Mornay Sauce

Mornay sauce is simply a traditional Béchamel (white) sauce with the addition of shredded or grated cheese. Sounds fancier to say Mornay sauce, than cheese sauce, eh?

Recipe Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups hot milk
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dash ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. The mixture should get foamy or frothy but not brown.
2. Add the hot milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. Add the seasonings and return to the heat and boil for about 1 minute over medium high heat. Remove from heat, add cheeses and stir until incorporated completely. Add cayenne.

Makes about 2 1/4 cup.