cheese sauce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
CommonNeutral to informal; widely used in everyday and culinary contexts.
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 sauceVocabulary
Collocations
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
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cheese sauce”
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
Which of the following is a more formal, technical synonym for a type of cheese sauce?