March: Homemade Pasta & Basic Cheese Sauce

Basic Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c half-and-half, cream or milk
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

salt and pepper to taste
2 c grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a shallow saucepan melt cubed cream cheese into half and half on medium-low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste (remember cheese has salt in it already ... be sparing).  When almost melted whisk until lumps are gone.  Add shredded cheese.

*Variations:  

Fondue: To use as a fondue keep warm in crock pot on low or in fondue pot.  Items you can use to dip into cheese fondue are broccoli, roasted cubed potatoes, cubed chicken, meatballs, cut french bread, crackers, etc.  EXPERIMENT!

Macaroni & Cheese: Add to cooked pasta as much as desired.  Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.  Bake at 350 F until cheese is melted.

Alfredo:  Replace 1 c parmesean and 1 c romano in place of cheddar.  Follow directions as basic cheese sauce.  For alfredo bar serve cooked fettucine, broccoli, frozen peas, frozen carrots, chicken cubes, etc.  

With this basic cheese sauce you can use just about any combination of cheeses.  Parmesean, romano, gruyere, mozzarella, swiss, etc. ... just as long as you have 2 cups of shredded cheese you are good!

Homemade Noodles

COMING SOON!