How to make cheese sauce recipe

If you want to know how to make cheese sauce then this easy recipe will show you how.

Cheese sauce is perfect tossed through fresh penne, baked with cauliflower to make a classic cauliflower cheese or drizzled over your favourite steak recipe for a cheesy finish. It's the base of many indulgent comfort food recipes.

We've added 20g of cheese which gives a mild flavour and keeps the recipe lower in fat. However, you can add more for a stronger flavour. Also, try using other cheese such as blue cheese or Italian hard cheese such as Parmesan. And don't feel guilty about using cheese; we've got six reasons why cheese is good for you.

Whichever way you plan on serving your cheese sauce, follow our step-by-step video recipe or use our simple method below. You'll have this creamy wonder made in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 sliced onion
• Salt and pepper
• 425ml milk
• Parsley stalks
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 40g butter
• 20g plain flour
• 20g Cheddar cheese (feel free to add more for a more intense flavour)
• Pinch of nutmeg

Method

1. Add cold milk into pan. Next add onion, bay leaf, parsley stalks, peppercorns and stir. Bring to simmering point and cook on a low heat for 5 minute. Drain the mixture through a sieve and transfer milk back into measuring jug
2. Put pan on low heat and add in butter until it melts then add the flour. Stir until it forms a thick past. Keep stirring for roughly 5 minutes so that it doesn't stick to pan.
3. Take off heat and stir in small amounts of milk slowly - use a whisk to remove any lumps. Transfer pan back to heat and cook for another 5 minutes while the sauce thickens.
4. Turn heat down, season with salt and pepper.  Add the cheese and grate in a pinch of nutmeg
5. Finally add more salt and pepper and continue to stir until it becomes a smooth sauce