Cheese sauce without bechemel

[medtran49]

We were watching a locally produced dining show and Chef Michelle Bernstein gave her recipe for nacho cheese sauce.

12 ounces freshly grated cheese, (I used large side of box grater), like cheddar, Jack, Colby, gruyere, Swiss, etc.
1 cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Seasonings of S and P, dry mustard, nutmeg, whatever you want to flavor

In a large saucepan, bring the evap milk to just a boil. Toss cheese with cornstarch meanwhile. Remove saucepan from heat, add cheese/cornstarch mixture and stir until mostly melted. Return saucepan to medium heat and continue stirring constantly for several minutes until cheese is fully melted and sauce has thickened a bit. Turn off heat and leave pan on burner, stirring occasionally, to keep warm.

 

[GotGarlic]

I think that recipe originated with Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats. I've made this 3-ingredient stovetop mac n cheese a few times,although I make it in an oven-proof pan so I can top it with breadcrumbs for a crispy topping. It's really good.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/10/the-food-labs-ultra-gooey-stovetop-mac-cheese.html

 

[medtran49]

I think the technique is different.

 

[dragnlaw]

Adding eggs to it changes the recipe's character I should think.

Nevertheless- gonna try that Mac n Cheese! Sounds really good!.

Thanks to both of you!

 

[DaveSoMD]

Okay I have to try this for mac n cheese!!!

 

[GotGarlic]

I think the technique is different.

Simplified a little. I didn't remember the entire recipe, just the use of evaporated milk and cheese.

 

[taxlady]

Thank you medtran. I have saved it to Copy Me That. I have one question.

Turn off heat and leave pan on burner, stirring occasionally, to keep warm.

Is that on a gas stove? An electric stove? Because my electric stove elements retain a lot more heat than any gas stove I have ever used.

 

[jabbur]

I make my mac and cheese similarly. I don't add eggs and use regular milk. We like some Velveeta and a package of cream cheese in ours along with the cheddar. If I have some on hand, I like to add shredded mozzarella or Swiss too.

 

[skilletlicker]

My Secret Cheese Sauce Ingredient

Among the first things I learned to cook sixty-odd years ago was Kraft Dinner. Since then I've learned a few ways to make cheese sauce but sometimes nothing but the stuff from the old blue box will do. But nowadays I usually use a bulk powdered cheese product instead of those little envelopes. This is the one in my pantry for the last few years.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Baked Pasta & Cheese

1/cup whole milk
3/4 cup evaporatrd milk
1/3 cup freshly shredded swiss cheese
1/3 cup freshly shredded extra sharp chddar cheese
1/3 cup fresly shredded American cheese
1 tsp. Mustard powder, or 1 tbs. prepared yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. ground mutmeg
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. Ground white pepper

Allow the shedded cheese to earm to room temperature
Combine milk and condesed milk in a heavy, 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat
Bring to a simmer
Add the mustard and seasonings.

Remove the pot from the heat
Slowly add the shredded cheese, folding it into the milk mixture. Stir until all of the cheese is melted, and a smooth sauce forms. This sauce goes well with cavatapi, rotelli, penne, bow tie pasta, shells, or any pasta with ridges to hold the sauce.

Cook 1 cup of pasta in 2
5 cups of salted water until al dente. Remove a half cup of the pasta water; set aside. Drain the pasta.

Buttdr the inside of a rectangar casserole dish. Pour the pasta into the casserole dish. Add the resrarved pasta water to the cheese sauce. Stir until well blended. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Stir to cat well.

Melt two tbs. Buttdr in you saucepot. Add 1 cup bead crums, with 1/4tsp. Granulated garlic. Stir to blend all together. Spoon brad crumbs evenly over cheese pasta. Bake in 375' F. oven for 30 minutes, or until breadcrums are browned.
Seve with stuffed pok chops, and fried apples.

That's my take on a great pasta & cheese meal.

The cheese blend can be changed. You could use hard. Italian cheeses such as romano, asiago, parmrsan. etc, or Spanish cheese, like Monchego, or any of the Swiss, or Danish cheeses. If you enjoy veined cheeses, you could add them. Personally, I believe that the cheddar, and either Swiss or Ementalla are required. It iss necessary to add the cheese to the milk off of the burner so as to not break the sauce. If you need to, you can place it back on the burner, on the lowest heat setting, stirrong constantly until the sauce is smooth. Then, remove the pot from the heat again.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

 

[medtran49]

Thank you medtran. I have saved it to Copy Me That. I have one question.

Is that on a gas stove? An electric stove? Because my electric stove elements retain a lot more heat than any gas stove I have ever used.

I did it on a flat top electric. By the time the cheese melted, the burner had cooled down some, then it was back on for only a couple of minutes at medium. I did use a heavy bottomed pan though.

 

[taxlady]

Why is everyone assuming that cheese sauce is for mac and cheese? There are plenty of other uses for cheese sauce.

 

[medtran49]

I was kind of wondering that too since my cheese sauce thread turned into a Mac and cheese thread with recipes.

 

[dragnlaw]

Aside from pouring it over Cauliflower or a another vegie, I would automatically think of a pasta dish for a cheese sauce first. Guess it's my age.

I didn't grow up with cheese dips (we didn't have Nacho's and all those other dipping chips) so other than Mac'nCheese the only other thing, and even then "special" was a cheese fondue.

At most it was a sour creme or mayo style dip with shredded cheese mixed in.

So I see nothing peculiar about the turn this thread has taken, with that being said...

Medtran - have copied and saved that recipe as it sounds delish, quick and easy with something already in the cupboard for when the gang does come over.
THANKS!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Medtran;Thank you for the recipe. Your sauce looks great, and tasty. I apologize for also taking this thread into a different direction. Here are some ideas for which your sauce would be phenomenal, IMO:
1. Nachos with Seasoned Ground beef'
2. Work a little into into mashed potatoes
3. In Scalloped potato
4. Fondue
5. After chilling to firm it up, as cheese slices for grilled cheese
6. Over potato patties
7. on a tuna-melt
8. on a chili-cheese dog
9. cheesey rice and peppers
10. Philly Sandwich
11. Over shredded hash-browns
12. in savory eclairs
13. on crispy waffles
14. as a base for cheese soup
15. in Kielbasa, or bratwurst sandwich

Hoe tips post is more helpful. Medtran, by keeping you original recipe, and just changing up the cheese, you sauce is very versatile. Again, thanks for starting this thread.

Seeeeeyas; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[skilletlicker]

As a kid in the '50s, my favorite topping for a baked potato was cheese sauce. From very occasional restaurant visits, it also seemed to be the most popular. Seemed to go out of style a bit in the '60s though.

 

[GotGarlic]

Why is everyone assuming that cheese sauce is for mac and cheese? There are plenty of other uses for cheese sauce.

I was kind of wondering that too since my cheese sauce thread turned into a Mac and cheese thread with recipes.

I guess because I mentioned that I'd read about a version of the sauce that was for mac n cheese. I didn't expect that comment to hijack the thread. Sorry.