• Cream is an indispensable ingredient for most white sauces—it can be reduced to almost any consistency, whereas milk and half-and-half contain more protein, less fat and are susceptible to curdling if not stabilized with starch;
• Cook over water bath when possible, since high-dairy-solid cheese sauces and roux-thickened white sauces can easily scorch from direct bottom heat—most commercial dairy steam-inject sauces to cook them quickly without adding direct heat;
• Shred the cheese to increase surface area to speed the melt;
• Make sure the temperature stays below 180ºF when adding the cheese to reduce curdling and separation.
A cheese sauce emulsion can break with too much cheese (solids) and not enough moisture to hold the cheese and/or fat in suspen-sion. Just as important, high heat can coagulate the proteins to a point where the cheese will separate into fats and solids, leaving a greasy, stringy look. For this reason, in a kitchen setting, the sauce is cooked to almost finished, and the cheese is added toward the end. The flavor and the aroma of the cheese will be better captured, plus the cheese will have ample time to melt into the sauce, but not to the point of separating.
Most cheese sauces today are usually based around what I call, “the big three”: white sauces, such as Alfredo, made with cream and/or milk; Cheddar-based sauces for pasta, like mac-and-cheese; and queso sauce, which in American terms can be anything Tex-Mex, but usually refers to Cheddar sauces with chiles, tomatoes or salsa, and is used for dishes like nachos.
While these are the basic sauces, limitless variations can be made from them. Whereas yellow Cheddar may have been the standard for mac-and-cheese in the past, now you’re seeing combinations of white Cheddar with Gruyère and other sharp-flavored cheeses. Smoked Cheddar is becoming very trendy, especially in the adult sector for baked mac-and-cheese, or—with a lighter viscosity—on other pastas like fettuccine. There is also a definite marketing advantage to using excellent local artisan cheeses and specific imported cheeses to call out the regional nature of a dish.
Why cheese?
The obvious reason to add cheese to sauces is because it tastes good. But there’s so much more beyond that. Cheese is rich in fat, a great carrier of flavor, so adding cheese to sauces enhances the overall richness, mouthfeel and flavor. Cheese is also often added to sauces as a finishing component. to add body, flavor dimension, color and aroma, all in one or two simple ingredients.
Cheese is also used where fresh, sharp flavors are desired and as a flavor foundation where the cheese flavor is enhanced by the long, slow, cooking process, resulting in caramelized and cooked dairy notes. This would happen in an Alfredo made with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano that’s cooked on the stovetop, and then finished in the oven.
As noted, cheese in a sauce adds a multitextural dimension to the overall mouthfeel and organoleptic properties, which is unobtain-able in roux-thickened sauces without the addition of cheese. Certain hard and aged cheeses, like Parmesan, can add umami, when a savory, meat-like quality is desired. Cheese and cheese sauces can be integral to completing a dish’s flavor but, more importantly, they can impact body as with baked queso sauces, baked pasta dishes (such as baked mac-and-cheese with sharp Cheddar and Gruyère or lasagna made with traditional béchamel, Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano) and to complete side dishes, such as gratins and a variety of fondues and dips (such as Spinach-artichoke dip with Fontina, Gruyère and Parmesan, or Asiago and fontina).
Making the sauce
It’s important to remember that cheese sauces are more than melted cheese. They blend natural and processed cheeses and other ingredients that, when combined and used correctly, can offer a wide variety of flavors and textures: thick, thin, smooth or chunky, and mild or spicy and sharp. Cheese sauces are flavorful and functional ingredients that complement and add value to other foods.