Cheese sauce for baked potato bar

16 years ago

My son and DIL have been having game nights with their friends over here someone who lives with them has a lowered immune system at for the time being so they can't have a crowd of friends at their house right now. So far they have had a pizza night and a chili night. The plan for this weekend is a baked potato bar.

I'd like advice on how to make a cheese sauce for it. Melt shredded cheddar into a white sauce base or something else. Or melt cheddar into white wine like I would do with Grueyer for fondue?

Am I being too much of a food snob? Should I do something with Velveeta (I haven't used processed cheese for decades but I know it melts well).

I expect that we will also have:

butter,

sour cream,

yogurt

(maybe a herbed yogurt, sour cream or butter - I have one for cilantro butter that came with this week's CSA box)

broccoli

carrots

green onions

SmartGround with Mexican spices

We keep kosher and will be having dairy so no meat products.

Any other suggestions for rounding it out?

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Comments (11)

trsinc
16 years ago
Vegetarian chili (made with black beans, pintos, majocoba, peppers, tomatoes, chili powder) would be good. Is that the same as smart ground? Guacamole or pico de gallo would be nice with that.
Cloud Swift
Original Author
16 years ago
Smart Ground is a ground beef substitute made from soy. I thought about doing a bean based vegetarian chili because that's what we served last time. Trying to avoid repeating.

I was just reading the Indian cooking thread and thinking that Chola Masala (chick peas in a tomato curry sauce) might go well with potatoes (but maybe not on the same potato as cheddar cheese sauce).
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annie1992
16 years ago
Mmmm, love baked potatoes. I usually top mine with chili, or broccoli and cheese, or honey dijon dressing.

The Velveeta does melt well, but the other stuff tastes better, I think I'd just make something similar to your cheese fondue and serve that.

Ashley likes guacamole on baked potatoes and Elery likes some low fat cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon.

Annie
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
Sauteed mushrooms! :)
caliloo
16 years ago
Cheez Whiz! It is the best melting cheese type product - ask anyone fro Philly and that is what goes on a steak sandwich here.

I would also like sauteed onions and peppers (red & greeen) on my baked with sour cream. Maybe those fake soy-based bacon bits too?

Sounds like a tasty evening!

Alexa
User
16 years ago
By all means do a cheese sauce but I think you should do plain shredded cheese as well for those people, like me, who want it loaded with sour cream and cheese !

The other topping I serve is chopped jalapenos.

Here it is 2:45 AM and I want a bake potato loaded with sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese and jalapenos !
doucanoe
16 years ago
What a great idea for a game party!

I think your fondue cheese idea is a good one. I also would do shredded cheese like Sharon suggested.

Me? I like cottage cheese on my bakes potatoes. I also copy an herb mix I picked up from Culpepper in England years ago that was awesome on baked potatoes. It contained parsley, garlic, chervil, chives and black pepper....to die for!

Linda
jojoco
16 years ago
I would do a white sauce with extra sharp cheddar added. I would keep it warm in a fondue pot.
Sounds like a fabulous party.
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Cloud Swift
Original Author
16 years ago
Chase, we were planning to do shredded cheese too - I like that but I forgot to put it on my list. We might also have another cheese to add like shredded Parmesan or feta.

I found a recipe on line that used hard apple cider for a cheddar fondue. Tried a little test batch last night and the cheese melts very well but I didn't have the extra sharp. It definitely needs extra sharp.

So many good ideas. Sauted mushrooms sound very good.

We will have bell peppers too but we may leave them raw in sticks for dipping in the cheese sauce.

When posting last night about Indian food, I was thinking that Chana Masala would also be good over baked potatoes, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to do that.
ci_lantro
16 years ago
I love Pace Picante Sauce on baked potatoes. It's great on hot dogs, too.
Cloud Swift
Original Author
16 years ago
The potato bar worked out very well. I left shopping and prepping of the potatoes and other vegetables mainly to my son and husband so we had about twice as much as we needed for dinner. But that's okay - the leftovers will be used and some is disappearing in the snacking as they play.

I started from an apple cider cheddar cheese fondue recipe for the cheese sauce (link below) but made some modifications. I got a hard dry cider for this partly because in my experience with grueyer fondue, the cheese melts better in an acid liquid. I also diced the cheese and tossed it with the flour because that helps keep the cheese from clumping. I added smoked paprika instead of chili powder.

Cilantro butter was pretty easy to put together and added a nice touch to the flavor:
Cilantro butter

3/4 cups firmly packed cilantro leaves
1 stick (1/4 cup) butter
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Process in food processor until fully creamed.

We had shredded parmesean and cheddar cheeses.
Mild and hot salsa (the fresh stuff from the refrigerator section at the market
Steamed broccoli and carrots,
Diced green pepper and green onions
Chana Masala (cilantro butter was really nice with this too)
Yogurt and sour cream (separately - not mixed together
Taco flavor smart ground

Tortilla chips for grazing through the evening with the toppings or in case a potato hater wanted to have nachos instead.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cheddar cider fondue

Cheese sauce for baked potato bar

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trsinc

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Cheese sauce for baked potato bar

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