CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUCE

I have got to get better at writing things down & measuring as I'm cooking. I am so used to not measuring anything, it's hard to remember to do.  I'm going to try to tell you how I am making my cheese sauces.

Cheddar Cheese sauce
1/2 to 1 stick of real butter
Milk or cream (I use Braum's 1% & it works great)
Flour of your choice (I've been using organic rice flour or pastry flour - Wondra works great)
2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 tablespoons of either Plain Greek Yogurt or cream cheese
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Whisk in a few tablespoons of flour to make roux, just like you were making gravy. Then I add about 1 1/2 cups of milk (you can add more later if you need it).  Keep whisking. When milk gets warm, whisk in the cheese. Keep whisking until cheese is melted & it starts turning into a sauce. Don't panic! It will look like a gloppy mess for awhile, but just keep whisking. When you are just about to give up because you think it's not going to work, it turns into a beautiful sauce. Whisk in yogurt or cream cheese. Add more milk and/or flour to make your desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper. I like to add a pinch of nutmeg.

ALFREDO SAUCE - same as above, but use parmesan cheese instead of cheddar and season with garlic and basil or whatever herbs you like.

I've been making macaroni & cheese using organic whole grain pasta with cheddar cheese sauce. Also, for mac & cheese or casseroles, I found organic whole grain crackers that taste like Ritz. I crumble up a handful of crackers & mix with melted butter and pour over the top for a nice crunchy topping. Cole loves it!

NOTE: Butter has been made out to be our enemy. It is not the enemy, margarine is. I eat eggs cooked in real butter almost every morning and my bad cholesterol dropped nearly 100 points in 3 months. Butter and eggs do NOT raise your cholesterol. They actually have the good fats that help lower your cholesterol. However, margarine is made from the same ingredients as plastic. I choose REAL butter, not plastic margarine. But, that is my choice. We each have to make our own choices.

I hope you can understand my ramblings. Enjoy!

Lori