Easy Cheesy Sauce or Cheat Fondue
Unbreakable Cheese Sauce is Drop-Dead Easy
Dress up broccoli or make a memorable meal out of that poached egg on toast. This recipe also makes a great cheesy fondue-like dip for cruditée.
Rich and easy: everything you wanted in a partner, or at least a date. Here’s a cheese sauce you’ll want to be your go-steady date from now on. If you’ve ever been intimidated by high-maintenance sauces that demand constant attention lest they “break” up with you, this is the sauce for you. This sauce is so easy, you may be embarrassed when your dinner guest calls you a gourmet cook. Don’t be. Blush if you must, but don’t demure. Just smile and thank them.
Easy Cheesy Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients:
Just three ingredients in equal measure: what could be easier!
- 1/2 cup milk, (whole, skim, low-fat, half & half, even cream: they all work)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman’s strongly recommended; other brands or even that other white stuff [shudder] will probably work, but why settle for less than the best?)
- 1/2 cup cheese, shredded (I like sharp cheddar, but your favorite cheese will work, too. Just not process cheese, please.)
Method:
- In a small saucepan, heat milk over a medium flame.
- Whisk in the mayonnaise. It will be lumpy at first. Don’t worry about it.
- Stir in a few shreds of cheese to see when the sauce is warm enough to melt cheese. When it is, stir in the rest of the cheese and turn the flame down to its lowest setting. It will keep fine until you finish the rest of the meal.
If it sits for a long time it will form a skin on top. No problem. Give it a quick whisk.
Too thick? No problem. Add a little more milk.
Too thin? No problem. Add a little more shredded cheese.
Burned it to the bottom because you got engrossed in watching “Dancing with the Stars”? Now that’s a problem. But not a big one. Start over with a clean pan. It only takes a few minutes. You still have that burnt-on mess to deal with, but maybe you needed an excuse to buy a new saucepan anyway.
Where to Use Cheese Sauce:
- Pour it over broccoli or cauliflower or Brussels sprouts or…
- Keep it warm in a fondue pot for dipping bread chunks or cruditées at your next party.
- (My favorite) Easy Cheesy Eggs “Benedict”: Top a toasted English muffin with crisp bacon (or a slice of Canadian bacon or ham). Perch a poached egg on top of that and pour cheese sauce over all. If you want to spiff it even further, dust it with paprika from ~18” above the plate. (You’ll want to turn off the ceiling fan and close the window before the paprika step or you’ll be dusting the neighboring crops.)
