cheese sauce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Common
UK/ˈtʃiːz ˌsɔːs/US/ˈtʃiz ˌsɔs/ (also /ˈtʃiz ˌsɑs/ in some regions)

Neutral to informal; widely used in everyday and culinary contexts.

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Quick answer

What does “cheese sauce” mean?

A savory, typically creamy sauce made primarily from cheese, often melted with butter, milk, or cream, used as a topping or ingredient in various dishes.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A savory, typically creamy sauce made primarily from cheese, often melted with butter, milk, or cream, used as a topping or ingredient in various dishes.

A term occasionally used informally or metaphorically to describe something bland, overly sentimental, or excessively saccharine in tone or content.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

The term is identical. However, specific regional dishes using cheese sauce (e.g., 'macaroni cheese' in UK vs. 'macaroni and cheese' in US) show contextual lexical differences.

Connotations

Both neutral. In the UK, often associated with pub food (e.g., nachos) or comfort food (e.g., cauliflower cheese). In the US, strongly associated with Tex-Mex cuisine and 'cheese sauce' from a jar or pump.

Frequency

Slightly more frequent in US culinary advertising and casual dining contexts (e.g., 'nacho cheese sauce').

Grammar

How to Use “cheese sauce” in a Sentence

[to pour/serve/drizzle] cheese sauce [on/over NP][to make/prepare] (a) cheese sauce [from/with NP][NP] [is/smells/tastes] like cheese sauce

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
melted cheese saucecreamy cheese saucenachos with cheese saucepour the cheese saucehomemade cheese sauce
medium
sharp cheddar cheese saucemake a cheese saucesteamed broccoli with cheese saucethick cheese sauce
weak
cheese sauce recipewarm cheese sauceliquid cheese saucesimple cheese sauce

Examples

Examples of “cheese sauce” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • They decided to cheese-sauce the entire platter of nachos.
  • (Non-standard but possible) The cauliflower was perfectly cheese-sauced.

American English

  • He cheesed-sauced his fries until they were completely covered.
  • (Non-standard) For the contest, they cheese-sauce everything.

adverb

British English

  • The vegetables were served cheese-sauce-style.
  • (Rare) He cooked it rather cheese-saucy.

American English

  • The burger came smothered cheese-sauce-style.
  • (Rare) The dish was prepared cheese-saucily.

adjective

British English

  • It was a cheese-sauce disaster when the emulsion split.
  • They offer a cheese-sauce option for an extra 50p.

American English

  • She ordered the cheese-sauce burrito.
  • He's a big fan of the cheese-sauce flavor profile.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Rare, except in food manufacturing, restaurant supply, or menu planning.

Academic

Rare, except in food science or culinary arts papers.

Everyday

Very common in cooking, dining, and grocery shopping contexts.

Technical

Used in food technology regarding viscosity, emulsion stability, and melting points.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “cheese sauce”

Strong

cheese fondue (when heated and used for dipping)Mornay sauce (specific French white sauce with cheese)

Neutral

cheese dipcheesy saucemelted cheese mixture

Weak

cheese gravycheese dressingcheese spread (thicker)

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “cheese sauce”

tomato saucegravybéarnaise saucehollandaise

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “cheese sauce”

  • Misspelling as 'cheeze sauce'.
  • Using 'cheese souce' (missing 'a').
  • Using uncountably without an article when a specific instance is meant (e.g., 'I made cheese sauce' vs. 'I made a cheese sauce').

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It can be both. Uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('I love cheese sauce'). Countable when referring to a specific type or batch ('She makes a wonderful cheese sauce').

'Cheese sauce' is a broader term for any savory cheese-based liquid used in cooking or as a topping. 'Cheese dip' specifically implies a thicker, scoopable sauce intended for dipping chips, vegetables, etc. All cheese dips are cheese sauces, but not all cheese sauces are dips.

Yes, though informally. It can describe music, films, or writing that is overly sentimental, trite, or lacking in subtlety (e.g., 'The dialogue was pure cheese sauce').

Adding the cheese to a sauce that is too hot, which can cause the fats and proteins to separate, resulting in a greasy, grainy texture. The base should be removed from the heat or kept on very low heat when incorporating the cheese.

A savory, typically creamy sauce made primarily from cheese, often melted with butter, milk, or cream, used as a topping or ingredient in various dishes.

Cheese sauce is usually neutral to informal; widely used in everyday and culinary contexts. in register.

Cheese sauce: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃiːz ˌsɔːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃiz ˌsɔs/ (also /ˈtʃiz ˌsɑs/ in some regions). Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • [Informal, derogatory] 'That film was pure cheese sauce' (meaning overly sentimental, corny).

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of the phrase 'Please, cheese!' as a reminder of the polite request for the sauce: 'cheese' + 'sauce'.

Conceptual Metaphor

COMFORT IS WARM, MELTED CHEESE / EMOTIONAL EXCESS IS LIQUID CHEESE.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
To make a smooth , you must stir the milk into the roux gradually before adding the grated cheese.
Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a more formal, technical synonym for a type of cheese sauce?