American · sauce

Velvety Three-Ingredient Cheddar Sauce (No Flour)

Velvety Three-Ingredient Cheddar Sauce (No Flour) — from Serious Keto (Steve)'s cooking video Watch how it’s made · 5:49

Video by Serious Keto (Steve) on YouTube · Open on YouTube

15 minMakes 16 × 3 tbsp (about 45 g)114 kcal a portion
  • Carnivore
  • Keto (0.5 g net carbs a serve)
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Thickened with no flour or starch, a 3-tbsp serve has about 7 g of protein and under 1 g of carbohydrate, and is a source of calcium.

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Ingredients 3

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Shred 450 g sharp cheddar (about 4 packed cups); weighing it gives the most reliable result. 1:07
  2. Pour 1¼ cups (300 ml) chicken stock into a medium pot, bring it to a simmer over medium heat and stir in 10 g (1½ tsp) sodium citrate until it dissolves. 1:40
  3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cheese a handful at a time, whisking until each handful has almost melted before adding the next. 3:04
  4. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and glossy. It thickens as it cools; for a thicker, nacho-style sauce use a little more cheese or a little less stock. 3:46
  5. Serve warm as a dip or spooned over meat, eggs or vegetables. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about a week.

Tip. Sodium citrate (a sodium salt sold for modernist cooking) stops the cheese splitting, so no flour is needed. Swap the stock for water or milk, or the cheddar for Swiss or pepper jack, to change the flavour.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, 3 tbsp (about 45 g), gives you 1 of 16

Energy114 kcal480 kJ
Protein7.1 g14% of a day
Fibre0 g0% of a day
Carbohydrate0.5 g0.5 g net · 0.2 g sugars0% of a day
Fat9.3 g5.9 g saturated12% of a day
Sodium370 mg16% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 2%
  • Protein 25%
  • Fat 73%

Fits keto: 0.5 g net carbs a serve, with 73% of the energy from fat.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Calcium Source16%

204 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (99%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Show the other 14
Vitamin B129%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Zinc8%

0.9 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin A8%

75 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Selenium7%

3.9 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (99%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Magnesium2%

8.4 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (93%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Omega-32%

0 g a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Potassium1%

30 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (83%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Iron1%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (91%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin D1%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin E1%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin K1%

0.7 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate1%

5.2 µg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (96%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin B61%

0 mg a serve, mostly from sharp cheddar (100%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Vitamin C0%

0 mg a serve. An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Serious Keto (Steve); the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.