Vargr
Vargr
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Quick and Easy Cheesy-Mushroom sauce
Note, no extra salt should be needed: the cheese and butter are both salty (the cheese especially so). Taste first, before considering adding any more!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tb salted Butter
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tb Dijon Mustard
1/3 C White Wine
1 Can (10.5 oz) condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
~ 5 oz Velveeta processed cheese product (about 1/3 of a 16 oz block), cubed
~ 1/4-1/2 C Milk (as needed, will probably use less)
1/2 tsp Pepper (to taste)
1 Shallot, minced (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1) In a medium sauce pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it melts and stops foaming.
2) Add the minced garlic (and minced shallot, if using) and cook about 3-4 minutes (mellows the sharp raw flavors).
3) Add the stems & pieces mushrooms, reserving the canned juice. Stir to coat and flavor with the garlic (& shallot) butter. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
4) Add the white wine and stir about to pick up any pan bits. Allow to reduce to nearly dry (au sec).
5) Add the reserved canned mushroom juice, the condensed Mushroom Soup, the cubed blocks of Velveeta cheese, and the Dijon Mustard.
6) Lower heat to medium and stir until the cheese completely melts and combines with the soup, and all is uniform color and slightly bubbly (about 5-8 minutes).
7) Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
8) If sauce is too thick, whisk in some of the milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency. If desired, add black pepper (and whisk in) to taste.
Makes about 1.5 Cups (6-8 servings)
The sauce thickens up considerably as it cools, which is why you should reduce cooking temperature to “warm†and then adjust the thickness with milk if desired. The sauce will be closer to 'plating temp' at that point, and the consistency more like what you'll be eating than what it was when cooking.
VARIATIONS:
This sauce is also extremely flexible, and can be used as a “mother sauce†to create many variations: Add sliced jalapeno peppers with the garlic (and shallots) to “zing†it up for nachos or a dip, or some RoTel spicy diced tomatoes, or both!; Forego the mushroom stems and pieces and mushroom soup, and substitute cream of celery and create a Mirepoix of veggies by adding minced carrot and celery to the shallot (or use an onion), and tilt the flavors toward French cuisine.; Or thin with White Wine instead of using milk for a more 'upscale elegance' note.: Or brown about 1/2 lb of ground beef with the garlic (step 2) and stir it all into some boiled macaroni noodles for a do it yourself “hamburger helperâ€.
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