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Homemade nacho cheese question

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    Homemade nacho cheese question

    I love homemade nacho cheese. However my wife has a gluten allergy. I've used a gluten free flour in the past, like rice flour, when making gumbo. The flavor was spot on but it didn't do much in the way of thickening. Anyone ever tried gluten free flour in a roux base for nacho cheese?

    #2
    There is a product called Thick-It. Gluten free and kosher. I havent had much luck trying gluten free flours for any kind of thickening application.

    Comment


      #3
      This is a perfect use for sodium citrate. Here's a couple of videos on it:

      (EDIT: the reason to use SC is that you can make a sauce without a roux base, so you avoid the whole issue. Plus you can use cheeses that normally would break. See comment below)





      Ive bought stuff for this from the folks who made those, here https://modernistpantry.com
      Last edited by rickgregory; December 11, 2021, 02:18 PM.

      Comment


      • Santamarina
        Santamarina commented
        Editing a comment
        I’ve heard this is the ticket, but haven’t tried it yet. I usually just use shredded cheese and toss it in the oven.

      • rickgregory
        rickgregory commented
        Editing a comment
        Santamarina - I've done that for actual nachos a lot but it's not a sauce, of course. The advantage of the sodium citrate way is that you can make a cheese sauce a) with any cheese or combo of cheeses, even aged ones that usually break when melting and b) without a béchamel, i.e. wheat, which folks who need to avoid gluten can't eat.

        https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog...e-cheese-sauce is one example of a recipe like this, the videos have others.
        Last edited by rickgregory; December 11, 2021, 02:19 PM.

      • grantgallagher
        grantgallagher commented
        Editing a comment
        i havent watched the videos posted but i assume its detailed in there. if you dont have or have easy access to sodium citrate, you can use a few slices of american cheese which is handily made with sodium citrate and get the same effect but still have the body of flavor come from whatever other cheeses you chose

      #4
      Awesome for sharing--didn't know they existed! I have gluten issues also.

      Comment


        #5
        BTW, the first video I linked above shows how to make a cheese sauce but also how to use another add-in to then make it a sliceable consistency.

        Not a thing to do if you're just melting cheddar or another single cheese that you can already buy in sliceable blocks, but the sodium citrate enables you to combine a variety of cheeses, including aged cheeses that usually break on melting. So, if you come up with a cheese combo that you really like as a sauce but that you want to use on, say, burgers, just add the sodium hex and put it in a mold and... voila, something you can slice.
        Last edited by rickgregory; December 11, 2021, 02:25 PM.

        Comment


          #6
          Sodium citrate is the way to go. Easy to use, and no need to use a roux, flour or anything.

          Comment


            #7
            Would adding cornstarch be an option? (the google suggests most cornstarch is gluten free)

            Comment


            • grantgallagher
              grantgallagher commented
              Editing a comment
              you could in theory, if its 100% corn starch then it will be gluten free. usual caveats apply, mix it with cold water first and slowly mix in to your sauce. there are better ways though, SC or some american cheese.

            #8
            Bah... one more thing... when you use SC you are adding liquid, usually water or beer, to make the cheese sauce. This obviously dilutes the cheese flavor, so start with a stronger cheese than you want to end up with. For example, an extra sharp cheddar, to end up with something around a medium to sharp flavor.

            I mention this because one common complaint is that the cheese sauce doesnt have enough cheese flavor and, well, yes. If you cut a cheese with other neutral flavors, you reduce the impact of the cheese.

            Comment


            • Mr. Bones
              Mr. Bones commented
              Editing a comment
              IMCE, Cuttin th cheese almost always tends to provoke some derogatory comments, from them, what I am amongst...ymmv.

            #9
            Originally posted by rickgregory View Post
            If you cut a cheese with other neutral flavors, you reduce the impact of the cheese.
            heh heh, you said "cut a cheese"


            Comment


            • Mr. Bones
              Mr. Bones commented
              Editing a comment
              Some Right Danged Funny Stuff, right there!

              Thanks, Brother!

            #10
            Wow thanks for the excellent feedback.

            Comment


              #11
              Arrow Root is gluten free and is a good thickener.

              Comment


              • rickgregory
                rickgregory commented
                Editing a comment
                The issue isn't thickening really, it's that cheese tends to break when melted but melting it into a roux emulsifies it and prevents that. Since OP's wife can't eat gluten, they need another way to keep that from happening... hence the sodium citrate method.

              • 58limited
                58limited commented
                Editing a comment
                I understand and you covered the benefits of sodium citrate well so I thought that I would throw arrow root out there as an alternative to flour if he couldn't readily find SC and didn't want to wait on mail ordering it.

              • rickgregory
                rickgregory commented
                Editing a comment
                Huh, I've never used it as a basis for a roux... didnt even think about it since it's such a powerful thickener that you would use only a fraction of the amount vs flour. Interesting thought though.

              #12
              And here's our Henrik's contribution to this topic -- Hank's True BBQ: How to make Beer Cheese Dip.

              Comment


              #13
              My wife is also gluten intolerant and I eat GF as well. When she makes queso, she uses (ok, don’t throw the book at me here) velveeta blocks in the crock pot. She adds sausage, salsa and other stuff at times. But turns out well and is consistent for her.

              that said, I make a cheese sauce using good quality cheese for Lobster Mac, and at times I’ve had to use a slurry to thicken it up a tad. Corn starch (I don’t recall what brand, but we get it at Costco in a yellow tub) is my go to for all slurry’s. Although, I do use Cup 4 Cup Flour rouxs (gluten free and pretty good for most things) that works. There have been a few times I’ve had some issues with getting things to thicken with C4C (like gravy, but thinking of a roux, it’s done well when I make gumbo.

              I have not tried the SC route, but I know that’s one great way of getting the consistency just about perfect!

              Comment


                #14
                Nacho cheese, EZ PZ, Velveeta and salsa, heat and combine.
                Better yet try smoked Queso ala Matt Pittman: Smoked Queso - YouTube

                Comment


                • Mr. Bones
                  Mr. Bones commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Works, mosta bout every time.

                  I buys me th Velveeta, when on sale, dumps me in mebbe a can er two of Ro-Tel (depends on what it's a bein served, alongside of.)

                  Use whichever flavour, or heat level y'all prefers.

                  Sometimes, I'll even mix a few different cans, when I'm feelin All kinda Creative, Avant Garde, or even Artsy-Fartsy
                  Last edited by Mr. Bones; December 12, 2021, 02:22 PM.

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