. The only drawback was that it went bad--moldy--more quickly than cheese, or store bought velveeta.

So, I guess if you want to make some mexican tortilla dipping sauce with velveeta and tomato/peppers canned.......this would be an option.

Here is the original recipe:
Line a 8x4x2 loaf pan with plastic wrap
Put 1/2 cup water, 3 tbls. milk, and 1/2 tsp. gelatin into blender
Blend until gelatin has dissolved
Add 1/2 lb. grated Cheddar cheese
Blend until blended
Pour into loaf pan
Repeat same procedure two more times
Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight before unmolding
Makes 2 pounds.

Keep in refrigerator.


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## jennyema (Feb 7, 2012)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> There are five mother sauces, Bechemel, Veloute', Espagnagnole(Brown Sauce) , Hollandaise and tomato sauce, though some would replace the Tomato Sauce with Vinaigrette.


 

There's a lot of debate about replacing tomato with mayonnaise, too


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## Addie (Feb 7, 2012)

jennyema said:


> There's a lot of debate about replacing tomato with mayonnaise, too


 
Grant you it can take skill to make a good homemade mayonaise, but it doesn't come up to the skill required for making the other sauces. You can use a FP or mixer to make mayo. You can't do that when making the others on the stove. I will stay with the original ones.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Feb 7, 2012)

All of this is good stuff, but the Opsimply wants to know which cheese will melts the best, so that it can be incorporated into a smoot sauce.  To that end, bechemel, and the small sauce - Mornay were offered as bases for the sauce.  

A great sauce can also be made simply using heavy cream and a well flavored cheese, following the same direction.  Get the cream hot, but no more than about 190 dgrees, remove from the heat, and stir in grated cheese until it is smoothly combined to make a sauce.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CharlieD (Feb 7, 2012)

Some awesome discussions here. But I think all she wanted was to melt some cheese over potatoes. Not any kind of sauce or anything like that. Simple.


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## Dawgluver (Feb 7, 2012)

CharlieD said:
			
		

> Some awesome discussions here. But I think all she wanted was to melt some cheese over potatoes. Not any kind of sauce or anything like that. Simple.



  I couldn't have said it better, Charlie!  

This whole thread has been hilariously educational!


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## vitauta (Feb 7, 2012)

for his italian style mac 'n cheese, fabio goes with a blend of cheddar, fontina, bleu cheese and parmesan.  yahoo is featuring fabio's recipe along with a demo vid today.  he, uh, it, looks definitely melty....


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## FluffyAngel (Feb 7, 2012)

All I can say right now is WoW!! And of coarse thanks. I'm almost speechless... You guys are intense.  Thank you all for your input.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 7, 2012)

FluffyAngel said:


> All I can say right now is WoW!! And of coarse thanks. I'm almost speechless... You guys are intense.  Thank you all for your input.



Heck, we could talk about food all day...wait!  We do that already!


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## Dawgluver (Feb 7, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:
			
		

> Heck, we could talk about food all day...wait!  We do that already!



Oh wait, it's coming to me.....ah!  Discuss, umm, shoot, I lost it.


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## Margi Cintrano (Feb 8, 2012)

*Swiss Gruyère ( Fondue )*

Throughout Switzerland, Swiss gruyère is used in the making of Cheese Fondue with Kirsch, a clear Cherry Brandy. It melts very creamy. 

Why do you ask ?

Margi Cintrano.


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## BBQ Mikey (Feb 8, 2012)

My answer is Mexican Chihuahua Cheese.  *it is from cows milk*

Chihuahua is a Queso Blanco, a white cheese that is the number one Mexican melting cheese.

Chihuahua has a creamy texture and is mild in taste and the ideal  cheese for your quesadillas and nachos. 

I have won a few cookoff competitions using this cheese. So mild, yet rich and tasty.  Melts like butter almost.


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## jennyema (Feb 8, 2012)

BBQ Mikey said:


> Chihuahua has a creamy texture and is mild in taste .


 

The little dogs are the creamiest!


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## CharlieD (Feb 8, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> Oh wait, it's coming to me.....ah! Discuss, umm, shoot, I lost it.


 LMAO


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## Steve Kroll (Feb 8, 2012)

I think this horse is truly dead and well beaten...


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## ThePurpleChef (Feb 13, 2012)

The easiest way to remember the 5 mother sauces is this anagram:

B
E
T
H
V

Béchamel, Espagnole, Tomato, Hollandaise, and Velouté.

Hope that helps some of you! x3


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## Soma (Feb 13, 2012)

Yes, but how do I remember: BETHV.....?


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## Soma (Feb 13, 2012)

and I like my little dogs in a bun.


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## jennyema (Feb 13, 2012)

Soma said:


> and I like my little dogs in a bun.





That's an INBRED dog!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 13, 2012)

jennyema said:


> That's an INBRED dog!



ROFL!!!!!!


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## Addie (Feb 13, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> ROFL!!!!!!


 
Ditto


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 13, 2012)

I made Shrek groan over the INBRED dog picture...I love puns!


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## Addie (Feb 13, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I made Shrek groan over the INBRED dog picture...I love puns!


 
The bigger the groan, the better!


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