Snappy Cheddar Sauce (Printable Format)

Creamy, tangy cheddar sauce with a kick—perfect for drizzling over vegetables, nachos, or baked potatoes.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Pantry

04 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
05 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
06 - 1/2 tsp hot sauce
07 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder
08 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
02 - Whisk flour into melted butter. Cook constantly stirring for 1 minute to form roux.
03 - Gradually whisk milk into roux until smooth. Bring to gentle simmer and cook 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in Dijon mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
05 - Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until completely melted and sauce is smooth.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in 20 minutes and transforms plain vegetables into something you actually want to eat
  • You can control the heat level and it reheats beautifully for leftover nachos
02 -
  • Pre shredded cheese has anti caking agents that prevent smooth melting so grate it yourself
  • If the sauce gets too thick or breaks whisk in a splash of warm milk to bring it back
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly so take the milk out of the fridge early
  • If you accidentally overcook and it separates buzz it in a blender with a teaspoon of cold water to fix it

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