Category: Sauce

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

kevinriley2 Comments

As I said in my Cheese Sauce post, you can change up basic ingredients really easily just by changing the sauce, as was the case for me a couple nights ago. I had some chicken breasts and broccoli in the freezer but I wanted to do something a little different to, as my wife likes to say, “jazz them up” a bit. For some reason I’ve been on a bit of a horseradish kick lately (seriously, but some on your bratwurst next time you grill one) so I decided to see what I could come up with that would go well on both the chicken and broccoli. This recipe uses quiet a few ingredients, but is simple to make and definitely worth it. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon bouillon (equal to one cube, crushed)
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sour cream
½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
A few drops of lemon juice

Directions
In a pan, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. (This is a basic roux used in a ton of sauces)
Whisk in the milk until the roux is fully dissolved
Continue to whisk the sauce occasionally as you bring it to a boil
Remove boiling sauce from heat and stir in all other ingredients

It’s as simple as that. Pour over any meat and vegetable and enjoy!

Additional Insights:

  • The sauce re-heats very well, and if it gets a little thick, just add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin it back out.
  • Add more/less horseradish to taste
  • Try adding the sauce to a can of tuna instead of mayo the next time you make tuna salad

Nacho Cheese Sauce

kevinriley3 Comments

Okay guys, here’s an easy one. It’s not quite as easy as throwing a block of processed cheese spread into the microwave, but it is so much better and probably won’t kill you quite as quickly, though I’m not a doctor so what do I know?

Sauces are extremely important to cooking. You can grill the chicken the same exact way dozens of times (or just use leftovers time and time again) and change it up each time just by throwing on a different sauce. This cheese sauce is one of the first sauces I ever learned to make, and though it’s changed slightly over the years, it’s still one of my go-to sauces. You can throw it on any meat, veggies, potatoes, or even just dunk soft-pretzel bites into it. Basically it’ll make anything better. And it’s a simple thing to take to family get-togethers or poker games. On top of that, just about every normal person loves cheese sauce, right Hanna?

I’ve slowly adjusted the sauce over time to better fit my tastes but feel free to experiment with the seasoning as you see fit.

Ingredients
3 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
2 cups milk
1 TSP salt
⅛ TSP ground cayenne pepper
⅛ TSP black pepper
⅛ TSP dried mustard
6-8 oz shredded cheddar
2 oz cream cheese (room temp)
¼ TSP worcestershire sauce

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make your rue, then whisk in milk. Whisk in salt, pepper and dried mustard, then heat mixture in pan, whisking often. Once mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, whisking until completely combined and sauce is smooth.

That’s it, super simple.

Additional insight:

  • The ratio of 1 1/2 tablespoons flour/butter to 1 cup milk provides for a middle-of-the-road consistency. For a thinner sauce, add more milk; for a thicker sauce add less milk or add an extra tablespoon of flour and butter to your rue.
  • The worcestershire sauce is a recent addition that gives the sauce a deeper flavor and color. Feel free to leave out if you don’t have any.
  • You can use any cheese you prefer but I recommend sharp cheddar for the most flavor.
  • Cream cheese is not necessary but it adds more luster to the sauce