Cheat's cheese sauce

I make a roux on high heat. I add the milk all at once, whisking as I do it.

Always smooth. No problems. I was shown this method by a chef as a girl. I assumed for years that it was the "correct" way.

It's very fast.

Crème fraîche. NOT the low-fat sort. Spread over lasagne sheets and sprinkle liberally with cheese. It's so easy, and works a treat..! 🙂
(DS gave me this tip - apparently he got it from a Jamie Oliver cookbook)

kittylester

I know how to make cheese sauce properly. Miss Elkin saw to that. I'm after cheats.

I often use a Sainsbury's fresh one (never a jar!) as it's gf but was looking for other ideas.

Thank you Redhead

I asked for the ready-made cheese sauce in our M&S Food but the assistant said they didn't stock it any more, apparently it didn't sell well!

Buy the pots of cheese sauce in Sainsbury’s

pascal30

I use the roux method but add grated nutmeg and mustard.. very quick..

Yes, I add nutmeg and a touch of mustard for a cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese, but use the all-in-one whisking method.

A knob of butter, cornflour, milk, salt, pepper etc mixed, then heat and keep whisking until thickened. Then add grated cheese.

My mother taught me the roux method (it was my task on Sundays!) but it requires too much butter for us now.

I either use a packet mix or make a sauce with milk, cornflour and good Red Leicester cheese for a rich taste and colour. This would be GF for DD2.

annsixty

I make it in the microwave, 4 minutes total.
Milk, salt, flour, butter in large Pyrex jug.
Full power for 4 minutes , taking out and whisking every minute. Grated cheese added while still hot.
Silky smooth and no bother.
I once used some from a jar from the supermarket but it was very runny and not satisfactory.

Wow!
I usually make mine in the microwave, but still following the 'traditional' stages of melting the butter, mixing in the flour and zapping that before adding the milk.
It had never occurred to me that all that could be done in one stage, but I will definitely try that next time.

I use the roux method but add grated nutmeg and mustard.. very quick..

I use Annsixty's method. Works beautifully every time.

Creme Fraiche works well in lasagne.
See BBC Good Food recipe.

Ready made cheese sauce in a tub from the Italian section of supermarket chill cabinet. I use this regularly - lasagne, other pasta dishes, cauliflower cheese - perfectly satisfactory taste & thickness.

I just put cornflour and grated cheese in a saucepan, stir in milk and bring to the boil, stirring. Done and dusted in well under 10 minutes.

If it's a cheese sauce, I don't use butter, there's enough fat in the cheese. Just blend flour and milk and heat slowly until thickened, then add grated cheese to taste. Also sometimes some mustard powder for an extra kick. There shouldn't be any lumps, but use a hand blender if necessary

Bisto!

Bistro cheese sauce mix, add extra cheese, my friend uses it all the time.
I rarely make a cheese sauce as I watch my cholesterol/fat, but she swears by it.

Annsixty I’ve always done it the school way, but I’ll certainly try your suggestion. It sounds so easy.

I put all the ingredients for white sauce in a saucepan and whisk till cooked then turn off the heat, allow to cool a little and add the cheese.
Quick and easy and never fails.

I know how to make cheese sauce properly. Miss Elkin saw to that. I'm after cheats.

I often use a Sainsbury's fresh one (never a jar!) as it's gf but was looking for other ideas.

Thank you Redhead

How quick do you want it to be, OP?

Traditional roux method takes about 10 minutes.

An American cook I watch used cottage cheese instead of cheese sauce in lasagne. I haven't used it, so I can't comment on its effectiveness

I like making a cheese sauce as I was taught on a City and Guilds course circa 1967: the roux, a little milk at a a time, stir in well then uses asap to stop a skin forming; a good heavy saucepan makes it so much easier.

If you don’t want the traditional flour butter milk grated cheese balloon whisk method. A tub of cream cheese spread across lasagne and topped with grated cheese will do.

Well I go for the conventional roux method which my domestic science teacher taught my class in the first year of senior school all those years ago now, and that was the finest piece of instruction I took forward into life along with the importance of a balloon whisk to eliminate lumps in said sauce!

I'm not sure it would be the quickest solution though, I imagine that would be in a jar!

For lasagne I make a quick white sauce. Heat some milk in a pan with a Bay leaf in and salt and pepper. Mix three or four teaspoons of cornflour with enough water to make smooth in a mug and before the milk boils add it to the sauce and stir to stop it going lumpy. Stir until the sauce boils and thickens. If not thick enough add more cornflour slurry. Remove the Bay leaf and use. I then slice mozzarella and lay it on top to melt and brown in the oven. If you want cheese sauce though just add grated cheese to the sauce at the end and it will melt in. I use the same method for a quick parsley sauce for a fish pie.

Kitty, I really don't have an answer, but, could you use a jar of white lasagne sauce and add grated cheese?
It might be worth trying.