Homemade cheese sauce

There are so many ways to make Mac and Cheese. I think EVERYONE should know how to make a "white sauce" bc w/this sauce, you can do so many things to it. This is the basic sauce that you add cheese to, to make mac and cheese or a cheese sauce for veggies. (basically ladies, this is like a white gravy that we Southerners like to put on our biscuits lol, only most will cook the sausage then use that fat instead of butter.....)



White sauce:

2 tbsp butter
2tbsp flour
1/2tsp salt
1C milk, cream or half and half (you can use 1/2C evaporated milk and 1/2 C water if you don't have enough milk)

Melt butter in saucepan then add salt and flour. Whisk til smooth and thick.

To make Cheese sauce, you will add shredded cheese of your choice and whisk together til the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. I like to add some pepper as well ;)



There are so many sauces you can make w/just the basic white sauce. You can saute garlic in that butter before you add flour and make a cheesy garlic sauce for pasta, you can add the cheese sauce to broccoli AND this is the basic sauce for all those "cream of" soups. ALL you do is add the celery,broccoli,mushroom or whatever to butter-saute then after sauce is thick and cool, use a hand blender to make smooth. SO EASY. Once you learn how to make this white sauce, the possibilities are endless. You can even use this to make chicken pot pies ;)

If you like your sauce thinner, add less flour. If you like it thicker, add more flour.

While you are making the Cheese sauce, boil your noodles(we like whole wheat shells) then drain water off of them. After your noodles and sauce is done, add the noodles to the cheese sauce and stir til well combined. Now, you can leave it like this,

OR you can pour into a casserole dish, add more cheese to top, even some bread crumbs, ritz crackers, whatever you like as a topping, and bake in oven til cheese is melted or top is golden brown. You can even add broccoli, chicken or whatever to this while it bakes, for a complete meal.
Just look at all that melty goodness!!! You know you wish you had some.....so go on, make some. :)