You guys.... this post was supposed to be about our smoked ribs. How I marinated them in ACV and a wonder mesquite seasoning... blah, blah, blah... but the show was TOTALLY stolen by this cheese sauce. I know, I know. You're asking yourself, how can a silly cheese sauce upstage smoked pork ribs? Here's how... BACON!
I've been searching the interwebs (yes, I am in IT professional and I still say "interwebs." It's fun) and Pinterest for something to make veggies a bit more enjoyable when I reached that point at which even the most devoted veggie lover says, "I'm BO-RED!"
After trying a few here and there and liking a few, none of them really made me sit up and notice. That is until I decided to put a few of the more enjoyable ingredients together, with a few techniques from my culinary training and viola... a sauce that even had the boy eating cauliflower and broccolini.
Ingredients
6 slice nitrate free bacon, chopped
1 c heavy cream (try and get the kind that is just cream... no thickeners)
6 oz medium cheddar, shredded
1/4 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t salt
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/2 t GF Worcestershire sauce
1 t hot sauce, optional
12-15 grinds nutmeg (NO, pre-ground nutmeg is not OK. It's never OK.)
In a medium sauce pan over medium hight heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove cooked bacon to a paper lined plate to drain. Remove all but about 2-3 T of the bacon fat.
To the hot fat, add the onion and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook abut 30 seconds so it doesn't burn.
Add salt and spices (except nutmeg) and bloom about 30 seconds until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the cream and deglaze the yummy bacon-ness from the bottom of the pan.
Once small bubbles start to form around the sides of the pan, add cheese and stir gently until it melts. Stir in the Worcester sauce and hot sauce, if using. Remove from heat, stir in your bacon, grate your nutmeg into the hot cheese sauce and stir to combine.
Season with more salt, if necessary.
Enjoy over cauliflower, broccoli, an old shoe... whatever.
*This post may contain affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link and go on to purchase that product or service, we will be paid a small commission. Be assured we only promote products/services in which we believe and/or that we personally use.