This Cheese Sauce is creamy, smooth, and silky! Made with cheddar, half and half, cornstarch, and butter, this sauce is perfect over steamed broccoli, in pasta, as a base for soups, or with fries.
In a glass measuring cup, whisk half and half and cornstarch. Mix well until there are no clumps.
1 ¼ cup half and half, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Shredd the cheddar on a large-hole size of a box grater. Set aside.
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
In a small saucepan (I used 1-quart stainless steel saucepan), melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pour half and half into melted butter, slowly drizzling it in and whisking at the same time. Stop once in a while to let the sauce thicken a little bit.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, whisking often, for 2 to 3 minutes. This will cook off the starch flavor.
Add cheddar cheese to half and half mixture and stir in until melted. The sauce should thicken nicely right away.
Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and stir until melted. This will enhance the silky texture.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of cayenne
Your sauce is now ready to be served.
Notes
Use block cheddar cheese and shredded yourself. Store-bought shredded cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and it will add chalky flavor to the sauce.
Half and half is a mixture of milk and cream and it’s my favorite liquid for making creamy sauces.
I used a 1-quart saucepan to make this sauce and it was a perfect size.
Store this sauce in a fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.
Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.