A delicious mac and cheese can’t live without a wonderful sauce.
Are you looking for a sauce to make your mac and cheese? You’re in the right place now! This creamy sauce made of cheese roux, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper will become your preferred option.
Why THIS Mac and Cheese Sauce?
Out of all the recipes on the internet, why choose this cheese sauce for mac and cheese?
- 7 simple ingredients
- ready in less than 15 minutes
- versatile
- creamy
- oh-so CHEESY
Cheese Recs
Are you a cheese expert? Use your favorite cheese and experiment with different combinations. Here are some ideas:
- Colby Jack
- Mexican Cheddar Blend
- Gouda
- White Cheddar
Homemade Mac and Cheese Sauce With 7 Ingredients
As we already mentioned, all you need to make the creamiest, cheesiest mac and cheese sauce on the internet is just seven basic ingredients. Check it:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups 2 % milk
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1-2 tablespoons buffalo hot sauce we used Franks
Although the hot sauce is technically optional, I assure you that it makes this cheese sauce SO GOOD. It’s true that a little vinegar enhances the cheese sauce’s flavor.
Before we jump into how to make mac and cheese sauce, I wanted to discuss the value of a roux and why you shouldn’t omit it when making this sauce.
How Many Does This Serve?
One pound of mac and cheese can be made with this simple sauce recipe. of macaroni noodles. That should serve around 6-8 people…unless you’re really hungry
What is a Mac and Cheese Roux and Why Do I Need It?
A roux is essentially a method for adding thickness to a sauce or liquid. You need a fat (such as butter or olive oil) and a flour in order to make this thickening agent and then you need to heat it to activate it.
The reason why you don’t want to skip the roux for this mac and cheese sauce recipe is that the roux is what helps make it thick and luscious.
How to Make a Roux
You’ve never made a roux before? No problem! Check out this super simple tutorial:
- To begin, heat a sizable pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After that, stir in the butter and let it melt completely.
- All-purpose flour is added after the butter has melted. Whisk constantly! Until the butter and flour form a crumble or paste.
- Pour the milk into the pot gradually while whisking continuously. For about 4-6 minutes, or until the roux thickens, keep whisking the roux over medium-high heat.
- Shredded cheese can now be melted after the roux has been removed from the heat when it has thickened.
Your roux is ready; congratulations! This will give your mac the desired thick, creamy texture.
Easy Roux Swaps
Butter –> olive oil – like we mentioned above, you need a fat in order to make a roux. Olive oil is a wonderful substitute for butter; we’ve used it frequently.
All-purpose flour –> white whole wheat flour – looking to make your homemade mac and cheese sauce a bit healthier? Instead, consider using white whole wheat flour.
How to Make Mac and Cheese Sauce
Step 1: Make Roux – by this point, you already know the ins and outs of a roux and how to make it (re: above), so we’re going to skip to step 2.
Step 2: Whisk in Milk – slowly add milk to the roux, whisking constantly so it doesn’t burn. Whisk continuously for about 4-6 minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken.
Slow down during this process. we Things will thicken, I guarantee!
Step 3: Remove from Heat – once things are thick, turn the heat off.
Step 4: Whisk in Shredded Cheese – then, add shredded cheese, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and whisk until the cheese melts.
A taste test will help you decide how much hot sauce to add to your cheese sauce.
Step 5: Enjoy! – mix mac and cheese sauce with macaroni noodles and serve immediately.
Mac and Cheese Sauce Versatility
You like this sauce and want to try something new. Here are some suggestions for using this sauce in other recipes besides mac and cheese!
Use on any noodle – all out of macaroni noodles? 1 lb is a real option. of any noodle under the sun!
Nachos – we love using this sauce on top of nachos. Consider fully-loaded nachos with all the fixings plus this cheese sauce.
Burgers/Sandwiches – how good would this easy mac and cheese sauce be on top of a burger or sandwich?! I’m drooling.
Chili Mac and Cheese – mix this cheese sauce with 1 lb. of noodles and a batch of homemade beef chili for some chili mac!
Dip – when Take your preferred tortilla chip and start dipping as I do, you do, and us!
