Cheddar Cheese Sauce with a Bechamel Base
Overview:
This delightful Cheddar Cheese Sauce with a Bechamel Base recipe is a culinary masterpiece, perfect for drizzling over your favorite vegetables or enhancing any dish with its rich, creamy goodness. Crafted with expertise from the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Professional Cooking, this sauce boasts a tantalizing blend of flavors that will elevate your meals to gourmet status. With a preparation time of just 15 minutes and a total cooking time of 30 minutes, this recipe delivers a sumptuous sauce in under an hour, making it ideal for busy weeknights or special occasions when you crave something indulgent. Dive into the world of culinary excellence with this recipe and impress your family and friends with your culinary prowess!
Ingredients:
Here’s what you’ll need to create this delectable Cheddar Cheese Sauce:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bread Flour | 2 cups |
| Milk | 2 cups |
| Onion | 1 large |
| Clove | 1 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 |
| Salt | To taste |
| Nutmeg | 1/2 tsp |
| White Pepper | To taste |
| Cheddar Cheese | 8 oz |
| Dry Mustard | 1/2 tsp |
| Worcestershire Sauce | 2 tsp |
Instructions:
-
Prepare the Bechamel Sauce:
- Begin by heating clarified butter in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat.
- Whisk in the bread flour and stir continuously until the mixture reaches a light cream color, ensuring it cooks for at least 1 minute.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- In another saucepan, scald the milk until it’s just below boiling point.
-
Combine Ingredients:
- Gradually pour the scalded milk into the roux (flour and butter mixture), whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle boil while stirring continuously.
- Once the sauce reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.
-
Infuse Flavors:
- Create a bouquet garni by sticking the bay leaf to the onion with the clove.
- Add the onion to the saucepan and allow the sauce to simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
-
Season to Perfection:
- Lightly season the sauce with salt, nutmeg, and white pepper, ensuring the flavors are perfectly balanced.
-
Strain and Store:
- Strain the sauce through a china cap to remove any solid particles and achieve a silky-smooth texture.
- To prevent a skin from forming, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce.
- Cool the sauce in a cold water bath and store it in the freezer in ziplock bags for future use, or keep it warm over a water bath if using immediately.
-
Add Cheese and Flavorings:
- In a quart of the prepared Bechamel Sauce, add the cheddar cheese, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Whisk the sauce over low heat until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety.
Serving Suggestions:
This luscious Cheddar Cheese Sauce with a Bechamel Base is incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes. Pour it generously over steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus for a gourmet touch. Alternatively, use it as a decadent topping for baked potatoes or drizzle it over roasted meats for an extra layer of flavor. Get creative and incorporate this sauce into your favorite recipes to elevate them to new heights of culinary excellence!
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 2183.3
- Total Fat: 157.9g
- Saturated Fat: 99.3g
- Cholesterol: 496.7mg
- Sodium: 2006.2mg
- Carbohydrates: 98.3g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Protein: 95.6g
Recipe Notes:
- For a lighter version of this sauce, you can use low-fat milk and reduce the amount of cheese.
- Feel free to adjust the seasoning according to your personal taste preferences.
- This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for longer-term storage. Simply reheat gently before serving.
- Experiment with different types of cheese for unique flavor variations. Gouda, Swiss, or even blue cheese can add a delicious twist to this classic recipe.
- Enjoy the process of creating this sauce from scratch and savor every moment as you indulge in its creamy, cheesy goodness! 🧀🌿
