Cheese sauce

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

How are you making it?

Susan

Too much cheese.... seems like the more cheese the better, but in a cheese
sauce it will make it granular and/or gritty like.

Lynne

"Me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

"Me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

What kind of cheese do you use? A dry, sharp cheddar is more likely to
do this. Blending it with something with more moisture will help (mild
cheddar, jack...).

Also, you want the heat to be gentle, slowly melting the cheese.

-T

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

We need more details to answer that question....

How are yout making your m&c? what are the ingredients and the method?
without these details, it's meaninglesss for anyone to respond.

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until smooth and
thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a combination of
cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth. Stir it into the cooked
macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for me.

Jill

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

Result was a gritty and blend sauce

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

How are you making it?

Susan

On Sat 03 Dec 2005 07:56:38p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until smooth and
thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a combination of
cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth. Stir it into the
cooked macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for me.

Jill

I like the same sort of sauce over vegetables, too.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

That's similar to the way I do it, though I probably add extra cheese.
Did you whisk the roux as it cooked? Did you use full fat cheese, or
reduced fat? Full fat is better.

Susan

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

Result was a gritty and blend sauce

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

How are you making it?

Susan

That is exactly how I make mine, except that I add onion, a bay leaf,
mustard and paprika to the sauce and add a half a pound of defrosted
frozen broccoli to the pasta. never grainy.

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sat 03 Dec 2005 07:56:38p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until smooth and
thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a combination of
cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth. Stir it into the
cooked macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for me.

Jill

I like the same sort of sauce over vegetables, too.

--

Me too! Broccoli with cheese sauce is a regular staple at my house. :~)

kili

kilikini said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sat 03 Dec 2005 07:56:38p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Me wrote:
> My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until
smooth and thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a
combination of cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth.
Stir it into the cooked macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for
me.

Jill

I like the same sort of sauce over vegetables, too.

--

Me too! Broccoli with cheese sauce is a regular staple at my house.
:~)

kili

And cauliflower...and while I prefer a hollandaise over steamed asparagus,
sometimes.... but hell, I can't afford asparagus these days! and I buy
frozen cauliflower, too. LOL The sauce is good, though!

Jill

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sat 03 Dec 2005 07:56:38p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Me said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until smooth
and thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a
combination of cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth.
Stir it into the cooked macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for me.

Jill

I like the same sort of sauce over vegetables, too.

I made mac & cheese the other night. Did what I said above, stirred the
sauce in with the cooked macaroni in a baking dish. I added some sliced
"lil' smokies" sausage and put seasoned breadcrumbs and grated Parm on top.
Popped it in the oven and baked it for about 25 minutes. YUM and YUM.

Jill

On Sun 04 Dec 2005 05:29:44a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sat 03 Dec 2005 07:56:38p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
jmcquown?

Quoted message said:

Me wrote:
> My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

I make a white sauce with butter, salt, pepper and milk until smooth
and thickened then slowly stir in shredded mild cheddar or a
combination of cheddar and colby until the cheese sauce is smooth.
Stir it into the cooked macaroni and proceed as usual. Works for me.

Jill

I like the same sort of sauce over vegetables, too.

I made mac & cheese the other night. Did what I said above, stirred the
sauce in with the cooked macaroni in a baking dish. I added some sliced
"lil' smokies" sausage and put seasoned breadcrumbs and grated Parm on
top. Popped it in the oven and baked it for about 25 minutes. YUM and
YUM.

Jill

Ummm... More comfort food. Sounds delicious!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Yes, I stir the roux and it was full-fat cheese. Next time I'll stir and
cook the roux longer, use extra-sharp and, maybe, get the cheese to room
temp before I add it.

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

That's similar to the way I do it, though I probably add extra cheese.
Did you whisk the roux as it cooked? Did you use full fat cheese, or
reduced fat? Full fat is better.

Susan

Yes, I stir the roux and it was full-fat cheese. Next time I'll stir and
cook the roux longer, use extra-sharp and, maybe, get the cheese to room
temp before I add it.

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

That's similar to the way I do it, though I probably add extra cheese.
Did you whisk the roux as it cooked? Did you use full fat cheese, or
reduced fat? Full fat is better.

Susan

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Yes, I stir the roux and it was full-fat cheese. Next time I'll stir and
cook the roux longer, use extra-sharp and, maybe, get the cheese to room
temp before I add it.

Try whisking instead of stirring, in addition to adding some time to it.
You want the flour grains to really fill up with the fat and fluids.
Room temp cheese is a good idea, but I think the grittiness is coming
from the flour.

HTH.

Susan

Quoted message said:

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

That's similar to the way I do it, though I probably add extra cheese.
Did you whisk the roux as it cooked? Did you use full fat cheese, or
reduced fat? Full fat is better.

Susan

Me wrote on 04 Dec 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Yes, I stir the roux and it was full-fat cheese. Next time I'll stir
and cook the roux longer, use extra-sharp and, maybe, get the cheese
to room temp before I add it.

"Susan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive: yes

Me said:

Recipe was from Joy of Cooking:
Gently cook roux of butter and flour for about 2-3 minutes
Slowly stir in 2 cups lukewarm milk (pre-heated in microwave)
Simmer gently for 5 minutes
Add 2 cups (measured by eye) cheddar cut into peanut size pieces
Stir & cook slowly until sauce is smooth and warm.
Add 2 cups cooked, drained macaroni.
Stir thoroughly, pour into casserole dish and bake.

That's similar to the way I do it, though I probably add extra
cheese. Did you whisk the roux as it cooked? Did you use full fat
cheese, or reduced fat? Full fat is better.

Susan

The longer/darker you cook the roux (flour and butter) the less it will
thicken. Idealy you just want to just cook out the raw flour taste...
Perhaps you aren't bringing the milk to a simmer for long enough or you
aren't stiring the roux enough or your flour isn't plain flour(such as
whole wheat or self riasing) or you're using a margerine which has too much
water in it...I use plain All Purpose flour and salted butter. The true
recipe for the mother sauce is 2 tbsp of flour and 2 tbsp butter for every
1 cup of milk (the standard medium thickness white mother sauce recipe). To
that you can whatever you need to get various other sauces...Google white
sauce for better info than I can supply.

I put my butter in the saucepan and let it melt (over med. heat) then add
the AP flour, stir it around untill the flour and butter make a paste about
1-2 minutes. This coats all the flour granules in fat (stops lumps) and
also cooks out the raw flour taste. I then stir in the milk (to blend the
roux and milk well) and allow it to come up to a boil (not a rolling boil).
Then while stiring; reduce temp slightly to allow true simmering. When the
sauce has thickened I remove it from heat and stir in the cheese a bit at a
time (till it melts then add more), a pinch of salt, dry mustard powder and
cayanne pepper. I hear nutmeg works well in this too. I usually use a
cheapy supermarket grade of cheddar. On ocassion I mix several types of
cheeses for better taste.

I don't think mine is grainy.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"My" mac and cheese recipe, a family fave and comfort food:

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Macaroni and Cheese

pasta

2 large eggs
1 12 oz. evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard; dissolved in 1 teaspoon w
1/2 pounds elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons Butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar

Mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, Tabasco, 1/2 te. salt, pepper and
mustard mixture in small bwl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add
remainint 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and macaroni; cook until al dente. Dran
and return to pot over low heat. Add buitter, toss to melt.

Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with 3/4 of the cheese;
stir until combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining
milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy,
about 5 mins. Serve at once.

Contributor: The Best Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My mac-n-cheese is too gritty. What do I do?

1- melting the cheese into milk rather than water helps
2- melt it slowly - not too much heat or it will separate
3- find a cheese that melts well and doesn't separate
4- I can't do the milk thing. So I dissolve some maize cornstarch in water.
Just as the cheese starts to go soft I whisk some of that into the sauce and
keep whisking until all the cheese has melted. I never have gritty cheese
sauce.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com