This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy
It takes less than 10 minutes to make Cheese Sauce for fries at home! You’ll end up with the perfect cheese fries, drizzled in our rich, creamy cheddar cheese sauce recipe!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Is there anything sadder than a french fry without any sauce? I mean…I’ll still eat the plain fries, but I’m going to complain about it the whole time.
I’m not sure I can settle for just ketchup or mayo any more either. Now we whip up fry sauce or homemade honey mustard for fries.
And I’m certainly not drizzling a jar of cheese sauce over my fries if I have a craving for cheese fries. Not when my homemade cheese sauce is so dang easy to make.
This cheese sauce for fries is going to be a staple in your house! Not only is it (obviously) good on fries, it’s also great drizzled over broccoli or other veggies, it’s easy to make, and reheats well.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- You can use this cheese sauce for a whole lot more than just french fries! See below for some additional serving suggestions.
- This homemade cheese sauce is so much better than anything you’ll get out of a can or a jar from the store!
- Whether you drizzle our cheese sauce over your fries or dip them right into it, this cheesy goodness is always a favorite!
- Once you have the basics of a good cheese sauce down, the sky is the limit. What will you make cheesy next?
Ingredient Notes:
Flour – We’re using all-purpose flour to thicken up our cheese sauce.
Milk & Butter – We’ll make a roux by whisking together the flour and butter and then slowly whisking in the milk until the sauce thickens.
Seasoning – To add a depth of flavor to the sauce you’ll mix in garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard.
Cheddar Cheese – You will need a cheese grater and a block of good quality cheddar! Freshly grated will make for a much more flavorful and creamy cheese sauce.
We’ve found the flavor of medium cheddar to be our favorite, but you may use mild for a less intense flavor or sharp for a stronger flavor.
Hot Sauce – We prefer Frank’s Red Hot. The hot sauce does not make this sauce at all spicy. It just adds a little flavor boost.
How To Make Cheese Sauce For Fries:
Flour & Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. You’ll want to let this cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two.
Milk: Pour the milk into the flour mixture and whisk constantly until it has thickened up to a gravy like consistency. Next whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard!
Finish: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add a handful of cheese at a time to the still hot pan, stirring each time until the cheese has melted and is smooth. Stir in the hot sauce.
Helpful Tip!
No More Grainy Cheese Sauce!
Remove the pan from the heat before adding the grated cheddar to the sauce. This will prevent your cheese sauce from getting gritty and grainy. If the roux isn’t hot enough to melt the cheese, turn the heat back on for just long enough to melt the cheese, stirring constantly. Overcooking the sauce will make it grainy.
Karly’s Tips & Tricks!
Consistency: You can add a splash or two of milk to the cheese sauce to reach your desired consistency. Keep in mind the sauce will also thicken up the more that it cools!
Flavor: Not a fan of cheddar? You can really make cheese sauce with loads of different cheeses, such as havarti, gouda, or pepperjack.
Nacho Cheese: Want to drizzle this homemade cheese sauce over tortilla chips? Add a bit of chili powder and extra hot sauce to your sauce!
What To Serve With our Cheese Sauce Recipe:
This sauce is perfect for fries but it’s great with lots of other stuff too. It can magically turn broccoli into something kids want to eat! Check out a few of my other recipes that you’ll want to try with this cheese sauce:
Storage:
Leftover cheese sauce? Never heard of her. I’m eating it all in one sitting. 😉 But, if you find yourself in the happy position of having leftovers, you’ll want to store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating Cheese Sauce:
We find it easiest to reheat this homemade cheese sauce in the microwave. Heat in 30 second bursts, stirring each time and adding a splash of milk as necessary to reach your desired consistency.
You may also heat this cheese sauce on low heat in a sauce pan, but be sure to stir constantly so as not to burn the bottom.
Recipe FAQs:
You can store any leftover sauce in the fridge in an airtight container or a jar. It will thicken up as it cools. You can reheat it in a saucepan on the stove over low heat so as to not burn it.
Sure! We like cheddar cheese sauce but you could easily adapt this recipe to use other varieties of cheese.
MORE HOMEMADE SAUCES AND DRESSINGS!
- Carolina BBQ Sauce
- Egg Roll Sauce
- Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
- Cajun Alfredo Sauce
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Fried Green Tomatoes Sauce
- Alabama White Sauce
- Mustard BBQ Sauce
Cheese Sauce for Fries
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup whole milk plus 2-3 tablespoons as needed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 4 ounces medium cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Frank’s
Instructions
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat and melt. Whisk in the flour to form a paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.
- Add ½ cup of milk to the flour mixture and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened up to the consistency of a gravy. Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the shredded cheese one handful at a time, stirring with each handful, until smooth and melted.
- If necessary, return the pan to low heat to completely melt the cheese, but do not cook the cheese sauce for longer than necessary or it may become grainy. Add milk one tablespoon at a time to reach your desired thickness, keeping in mind the sauce will thicken the more it cools.
- Stir in the hot sauce and serve warm.
Harry says
First time I’ve made cheese sauce. Love it ?
Karly Campbell says
So happy to hear that!
Rita says
Does it matter if it’s self-rising or all-purpose flour?
Karly says
I would use all purpose flour here.
B davis says
I’ve used self-rising flour. It works fine.