You start with a roux made by melting the butter in a small pot and whisking in the flour until you get a lightly golden paste.

I prefer to use sharp cheddar, but mild to extra sharp will all work. The anti-caking additives in bagged, pre-shredded cheese can make your sauce lumpy.

Cheddar cheese: Be sure to use full-fat cheese and start with a block of cheese that you shred yourself.

Milk: You can use any percentage milk you’d like in this recipe, but the higher fat the milk, the smoother and creamier your sauce will be.

All-purpose flour: Using equal parts (by volume) of flour to butter helps thicken the cheese sauce.

You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe.

Butter: The base of this cheese sauce is a roux made with butter and flour.

If you have a couple of minutes and some cheddar cheese, you could probably make this sauce right this second.

Baked potato feeling a little sad? CHEESE SAUCE IT. Need a quick lunch? Steam some broccoli in the microwave and top with cheese sauce. You’ll be so glad to have this little recipe in your back pocket because it’s so useful and versatile. It’s perfect for dipping broccoli and other veggies or drizzling over baked potatoes, nachos, or french fries. Add a little milk to the saucepan when you are reheating the béchamel sauce to thin it to the desired consistency.This fabulous creamy homemade cheese sauce is one of the quickest, easiest sauces to make. But not to worry, with vigorous whisking when you reheat it, the skin will disperse into the sauce. To prevent a skin forming, place a sheet of wax paper or plastic on top, in contact with the surface of the sauce. The mixture will thicken while in the refrigerator.

If you are making the sauce ahead of time, it should be refrigerated and used within two days.

If it's too thin, you can thicken it up by adding a little more flour and melted butter premixed in another pan before adding to your sauce. Just remember to keep whisking while you're doing this.

If your bechamel sauce is too thick, add in some more milk until you reach the consistency you want.

You need to stir it pretty much throughout cooking to ensure there aren't lumps, everything is blended together well, and nothing is scorching on the bottom of the pan.

Pay attention to your sauce as it cooks.

You can heat the milk briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop. Choose your side, but be sure not to start with hot or scalded milk.

There is some debate over whether the milk should be cold, room temperature, or warmed. You can use your preferred milk, although whole milk will result in a creamier sauce.

Roux cheese sauce for mac and cheese