This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
My homemade cheese sauce is ultra-creamy, wildly easy, and totally better than anything from a jar. Mild for kids, bold enough for nachos—amazing on everything!
A Reader’s Review
Best cheese sauce EVER! Children and grandchildren think it’s the best ever, including me. Thank you so much!
Secrets To Cheese Sauce Success!
- Only 4 Ingredients! Why complicate perfection? This sauce is simple, fast, and full of flavor.
- Sharp Cheddar is My Flavor Secret! Rich, flavorful sharp cheddar cheese is the reason my cheese sauce stands out above the crowd!
- Melt Slow and Low: My secret to not having lumpy, clumpy cheese sauce is adding the cheese right at the end so it doesn’t get too hot and taking it off the heat as soon as it melts!
Homemade Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- Mix It Up! Different cheeses = different vibes. Try Swiss or Gruyère for silky bread dips or Monterey Jack when nachos call your name.
- Spice It Up! Feeling bold? Add hot sauce, chili peppers, cayenne pepper, or Rotel for that extra kick your taste buds desire.
- Grate it fresh! Bagged cheese might be easy, but it won’t melt like a dream. Ditch the pre-shredded cheese and grab a grater. Trust me, your cheese sauce will thank you.
How to Make Homemade Cheese Sauce
My easy homemade cheese sauce recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together fast—perfect for vegetables, nachos, or dipping! It’s seriously the best cheese sauce!
- Melt: In a medium-sized saucepan, add the unsalted butter. Heat over medium heat until it melts.
- Whisk: Whisk in the all-purpose flour until it makes a roux.
- Stir: Add in the milk and shredded cheddar cheese to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Melt: Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth.
Alyssa’s Pro Tips!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
If you want to make this homemade cheese sauce ahead, or you are in the rare position of having leftovers, this cheese sauce stores well and is easy to heat and use again.
- In The Refrigerator: You will need to keep your cheese sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- To Reheat: Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and repeat until it is heated through. Add a splash of milk if the sauce is too thick.
What to Serve with Cheese Sauce
Pour, dip, or drizzle it over pretzel bites, cauliflower fritters, nachos, french fries, baked potatoes, tortilla chips, pasta, steamed broccoli—or pile it onto a roast beef sandwich. Here are a few more ideas!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Easy 4-Ingredient Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Heat over medium-high heat until the butter melts.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour until it makes a paste.
- Add 1 cup milk and 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
- Whisk until the cheese is melted and smooth, and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love your recipe. Would like to see more
The texture was off, it was creamy but like a gravy
I needed a cheese sauce to add to a shredded rotisserie chicken noodle casserole for a quick dinner.
I used shell noodles mixed with green onion, chopped red and green bell pepper. Added the cheese sauce on top of 9×9 inch square Pyrex pan of the noodles.
Added chopped cooked bacon and crushed Ritz crackers mixed with a few tablespoons of melted butter to make a crispy buttery crust. Sure looks good. The cheese sauce was pretty thick for my use so I added more milk to thin the sauce, some salt, pepper, and a few shakes of cayenne pepper for a little kick. Hope it tastes as good as it looks. Thanks for the cheese recipe…it is a very universal cheese sauce. Can change around the cheeses to suit your taste. I used Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack. But can see Guyere being good with a touch of stone ground mustard for a cheesy pretzel dip. ?