Nothing beats a smooth, creamy, and cheesy cheese sauce. Find out today how why cheese sauce gets gritty and how to prevent it!
While I understand that there are five food groups, in my world, there are eight. Sure, we have dairy, fruit, grain, lean meats and proteins, and veggies, but I also like to consider pizza, bacon, and cheese as separate food groups.
Oh, sure, I know they technically fall under the other 5, but these other three play such a high role in my life that they deserve their group. In my household, and specifically my fridge, I have an entire cheese drawer with nothing but cheeses in it.
At any given point in time, there are at least eight different varieties of cheeses, and no, I’m not talking about the individually sliced stuff. And yes, I do like Velveeta, by the way. That stuff is the bomb for a creamy cheese sauce!
But have you ever made (or had) mac and cheese that wasn’t creamy or smooth? Instead, it was grainy or gritty? Gross, huh? So there are a few reasons for this and what you want to avoid.
- Use real cheese and not cheese food (i.e., the individually wrapped slices). If those say they are real cheese without a million additives, then you’re OK.
- Velveeta—so no, technically, it’s not ‘real cheese’ as it’s made with whey protein concentrate, milk protein, and other additives to create a pasteurized cheese product. Again, if you want to use it, I won’t judge you.
- Grate your cheese instead of buying pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese is packaged with additives (powders) that hamper cheese melting and smoothness.
- When you make your roux (butter/flour) and then add your milk (béchamel), you must add your cheese to the heated mixture slowly. *NOTE! Do NOT add the cheese to the mixture if it’s boiling/bubbling. Adding cheese to a bubbling mixture will cause the cheese to break down. The emulsifiers and coagulants break down when heated, thus causing a gritty texture.
- Remove the hot béchamel from the heat. I tend to remove the pan from the heat when adding the cheese to prevent it from getting too hot and curdling/breaking.
- Add the cheese slowly—if your recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded cheese, add a little bit at a time. Add some, stir until melted, and add more. Continue to add and stir.
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