Thoughts on Cheese Sauce...

Recently, I have become fascinated with cheese sauce. Thick, gooey, brightly colored...what is it that attracts Americans to this crazy condiment? I have never really been a fan myself. Here is my beef with cheese sauce...

It seems to me that the cheese sauce that is commonly consumed by Americans really contains no actual cheese at all. The closest ingredient to it would be the powedered cheese flavoring (think the stuff that comes in the mac & cheese box) and the rest of the ingredients are absolutely artificial. The worst part is the putridly bright orange coloring that gives cheese sauce its distinctive hue. In the world today, we are all concerned about our health and the growing obesity problem. So, should we really be eating this orange artifical goo full of fat and calories that only vaguely hints at the flavor of real cheese?

I think there is only one reason: comfort. Honestly what is more comforting than melted cheese? It's the star ingredient in so many of our favorite meals: mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches. I think the issue here is that people are moving away from taking the 10 minutes max it takes to whip up a cheese sauce made with REAL CHEESE. We are sacrificing taste and health for the convience of the jar full of orange goo.

For example, I do not believe that the "nachos" they serve at concession stands nationwide can even be considered food, and I certainly do not think that cheese sauce and stale corn chips come anything close to a real plate of nachos. However, it seems that most consumers do not agree with me, because these "nachos" continue to be a best seller.

Another cheese sauce to consider: Cheez Whiz. I wonder what people use Cheez Whiz for? Kraft promotes using it with french fries (really!?! If they need Cheez Whiz they must be pretty crappy fries), chips, broccoli (because its HEALTHIER with Cheez Whiz). They even make a low fat version...don't make me laugh!

Velveeta. Now I have to admit to being a fan of Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I can't help myself. Velveeta is smooth and melts perfectly over those shells leaving a thick coating of a richly flavored cheese sauce. Just add bacon! Anyway, Velveeta isn't really a cheese sauce since it's sold in a solid form, so I won't condemn myself just yet.

I am challenging all the cheese sauce lovers out there to make a homemade version. I promise it's easy and much more rewarding than opening a jar. Start with a simple thick white sauce and add in some shredded sharp cheddar...you might just amaze yourself.