Mornay Sauce Recipe
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Learn how to make the ultimate cheese sauce with this Mornay Sauce Recipe. A béchamel sauce is enriched with melted cheese; this incredibly luxurious sauce comes together in 10 minutes. It instantly elevates various dishes, such as vegetables, pasta, eggs, and casseroles.
Like velouté, there’s nothing like a rich and creamy sauce to make a meal irresistible. This cheesy Mornay sauce is quickly becoming one of our new favorites. It’s easy to make and instantly adds elegance to the meals it’s paired with.
What is Mornay Sauce?
Mornay sauce is a thick and cheesy French classic I think of as béchamel’s fancier, cheese-loving cousin. To make it, a base of béchamel sauce (a creamy and savory white sauce made from roux and whole milk) is enriched with shredded and melted Gruyère and Parmesan cheese.
Whisking these elegant cheeses into the sauce gives it a nutty, slightly salty richness and a mouthwatering silky consistency. It’s the ultimate cheese sauce to turn to when you want to make the simplest dishes, such as cauliflower au gratin and macaroni and cheese, feel extra special.
The best part? This French cheese sauce is surprisingly quick and straightforward to make. With just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on cooking, you’ll be left with a luscious, homemade Gruyère cheese sauce that’s way better than anything from a jar. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to return to basic cheese sauce again.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Béchamel – This classic French “mother sauce” is the creamy foundation of every great Mornay sauce. I highly recommend making homemade béchamel sauce for the best flavor and consistency.
- Cheese — I used a combination of shredded Gruyère and Parmesan for the sauce. I always grate these cheeses myself from the block because pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents that sometimes prevent them from melting as smoothly. Gruyère is the classic choice in morning recipes, but you can experiment with Swiss cheese, Gouda, or a mild white cheddar instead. As for the Parmesan, you can replace it with Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano if you’d like.
- Butter — I whisk in a small amount of unsalted butter at the end to give the sauce its glossy, restaurant-style finish. Salted butter will substitute if you omit the extra salt from the recipe.
- Seasonings – I like finishing the sauce with a pinch of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Remember that the cheese is naturally salty, so you may not need much extra salt.
How to Make the Best Mornay Sauce
Prepare: First, I prepare the béchamel sauce in a medium-sized saucepan and keep it warm over low heat.
Whisk: Next, I whisk freshly grated Gruyère cheese and Parmesan into the béchamel until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. To finish, I whisk in the unsalted butter.
Season: I always taste the sauce before serving it and adjust the flavors with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Chef Tips + Notes
Low and slow is the name of the game when it comes to classic Mornay sauce. In other words, maintain a gentle heat (low heat is ideal) on the stove and gradually melt the cheese into the sauce to ensure a silky, lump-free consistency. Trust me, the few extra minutes are so worth it.
- Don’t stop whisking: Keep the sauce moving as you incorporate each ingredient to help emulsify the sauce and prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Strain if it’s lumpy: If your sauce turns out lumpy or grainy, just pass it through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois to smooth the consistency.
- Thin the sauce if needed: If it feels too thick or isn’t pourable, whisk in a splash of hot milk until it’s thinned to your liking. Start with about ¼ cup and go from there.
Serving Suggestions
Mornay sauce is the fancy French cheese sauce that makes everything better—pasta, veggies, eggs, casseroles, seafood, you name it. The ways to indulge are endless.
I’ll turn to it to elevate my favorite comfort foods and casseroles. It replaces classic cheese sauce in baked macaroni and cheese, and can be layered in a pan of sweet potatoes au gratin, or take a classic green bean casserole to the next level.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can prepare mornay sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
How to Store: Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat: Warm the sauce slowly in a saucepan over low heat, whisking frequently to bring back its silky texture. If the consistency is too thick after chilling, stir in a splash of warm milk to loosen it up. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
More Sauce Recipes
Mornay Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bechamel recipe
- 4 ounces shredded gruyere cheese
- 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the bechamel sauce in a medium-size pot over low heat until hot.
- Add in the cheese and whisk until it is completely mixed in and smooth.
- Finish by whisking un unsalted butter until melted in and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if it needs it.
- Serve.
WOW!!! so Velvety and Creamy,
Yes indeed!
Would this work for mac and cheese?
yes
Gosh 🤩this recipe is amazing thank you ChefBilly 💕🤩😁
😁thank you soooooo good ChiefBilly 😁😋🤩. .,,,,all you do in background thankyou 🤗
T U ChefBilly delicious 🤤 it’s on most foods now thank you for you 😁😋🤩🤗
Fabulous sauces so tasty thank you ChefBilly
Love your sauce also thank you ChefBilly 😁😋👋💯
This stuff is GOLD!
I’m using it for my green bean casserole for Thanksgiving this year!
so good!!
Great versatile sauce!
so good!!
I believe that Mornay Sauce is used on my hometown’s famous Hot Brown. Derby City, Louisville, Ky. Recipe originated at the Brown Hotel. It is delicious!
Love the hot brown!