Beef Rice and Chili Casserole



Made in England


Choosing Your Cheddar

The first lesson of cheddar, especially if you're going to use it as a base for easy cheese sauce, is to buy it in a block, not already shredded. Look closely and you'll see that those bits in the bag of shredded cheese have a slight coating on them. That's an added ingredient to prevent the cheese strands from clinging to each other and caking.

Look at the color. Most manufactured cheddar has the same yellow color. That's another added ingredient to create a uniform look and make it appear more appetizing. Natural cheddar is white or off white, and the color intensity varies, as does the intensity of the flavor.

Preparing the Cheese

If you're making macaroni and cheese or nacho cheese dip, middle-of-the-road mild cheddar will do the job. It'll give you the cheesy taste you want, but it isn't overpowering. The sharper the cheese, the more difficult it is to shred. You'll get lumps, not shreds, and it will get gritty when melted. Mild cheese is easy to work with, but it is indeed "work" because you're the one doing the shredding.


Melting Cheese for Sauce


The best way to melt cheese on the stove is to start with melted butter. Add flour and whisk. Add milk and whisk until the mixture starts to bubble and the sauce thickens. Take the pot off the heat. Now is the time to add the cheese, a little at a time. If it doesn't melt thoroughly, return the pot to the heat but don't let the sauce burn. Pull it off the heat and stir in your special flavorings. Voila! Easy cheese sauce is ready for your macaroni and cheese or nacho chips.

Finish your dish with some cheese bits scattered over the top. The temperature to melt cheese in an oven is 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch it carefully so the cheese sauce doesn't bubble up over the sides and the cheese shreds don't burn.

Melting Shredded Cheese in the Microwave



Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce

For those on a gluten-free diet, cheese sauce can be made without the flour. Just melt the butter and add milk to a pan on the stove top. Add the cheese and then the hot cooked pasta. Stir until all are blended. It's not as thick as if you'd used flour, but the cheese flavor dominates, and that's really what you want.