Often the residual heat in the rest of the dish-freshly cooked pasta, cream soup, or scrambled eggs, for example-is enough to melt cheese smoothly. This will result in a smoother sauce and the cheese will require less heat to melt at room temperature. Place in a Non-Stick Pot or Skillet When adding shredded cheese to a roux (a mixture of flour & fat is used to thicken sauces), allow it to reach room temperature before you begin heating it.

If you want to thin it out a bit, add more milk. If you wish for it to be thicker, bring the cheese sauce to a slight boil and then remove it from the heat. You could substitute a good chicken or vegetable stock for the milk used to make bechamel, then add the cheese to that. I’m not certain why anyone would want to, but it could be done. You can certainly make a roux based sauce with water, using it instead of stock to create a sort of thin, flavorless veloute. Can you use water instead of milk in a roux? This is true for regular milk or alternatives such as soy milk or almond milk. Do I need milk for mac n cheese?ĭo you need milk for mac and cheese? Milk is typically an essential ingredient in any homemade mac and cheese recipe because it (or similar liquids such as heavy cream) forms the backbone of the cheese sauce. For every single cup of mayonnaise that a recipe calls for, instead use either one cup of sour cream or one cup of plain yogurt. Varieties include Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Fiery Jack.įinally, you can also use one cup of butter. These cashew-based shreds not only taste like cheese, but they also melt perfectly. Most dairy-free cheeses are made from nuts.

Simple cheese roux for mac and cheese