Keto Cheese Sauce — Who Knew? (Plus: the perfect chili con queso!)

Have you ever tried a keto cheese sauce?

Well if not, it's TIME.  🙂  I've been doing more keto recipes around here lately, they're SO tasty and hopefully I'll lose a few L-B's too (thanks a lot menopause–UPDATE:  see my weight loss post here!).  In case you're unsure, keto is basically like low-carb, only for those being strict it's even lower carb.  My latest favorite is this keto cheese sauce.  I've always made cheese sauce the way my Mom did:  make a roux/white sauce, then add cheese until it's all melty.  I had NO idea that making it without flour could be THIS good and much creamier.  Tastier and healthier than the gross Velveeta I used to use!

This keto cheese sauce can be used in many different ways…

• Served over lightly steamed or roasted cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, etc. (oh my gosh you guys, it's so good)
• Eat it over eggs
• Add some ham in with your veggies and the keto cheese sauce
• Add cumin for a spicy sauce and use celery or fried low-carb tortillas as dippers–see a chili con queso recipe below!
• Try it over zoodles (spiraled zucchini) that you first stir-fry in butter and garlic
• Or any way you feel like eating it!

For dinner one night I made regular stove-top mac and cheese for the guys, and my daughter and I had this keto cheese sauce over about half of a head of lightly steamed cauliflower.  (The guys wouldn't appreciate a whole meal of this like we did.)  I like the veggies to still be a little crunchy, so if you do too, don't over-steam.  I now use this steamer basket, after my other cheaper ones fell apart.

Print Recipe

Keto Cheese Sauce/Chili Con Queso

See below for the chili con queso variation!

Servings: 1 cup

Author: Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
• 4 Tablespoons cream cheese, again, pastured cream cheese is best
• 1/4 cup real cream/whipping cream, NOT ultra-pasteurized, plus more cream if needed - see instructions. Or milk if you don't have any cream, you only buy whole milk, right?!!
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, any kind is fine, I used parmesan, yum! ***Use spicy cheese for a Mexican queso or see recipe notes below for an even dreamier version!
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and/or a squirt of dijon mustard for a variety of flavors, optional
• 1-2 Tablespoons of this MCT oil for extra energy and fat-burning power, optional
• 2 teaspoons colostrum, for extra nutrition to boost gut health and your immune system (optional)

Instructions

• Whisk as you melt butter, cream cheese and cream in a small saucepan on low so it doesn't burn.  Add the cheese and keep whisking, adding more cream if needed to get a nice, dreamy consistency.  Add optional ingredients, whisk well, and add salt and pepper, then taste-test to get it how you like it.
• Serve over lightly steamed cauliflower, broccoli, or other veggies.  It's also delicious over eggs or anything really!
• Also try putting some veggies in your serving dish, add the keto cheese sauce over top, sprinkle on more cheese, then broil 'til golden for a yummy baked cheese flavor.

Notes

As mentioned above, if you want to make this more like a Mexican queso you can just use a spicy cheese.  Or for just a little more work you can make it extra dreamy...

Chili Con Queso:

Make the cheese sauce above--I double or triple the recipe at least because this will go fast, but add the cream in last to see if you need more liquid or not.

In a separate pan, saute 1 chopped onion in butter 'til it starts to get golden brown.  Then saute a few cloves of garlic, chopped.  Add 1-2 peppers (any colors you have) and a couple stalks of celery, all chopped small.  Add 1 chopped jalepeno for more heat--saute until the veggies are softened a bit.  None of these need to be exact measurements, just use what you have.  

Add the sautéed veggies to the cheese sauce, plus 1/2-1 cup of your favorite salsa and 1 cup sour cream.  Add in 1/2-1 teaspoon of garlic powder and cumin powder to your own taste, & a little chili powder if desired for a little more heat.  Stir well and prepare to be in heaven!  If the consistency isn't creamy enough, just add more cream or sour cream.

Serve with organic corn chips.  To keep it low-carb, use more peppers or celery as dippers.  Or another idea:  fry low-carb tortillas in lard or beef tallow (peanut or avocado oil is fine too).  Fry until crispy and use those for chips instead of regular corn chips.  The healthy animal fats (lard/tallow) especially are so good for you!

 

More you might like:

• Keto Cookies!

• How my friend was losing 1# a day with the keto diet and how to make cauliflower BREAD

• Low-carb Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe from my sister

• Grain-free Cheesy Broccoli Casserole