Asiago Cheese Sauce

This asiago cheese sauce starts with a simple roux and real cheese, with no jarred base. Aged Asiago adds a nutty, salty bite, and Monterey Jack keeps the sauce creamy. I hope you enjoy this Salsa de Crema!

Why You Will Love This Sauce

• Stays Smooth. Low heat and a Monterey Jack base help the sauce stay creamy instead of grainy or oily.
• Pantry Friendly. You likely already have butter, flour, and milk, and the two cheeses are the only extras.
• Better Than Jarred. Making it from scratch means no preservatives, and you control the thickness and the salt.
• Versatile Flavor. The nuttiness of Asiago works on pasta, chicken, burgers, and steamed broccoli.
• Ready in 15 Minutes. Prep takes 7 minutes and the sauce cooks in 8.

What is Asiago Cheese

Asiago is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that ranges from smooth and mild when fresh to crumbly and sharp when aged. This sauce uses aged Asiago for its nutty, salty flavor. Find out more about Asiago cheese.

Asiago Cheese Sauce Ingedients

• Unsalted Butter. This is the fat base of the roux. Unsalted butter lets you control the salt, which matters because the cheese is naturally salty.
• All Purpose Flour. This thickens the sauce when it is cooked with the butter, so the sauce turns out velvety instead of watery.
• Warmed Milk or Cream. Warm liquid blends into the hot roux without seizing. Whole milk gives a good balance, and heavy cream makes the sauce richer.
• Shredded Asiago Cheese. Aged Asiago adds a sharp, nutty flavor that is different from cheddar.
• Shredded Monterey Jack. This mild cheese melts easily and helps keep the sauce creamy and stable.
• Black Pepper. It adds mild heat.
• Sea Salt. Add it at the end and taste first, since both cheeses are salty.

How to Make the Best Asiago Cheese Sauce

1. Start the Roux Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes. You want the mixture to bubble and turn a pale golden color to cook out the raw taste.
2. Add the Liquid Slowly pour in the warmed milk or cream while whisking constantly. Do not stop whisking during this step to ensure no lumps form.
3. Thicken the Base Continue to cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. You are looking for a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
4. Melt the Cheese Turn the heat down to low. This is crucial as high heat can cause cheese to separate and become oily. Add the Monterey Jack and Asiago a handful at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition.
5. Season and Adjust Stir in the salt and black pepper. Taste the sauce. If it is too thick for your liking, whisk in an extra tablespoon of milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

Tips for a Smooth Cheese Sauce

• Keep the heat on low once the cheese goes in, since high heat can make the sauce grainy or oily.
• Grate your own block cheese, because pre shredded cheese often has anti caking agents that stop it from melting smoothly.
• Add the cheese a handful at a time and let each handful melt before adding more.
• Warm the milk first so it blends into the roux without clumping.
• Taste before adding salt, since both cheeses are salty.
• Cheese sauces thicken as they sit, so make it just before serving and thin it with warm milk if needed.

Troubleshooting Your Cheese Sauce

• Sauce is grainy. The heat was likely too high. Take the pan off the burner, whisk in a splash of warm milk or cream, and whisk gently until smooth. Strain it as a last resort.
• Sauce is oily or separated. High heat or adding the cheese too quickly is the usual cause. Lower the heat and whisk in warm milk a little at a time.
• Sauce is too thick. Asiago thickens as it cools, so whisk in warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time and reheat gently so the sauce does not break.
• Cheese is clumping. Add it a handful at a time and let each handful melt first.
• Sauce has lumps before the cheese goes in. Add the milk slowly and whisk constantly.
• Sauce tastes too salty. Use unsalted butter, add salt only at the end, and taste first.

If you like this cheese sauce, try my other 15 minute cheese sauce!

If you love the silky texture of this cheese sauce, you'll love the airy, whipped texture of my peanut butter frosting.

Try using brown butter to make the flavor nuttier and richer.

Try the sauce with my city chicken recipe or as a sauce with my homemade pasta and some cheesy meatballs.

Asiago Cheese Sauce FAQs

This asiago cheese sauce comes together in 15 minutes with a simple roux and two cheeses. Low heat and a handful of cheese at a time keep it smooth, and Monterey Jack helps it stay creamy. Spoon it over pasta, chicken, vegetables, or nachos. If it thickens as it sits, whisk in a splash of warm milk.

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