This Fontina Cheese Sauce recipe is rich and thick with so much cheesy flavor and a kick of spice from cayenne and cajun seasoning. It’s the perfect finishing touch over any dinner, from pasta to chicken, veggies, and more!
If you’re a cheese lover, this is the kind of sauce that’ll make you weak in the knees. It’s got that tempting bold flavor that turns your ordinary recipes into extraordinary culinary masterpieces, like this Cajun Chicken Pasta and Cajun Mac and Cheese. This sauce is so velvety, you’d think it was royalty, with simple ingredients like melted cheese, butter, flour, milk, and seasoning. After the first bite, you’ll be hooked.
What is Fontina Cheese Sauce?
Fontina cheese is a semi-soft, rich, and creamy cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a smooth buttery flavor with hints of nuttiness and is used in various Italian recipes. It’s often compared to gruyere, provolone, or gouda in texture and flavor. You can find this in the specialty cheese section of the grocery store!
And it’s so good melted into a cheese sauce for mac and cheese or cheese dips!
What You Need to Make This Creamy Sauce
- Unsalted Butter and All-Purpose Flour – Forms a roux that helps thicken the cheese sauce.
- Milk – Any kind of milk will work. The higher the fat in the milk, the creamier the mac and cheese sauce.
- Seasonings – We’re kicking the flavor up with Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic salt.
- Fontina Cheese – Use freshly grated Fontina cheese.
How to Make Fontina Cheese Sauce
Make the roux
In a small pot, whisk together flour and melted butter.
Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly.
Add the butter and flour. Allow the liquid to dissapate. A paste will form. Slowly whisk in the milk to form the sauce.
Add the cheese and thicken
Season with Cajun seasoning and garlic salt, then melt in the cheese. Again, stirring constantly.
Add the spices. Mix to combine. Add in the cheese. Melt and stir to combine to make the sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent that can result in a gritty/grainy texture. Freshly grate your cheese for the best texture.
- Cook on low heat. Low heat prevents clumps from forming as the cheese melts.
- Stir constantly. Make sure you’re constantly whisking as the cheese melts to keep the sauce nice and smooth.
- Play with texture. Make the cheese sauce thicker or thinner by just adjusting the amount of milk used. It’s all personal preference here!
- Use room-temperature milk. Cold liquids take longer to thicken. Set the measured amount of milk out on the counter for a while before making the sauce to let it warm up a bit.
- Love spice? Be generous with the cayenne, or add in a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
What to Serve With Fontina Cheese Sauce
You can serve this cheese sauce over your favorite pasta for a delicious pairing!
But it doesn’t stop there! It’s also great drizzled over a chicken dish, on broccoli, over roasted veggies, on nachos, slathered on your favorite burger, you name it. You really can’t go wrong!
We love pairing this sauce with creamy mac and cheese over blackened chicken with peas.
Leftovers and Reheating
The cheese sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. We like to store it in an airtight resealable glass jar or plastic container.
To reheat your leftover cheese sauce, you have a couple of options:
- Microwave: Microwave in 30-second intervals to prevent hot or burnt spots until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Reheat in a small saucepan on low on the stove until warmed through. Stir frequently.
More Cheesy Recipes
It’s time to claim your title as the official sauce boss! After mastering this culinary concoction, there’s nothing you can’t do. This cheesy sauce will become your new best friend for topping all kinds of dishes, from chicken to pasta! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!
Fontina Cheese Sauce
AmericanIngredients
- 6 tbs butter
- 6 tbs flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 6 oz fresh grated Fontina cheese
Instructions
- In a sauté pot, whisk flour into melted butter.
- Slowly pour in milk, continuously whisking.
- Add Cajun seasoning through garlic salt and melt in the cheese. Keep stirring!
- This sauce thickens up quickly so feel free to add a bit more milk to thin it out a little – I will the next time I make it.
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent that can result in a gritty/grainy texture. Freshly grate your cheese for the best texture.
- Cook on low heat. Low heat prevents clumps from forming as the cheese melts.
- Stir constantly. Make sure you’re constantly whisking as the cheese melts to keep the sauce nice and smooth.
- Play with texture. Make the cheese sauce thicker or thinner by just adjusting the amount of milk used. It’s all personal preference here!
- Use room-temperature milk. Cold liquids take longer to thicken. Set the measured amount of milk out on the counter for a while before making the sauce to let it warm up a bit.
- Love spice? Be generous with the cayenne, or add in a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use heavy cream in a 1:1 ratio, but it will thicken the sauce a bit. If it gets too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of chicken broth.
Absolutely! While the original Italian Fontina cheese is the traditional choice, you can experiment with different varieties. Just make sure you use high-quality Fontina cheese so it melts properly.
Absolutely! Fontina cheese sauce is incredibly versatile. Feel free to add a pinch of fresh herbs, a dash of garlic powder, or a splash of white wine for an extra kick of flavor.
Customer Service is pretty much non-existent, I hate going somewhere and feeling like I am bothering someone to get waited on. People now seem so caught up in themselves they rarely ever smile when you see them, or hold the door or thank you for holding the door. I could go on too! So I totally get your post, would love to see things change!
I agree. Also, I really dislike when I thank a clerk, and he/she says: “No problem”.
Of course it isn’t a problem, it’s your job and business! Grrrr…
I’m pretty sure it’s a reflex response and they’re not expecting you to read into it or think they are so self-involved that they expect to be thanked. If you feel so strongly that they’re just “doing their job” and it shouldn’t be a problem to deal with customer (like yourself), I’m surprised you even thank them!
Ooh, that looks so yummy. Well, the Olive Garden is good but for me, it is a little on the salty side. But the creativity is there. Yours looks so much better.
Thanks again for stopping by my blog on SITS day. You’re awesome!
Kat
https://todayscliche.com
Kat@todayscliche.com
I feel the same way about customer service. Great post!
Great recipe! I added a lot more milk! 🙂 If you are serving to children cut down on the seasoning! Other than that great!