Best Cheese Sauce Recipe (for Fries) (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cheese to use for cheese fries? ›

Use shredded block cheddar cheese for the best cheese sauce. It melts better so the sauce is creamier. You can use pre-shredded cheese, but the sauce will have a stretchy consistency.

One of the best types of cheese for making sauces is raclette. It has high moisture and fat content, making it great for melting. Traditionally, melting the cheese is done tableside with pans, an electric grill, and a knife or scraper. After melting the raclette, drizzle it over charcuterie, potatoes, and pickles.

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Whatever you do, don't leave the cheese unattended on your stove. If you do, it will likely burn and be ruined. Stir the cheese frequently to keep it moving around the pot. This step will ensure the cheese is evenly melted through and prevent it from sticking to the pot and/or burning.

For Smooth, Stable Cheese Sauces, Cornstarch and Evaporated Milk Are Your Friends. How to make a stable emulsion of melted cheese using two basic pantry staples.

But as the weather gets hotter, maybe we should take a look at some cheeses that don't melt. There's a family of semi-firm cheeses — among them, queso panela, queso fresco, paneer, halloumi, feta, cotija, ricotta and soft goat cheese — that won't melt over direct or indirect heat in your kitchen.

Sometimes a late addition of more cheese can balance things out. A bit of freshly ground pepper and nutmeg helps out, you get an extra warmth. My son discovered that adding a little wine to the cheese sauce really ups the flavor. You could also try balsamic vinegar.

Dice the butter into small cubes and melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Once the butter is melted, begin whisking in the flour. When all the flour is incorporated, continue stirring and cooking for a few minutes to activate the starch granules. This is what will thicken the sauce.

Brie has a chokehold on the creamy cheese market, and rightfully so. It's perfectly spreadable, a little funky, and uniquely its own thing.

Slowly pour in milk, whisking out any lumps as they form. Continue to whisk the mixture until it is thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the cheese a handful at a time until all the cheese has been used and sauce is smooth and creamy.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine cheese with 2 cups milk and melt.

What can I add to cheese to make it melt better? ›

One of the most common ways to help cheese melt smoothly is to add starch: this is a process that works in sauces like mornay, or nacho cheese sauce. Starches and other thickeners will physically impede fat molecules from joining up into larger droplets, as well as making the water phase of the cheese more viscous.

Egg yolk. Grated cheese. Grated cheese, such as cheddar or parmesan, can also act as a thickener in a cheese sauce and becomes a great binding agent in the cooking process. Try, for example, incorporating it into crustless quiches and cauli-pizza dough.

Easy Ingredients for Creamy Cheese Sauce:

Butter: Gives the sauce rich flavor. Flour: Thickens the sauce. Milk: Thins the sauce out a bit and adds sweet flavor. Sharp cheddar cheese: Freshly grated cheese will melt better and give a stronger flavor than the coated shredded cheese you can buy in a bag at the store.

What cheeses can be fried? Cheeses that have a high melting point can be fried. While the cheese melts slightly, it will generally retain its shape in the fryer or skillet. Popular fried cheese options are cheese curds, queso blanco, halloumi, paneer, mozzarella, bread cheese, certain cheddars, and provolone.

Mozzarella. From pizza to mozzarella sticks, we already know what mozzarella is capable of when it comes to epic cheese pulls. Mozzarella cheese is a style of fresh Italian cheese known as “pasta filata,” meaning “stretched curd,” which is the key to mozzarella's extreme meltability.

For most dishes a softer, Cheddar, creamy Lancashire, or Gruyère-style are almost perfect for cooking, having the strength of flavour and a structure (moisture/acidity/calcium) that means they melt extremely well. A bit of age to the cheese will help, as it gives a sharper flavour which will come through in the dish.

The combination makes sense—potatoes and cheese are natural partners—as does the origin. Potatoes grow well in mountainous regions, which happen to also be the source of so many great melting cheeses, from Gruyère to Emmental and Fontina.