Those three words are the building blocks of my diet. No further explanation necessary.

One note: the biggest complaint I normally see with making roux-based sauces is the texture/graininess. If it’s grainy, your flour is undercooked (and that’s typically how you also end up with that raw/doughy taste). The easiest way to avoid this is by making sure your flour is cooked for long enough.

Adapted from The Chunky Chef’s recipe here.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup beer (whether you use lager or ale is a personal preference; I tend to use whatever is in my fridge as long as it has some depth and flavor, aka don’t use Coors Light)

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp sambal chili paste

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 slices American cheese*

*Preferably Kraft or Velveeta, it melts extremely well and binds everything together

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously, until mixture forms a paste and starts to bubble, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add beer, whisking continuously. Slowly add in milk, whisking continuously to avoid any lumps.

Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, sambal, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk for a minute or two as mixture thickens.

Reduce heat to low and add shredded cheese and cheese slices, a handful at a time. Stir until completely melted and serve warm.