A spicy cheddar cheese sauce made with real, whole foods…no scary processed stuff here! This one was a game-changer for me since I don’t like to buy super processed cheese (but I admit, I would buy that big brick of fake cheese during pregnancy to satisfy my gas station nacho cravings! So gross.). This not only tastes better than a sauce made from fake cheese, but since it’s made with real ingredients, I don’t feel bad eating it. Not that cheese is a health food, but I’m all about moderation, folks! This is delicious, and easy to adjust to your specific taste. Because my grandpa would DUMP cayenne pepper on everything he ate, but my friend’s father-in-law can’t even eat food seasoned with black pepper. Everyone is different, so spice it up how you like it! We LOVE this cheese sauce soft with Soft Pretzel Bites.
Spicy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp hot sauce (we like Tabasco)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Warm the milk (I usually do 1 minute or so in the microwave). Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and combine, stirring until a thick paste forms (a minute or two).
- Pouring slowly, whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the shredded cheese and combine.
- Add the hot sauce, cayenne and salt and pepper, and combine.
- Serve warm with Soft Pretzel Bites, nachos or even over veggies!
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Notes:
- 1 tsp of hot sauce is just about the maximum heat we can handle in this sauce. Definitely too much for our kids. If you don’t like a lot of heat, I would start around 1/2 tsp of hot sauce.
- This cheese sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheat before serving (stove top or microwave).
- You can leave the hot sauce and cayenne out completely.
Recipe lightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
