Ingredients for Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 or 2 cloves of crushed & minced garlic (optional)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cheese
- ½ teaspoon mustard (optional)
- Salt as desired
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and garlic and whisk together over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, to make a white roux. Do not allow to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool nearly to room temperature.
- Add hot milk to the roux and whisk to combine. (This will also work with a hot roux and room temperature milk.)
- Add the salt, cheese and mustard and heat till just simmering and cheese has melted.
- If desired, you may bring the sauce to a boil; once the cheese sauce has come to a boil, lower the heat to low and very slowly simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it every so often to avoid sticking to the bottom (a whisk is appropriate here). Do not allow the sauce to brown. The longer the sauce is simmered, the smoother it becomes due to the cooking and swelling of the starch grains.
