This rich and creamy béchamel cheese sauce is the ultimate comfort food upgrade. It starts with a simple roux, then simmers into a velvety base before being finished with sharp cheddar and gruyere for a smooth, flavorful finish. Use it over pasta, in baked casseroles, or as a dip—this easy sauce brings a homemade touch to everything it’s paired with.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about a dish smothered in smooth, melty cheese béchamel sauce—especially when you’re in the mood for comfort food. This recipe delivers that creamy richness with just the right balance of sharp and nutty flavors. It’s also a great base béchamel sauce for lasagna, adding depth and creaminess to every layer.
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Why We Love This Cheese Béchamel Sauce
- It’s freezer-friendly.
This béchamel sauce for lasagna stores beautifully, making it easy to prep ahead and freeze for later. Just thaw and warm it up when you need a quick, creamy addition to your meal. - Customization is simple.
From swapping cheeses to stirring in cooked bacon or veggies, you can easily make it your own based on what you have in the fridge. - It works across meals.
- Use it for lunch over baked potatoes, dinner with pasta, or even as a party dip—it always adds something special without being complicated.
Pasta is a favorite around here, so we make a lot of cheesy sauces! In my 20+ years of making white cheddar mac and cheese, I have learned that the secret to any deliciously cheesy dish is creating the perfect sauce.
Making a it is really simple. It starts with a béchamel (a French word meaning white sauce). Béchamel is just a cooked mixture of flour, fat (usually butter), and whole milk. To make a this, all you do is melt shredded cheese into the white sauce.
There are many sauces and parts of other recipes that start with a béchamel, like chicken pot pie and lasagna. But, a cheese sauce recipe like ours is one of the easiest things you can make with it!
This is my family’s favorite, and I am so happy to be sharing it with you!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: Unsalted butter is the best choice to prevent it from being too salty. If all you have in the fridge is salted butter, hold off on adding any salt until you taste the cheese sauce.
- Milk: Using whole milk will create the creamiest consistency. 2 percent works, but the sauce will be thinner.
- Cheeses: Using white sharp cheddar cheese is a must. We also include Gruyere for another layer of flavor. It can be pricey, so feel free to use all cheddar if you need or want to.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Use freshly grated white cheddar cheese for the best results. Packages of shredded cheese have anti-caking agents to keep the shreds from sticking together.
This means the cheese doesn’t melt as well. So, when you make this, it is worth the few extra minutes to grate a block of white cheddar yourself. It will give you the best results for a creamy white cheese sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Add in some chopped broccoli or spinach for a nutritious boost.
- Try using different cheeses like gouda, provolone, Monterey Jack, or Swiss.
- For a spicy twist, add in some hot sauce, diced jalapeños, or red pepper flakes.
- Add in oven cooked turkey bacon or ham for a heartier dish.
- To make parmesan white sauce, replace the gruyere with parmesan.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Large or medium saucepan
- Whisk
How to Make Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna
- Melt butter.
In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.
Add flour, stirring constantly with a whisk until it is thick and pasty, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk.
Slowly add milk to the pan, 1 cup at a time. Stir the sauce well after each cup of milk is added to avoid having lumps. When it is smooth, add salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
Simmer the sauce on low-medium heat until it thickens, frequently stirring.
- Add the cheese.
Keep stirring until melted and creamy. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Ready to serve.
Remove the cheese béchamel sauce from heat and you can use it right away or store it in the fridge for later.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy béchamel cheese sauce is a classic choice for ladling over pasta, steamed broccoli, or cauliflower for an easy comfort meal or addition to your daily diet. It also works beautifully as a pizza base in place of tomato sauce—especially when paired with toppings like spinach, chicken, or mushrooms. As a white sauce recipe, it doubles as a delicious dip for food serving trays loaded with raw veggies, pretzels, tortilla chips, sausage balls (try it with our sausage balls Bisquick recipe!), or corn chips. You can stir it into casseroles like cauliflower cheese, or use it to build dishes like homemade white cheddar mac and cheese or our smoked mac and cheese Velveeta recipe. For even more richness, a splash of heavy cream or extra parmesan cheese takes it up a notch. If you’re a home baker or home cook who just loves cooking from scratch, this gruyère-infused bechamel sauce is a reliable, flavor-packed addition to everything from lasagna layers to savory gravy replacements.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Pour the it into a gallon-size zip-top storage bag. Close and seal the bag, then lay it flat in your freezer to save space!
When you’re ready to use it again, thaw the package overnight in the fridge. Be aware that the cheese may not melt as smoothly after being frozen.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to thicken it is by simmering it on low-medium heat until it reduces and thickens. This usually takes about 5 minutes. You can also add a little more cheese to the sauce if you want it to be even thicker.
There are a few reasons why your cheese sauce might be runny. First, if you didn’t cook the flour long enough, it will still be floury and won’t have thickened the sauce.
If you added the milk too quickly, it could have curdled. Finally, If you don’t use enough cheese, it won’t be as thick and creamy.
This can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to one week. Be sure to keep it cool or in a room temperature before storing.
When you’re ready to enjoy it again, just reheat it on the stove over low heat until it’s warm. You may need to add a little milk to thin it out again.
You can freeze it for up to three months. Be sure to store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container.
Love Easy Sauces? Here’s More…
If you tried this white bechamel cheese sauce recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Béchamel Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 3 cups (12 ounces) white sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup (4 ounces) gruyere cheese freshly shredded (can substitute with sharp cheddar)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan (at least 3 quarts), melt butter until bubbly on medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk until thick and pasty. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring well in between cups until it is smooth. Add salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
- Simmer on low-medium heat until the sauce has thickened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sharp cheddar and the gruyere to the sauce. Continue stirring until they are completely melted, and it is creamy about 5 minutes. The thickened cheese sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- Serve it over pasta or vegetables. Or use as a dip for raw vegetables, pretzels and pretzel balls, sausage balls, tortilla chips, or corn chips.
Notes
- Use freshly grated white cheddar cheese for the best results. Packages of shredded cheese have anti-caking agents to keep the shreds from sticking together.
- This means the cheese doesn’t melt as well. So, when you make this, it is worth the few extra minutes to grate a block of white cheddar yourself. It will give you the best results for a creamy white cheese sauce.
- Pour the it into a gallon-size zip-top storage bag. Close and seal the bag, then lay it flat in your freezer to save space!
- Add in some chopped broccoli or spinach for a nutritious boost.
- Try using different cheeses like gouda, provolone, Monterey Jack, or Swiss.
- For a spicy twist, add in some hot sauce, diced jalapeños, or red pepper flakes.
- Add in oven cooked turkey bacon or ham for a heartier dish.
- To make parmesan white sauce, replace the gruyere with parmesan.
Nutrition
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Tavo says
Your white cheese sauce recipe was a delightful find! The flavors were perfectly balanced, making it a hit in my kitchen. I appreciated the clear instructions and practical tips, which made the cooking process smooth and enjoyable. This sauce has definitely become a go-to recipe in my collection.