Skinny Cheddar Cheese Sauce

This is a mild, kid-friendly sauce with a subtle tang from sharp cheddar; creamy and velvety. This slimmed-down sauce boasts a fraction of the fat you'd find in regular or processed cheese sauces. If you'd like to make this recipe SUPER kid-friendly, use WHITE cheddar cheese and color with gel food coloring (the variety used for cake decorating). 

Ingredients

• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk, divided
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1.5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/3 cup packed)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine 1/4 cup milk and flour in a saucepan; stir with a whisk. 
2. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup milk and salt; bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. 
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. 
4. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and pepper, stirring until cheese melts.
   

TIPS:  Remove from heat, then stir in the cheese to ensure that the sauce doesn't curdle. The flour helps stabilize the dairy mixture, but if it's boiled after the cheese is added, the sauce will separate or curdle.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving (Serves 8, 1.5 Tablespoons per Serving)

• Calories: 37
• Fat: 1.9g
• Saturated fat: 1.2g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1g
• Protein: 2.3g
• Carbohydrate: 2.6g
• Fiber: 0.1g
• Cholesterol: 6mg
• Iron: 0.1mg
• Sodium: 115mg
• Calcium: 71mg