Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Recipe below! A good basic cheese sauce is a handy recipe to have. It is the yin to the yang of tomato sauce; cheese sauce is creamy and rich and tomato sauce is vegetal and colourful. A traditional cheese sauce is essentially a béchamel sauce—a basic white sauce—with added cheese (classically called a Mornay sauce in French cooking). A béchamel uses a butter and flour roux to thicken it, but this recipe is thickened with cornstarch—I find that this version stays silky even when baked, so it is perfect for topping vegetables or using for Mac-&-Cheese.
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Makes about 3 cups (750 mL)
Prep time: Under 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
You can refrigerate this in an airtight container until the expiry date of the buttermilk or sour cream you made it with, whichever is first.
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• Ingredients •
2 cups (500 mL) 2% milk
2 Tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1½ cups (165 g) coarsely grated meltable cheese (see below)
Salt and black pepper
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• Directions •
1. In a medium saucepot, whisk the milk, cornstarch, mustard and nutmeg, then bring to a full simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and glossy. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cheese in two additions, whisking until smooth after each addition. Season to taste and keep the sauce warm until ready to use.
Not sure which cheese to use? Here’s a guide to using and blending different cheeses in your favourite recipes:
• For a classic Cheddar sauce: Use 1½ cups (165 g) grated medium orange or white Cheddar (for mac and cheese) or old Cheddar (to top cooked cauliflower or broccoli).
• For an Italian cheese sauce: Use 1 cup (110 g) grated Asiago cheese and add ½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese.
• For a French cheese sauce: Use 1½ cups (165 g) grated Emmenthal or Jarlsberg cheese, or a mix of Emmenthal and Gruyere cheese for a stronger-tasting sauce.
• For a gooey American cheese sauce: Use 1 cup (110 g) grated Monterey Jack cheese and ½ cup (55 g) grated Cheddar cheese.
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Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Recipe below! A good basic cheese sauce is a handy recipe to have. It is the yin to the yang of tomato sauce; cheese sauce is creamy and rich and tomato sauce is vegetal and colourful. A traditional cheese sauce is essentially a béchamel sauce—a basic white sauce—with added cheese (classically called a Mornay sauce in French cooking). A béchamel uses a butter and flour roux to thicken it, but this recipe is thickened with cornstarch—I find that this version stays silky even when baked, so it is perfect for topping vegetables or using for Mac-&-Cheese.
--------
Makes about 3 cups (750 mL)
Prep time: Under 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
You can refrigerate this in an airtight container until the expiry date of the buttermilk or sour cream you made it with, whichever is first.
--------
• Ingredients •
2 cups (500 mL) 2% milk
2 Tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1½ cups (165 g) coarsely grated meltable cheese (see below)
Salt and black pepper
--------
• Directions •
1. In a medium saucepot, whisk the milk, cornstarch, mustard and nutmeg, then bring to a full simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and glossy. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cheese in two additions, whisking until smooth after each addition. Season to taste and keep the sauce warm until ready to use.
Not sure which cheese to use? Here’s a guide to using and blending different cheeses in your favourite recipes:
• For a classic Cheddar sauce: Use 1½ cups (165 g) grated medium orange or white Cheddar (for mac and cheese) or old Cheddar (to top cooked cauliflower or broccoli).
• For an Italian cheese sauce: Use 1 cup (110 g) grated Asiago cheese and add ½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese.
• For a French cheese sauce: Use 1½ cups (165 g) grated Emmenthal or Jarlsberg cheese, or a mix of Emmenthal and Gruyere cheese for a stronger-tasting sauce.
• For a gooey American cheese sauce: Use 1 cup (110 g) grated Monterey Jack cheese and ½ cup (55 g) grated Cheddar cheese.
--------
Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
