Basic Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
| 1 | tablespoon butter |
| 1 | slightly-rounded tablespoon flour |
| ¾ | cup milk, warmed |
| ¼ | teaspoon salt |
| ¼ | teaspoon garlic powder |
| ⅛ | teaspoon nutmeg |
| pinch cayenne pepper | |
| ½ | cup cheese, shredded or in small pieces |
Select the cheese according to taste, and adjust seasonings to complement. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. When it starts to bubble, stir in the flour. Cook for about a minute, then whisk in the milk and the seasonings. Continue whisking until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Reduce heat to low to prevent the sauce splitting when cheese is added. Stir in the cheese until fully melted. Serve over pasta or vegetables.