I love jalapenos. I first learned how to use a canner just so I could pickle my own peppers. I have grown my own plants a couple of times, too. One year, when I had a large garden, I ended up pickling 60 cups of peppers.
I used to make this jalapeno cheese sauce all the time. I realized recently that I haven’t made it in years, so I decided to make it for dinner. It was as delicious as ever. I had forgotten how it makes your lips tingle slightly. And I love the way the heat of the jalapenos is distributed throughout the sauce.
I don’t really use a recipe when I make cheese sauces—I just go by eye—but here’s an approximation of what I did. It’s really just a classic cheese sauce with jalapenos added in. You can make it thinner by adding more milk and thicker by adding more flour. Be careful, though. Sweet rice flour has amazing thickening powers. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way…
Jalapeno Cheddar Sauce for Pasta
Makes about 2 servings
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sweet rice flour
2 cups milk
3 Tbs pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
1 cup grated extra old cheddar (125 g)
Make a roux by melting the butter in medium saucepan on medium-low heat and stirring in the sweet rice flour. When the mixture forms a paste, cook for two minutes. Add milk slowly, stirring with a whisk. Allow the mixture to thicken into a sauce. Add the cheese, stirring to help it melt. When the cheese is completely incorporated, add the jalapenos.
Serve tossed with your favourite gluten-free pasta.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of jalapenos based on the heat of your peppers and your personal tolerance for heat.
- Old cheddar works well too.
A Flour By Any Other Name 
[…] mentioned once or twice, I love cheese. Recently, I had the happy accident of having too much jalapeno cheese sauce. I had about a cup sitting in my fridge, needing a purpose, so I toasted a Glutino English muffin […]