Remind me how to make a cheese sauce.....

[MrsWho]

and can you make it in advance?

Making leek and potato bake thing

[NuttyMuffins]

You need cheese, erm and thats about all I know

[ChocolateFace]

This is how I do it:

Melt some butter, stir in some flour, mix in some warm milk. When it's thick stir in some more warm milk. Take off heat and stir in some grated cheese. Voila! - and yes it will keep in the fridge.

[Twinklemegan]

Two methods:

1. Melt butter in pan, mix in plain flour to make thick paste. Cook for a minute or so. Add milk gradually and keep stirring. Bring to boil, still stirring. When thickened mix in grated cheese and take off heat. Season.
   
   
2. Heat milk. Mix a little milk with cornflour. Stir hot milk into cornflour paste. Return to pan and put over high heat for a couple of minutes to cook whilst stirring. Turn heat down and cook for further five mins or so. Stir in cheese as above.
   
   Either can be made in advance, but probably best to do the whole bake thing in advance and pour sauce over while hot. Then put in oven at your leisure. HTH.

[SaintGeorge]

Yes you can make in advance. It might thicken (or split) but will by fine when given a good stir again.

Brave method: sling butter, flour and cold milk in a pan. Warm gently and whisk constantly until thickened and smooth. Aded cheese, stir until all melted in.

Longer but safer method: melt butter, stir in flour and cook gently for a minute or so but do not colour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly to mix well and prevent lumps. Add cheese as before.

Roughly, 1pt milk takes about 1 - 2 ozs each of butter and flour to make the right consistency.

[MrsWho]

Thanks people!

[MaureenMLove]

I have always taken the chuck in all in a once approach and it has never ever gone wrong! I make cheese sauce every weekend when we have a roastie, so there's plenty of chances for it to go wrong, but it never does. I put a circle of greaseproof paper straight on top of it, to stop it forming a skin.