This Leyden Cheese Sauce for Burritos is creamy, smooth and crazy delicious! These burritos with cheese sauce can be made with any protein you like!
This post is a revision of a post that was published in the early days of Binky’s Culinary Carnival! It was is in dire need of updating! Enjoy!
I saw Rachael Ray use Leyden Cheese on her show a few weeks ago. I had never heard of it but when I heard cumin, I was in! Cumin is one of my all time favorite spices!
What is Cumin?
Cumin is a plant, whose seeds are used a lot in Spanish, Mexican, and Middle Eastern dishes! It is native to the Middle East and east to India.
It has a unique. smoky fragrance and taste. Cumin is not spicy hot just adds a fantastic flavor!
In the eighties, my boyfriend and I used to go to a little Mexican restaurant in Penfield, NY called Fiesta Cantina. Fiesta Cantina isn’t there anymore but I still remember their Burritos with cheese sauce.
I married those two thoughts together and came up with Burritos with Leyden Cheese Sauce! It was fantastic!!!
The burritos can be made with any protein you like, including; beef, chicken, pork, venison, or even beans if you want them vegetarian!
What is Cheese Sauce?
Cheese Sauce is just a white sauce (béchamel) with cheese melted in it. The white sauce is one of the sauces that the French consider one of the “Mother Sauces“.
It is believed, however, that the white sauce was actually adapted from Tuscany, in Italy. It is said that the chefs of Catherine de Medici (Queen of France and Mother-in-law of Mary, Queen of Scots) brought it to France.
How to make a Cheese Sauce for Burritos
So many people I know are intimidated by white sauces. White sauces get a bad rap. They are so easy! They can be made with any of the new nut milks to make the sauce vegan (if you don’t add the cheese, obviously!). It can also be made milk, cream and any stock.
- Grate cheese.
- Melt the butter in a medium, heavy bottom saucepan.
Heat the milk in a separate saucepan over medium high heat, or in the microwave. This step saves you time stirring.
- Once the butter is melted and is frothy and bubbly, add an equal amount of flour (or cornstarch or GF flour to make it gluten free). In other words if you use 2 tablespoons of butter, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour.
- Keep whisking for about 4-5 minutes, until the butter and flour are bubbly.
- Add warm milk.
- Once the sauce is smooth and thickened, it will coat the back of the spoon, (usually takes about 10 minutes) add cheese one large handful at a time.
- Melt cheese and stir a few more minutes until bubbly. Taste now and add salt and white pepper to taste. The reason you wait until the end to salt is because different cheeses have different salt content. You don’t want your sauce to become too salty.
- See how smooth and creamy the sauce is? Prima!
How to Make Burritos & Filling
- Dice onion and garlic
- Brown ground meat in large skillet. Add onions and garlic to soften. Season with spices.
- Cut up tomato, lettuce and any other vegetable you like.
- Build burritos with refried beans, meat and vegetables. Put a few tablespoons cheese sauce inside. Tuck ends in and roll.
Arrange on plate with seam side down and then top with the cheese sauce and your favorite toppings.
Set up a fixings bar with anything you like. Some great fixings are diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced hot peppers (either fresh or pickled), sliced green onions, sliced black olives, avocado slices, and your favorite salsa.
Burritos can also be made with any leftover protein you have. Chicken, pork, venison, can be used. Just use the same technique to cook them
I hope you like the recipe today for Leyden Cheese Sauce for Burritos!
Other delicious Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Frijoles, Refried Beans
- Venison Carnitas Enchiladas
- Baked Chilaquiles
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Tools I Use to Make Burritos with Leyden Cheese Sauce
Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Xoxo,
Burritos with Leyden Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 c cashew milk (can substitute cow’s milk)
- 3 c Leyden Cheese
- about 1/2 tsp. salt (see notes below)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
To Assemble
- Flour tortillas I like 10″
- Your favorite burrito filling
- Frijoles (refried beans)
- Toppings of your choice; such as; diced tomatoes shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, sliced green onion, sliced avocado, sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos, sour cream or creme fraiche, salsa
Instructions
- Heat cashew milk over medium high heat.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Don’t let the butter brown.
- Cook flour and butter for 3-4 minutes to remove the floury taste.
- Whisking constantly, stream in heated cashew milk.
- Whisk often to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let sauce cook and thicken, usually about 10 minutes, until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Add cheese, large handfuls at a time, melting the cheese between additions.
- Cook along for another few minutes until nice and thick.
- Taste the sauce for salt. Always taste first because different cheeses have different salt content.
- Add pepper to taste.
To Assemble
- Heat tortillas, one at a time in a dry pan over high heat. If you have a gas stove, tortillas can be heated directly over open flame for a few seconds.
- Spread a few tablespoons frijoles in the center of the tortillas shell. Add as much of your filling as you like.
- Roll tortilla and place seam side down on serving plate. Top with cheese sauce and any toppings that you like.
Video
Notes
- shredded lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- sliced black olives
- sliced green onion
- sliced avocado
- sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
- sour cream or creme fraiche
- salsa
Nutrition
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Originally Published 2/8/2015
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I’m a massive fan of any cheese sauce , although Leyden isn’t one I’m familiar with. I’ve not thought of a cheese sauce with burritos but this sounds a delicious idea. My family will love these!
Beth Neels
It really is a delicious way to serve burritos! Thanks Amanda!
Jacqueline Debono
I have never had burritos with a cheese sauce but it looks and sounds delicious. I don’t know Leyden cheese but am going to look out for it. I love cumin too!
Beth Neels
There is a link to Amazon to buy the cheese, Jacqueline! Thank you!
Ramona
I absolutely must make this ASAP – it sounds amazing and all these ingredients and flavours make me really crave this burrito now after just having my breakfast. This is definitely on the list to make this weekend! Thanks for sharing this yumm recipe 😉
Beth Neels
Thanks so much Ramona! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Brian Jones
What a fantastic versatile sauce that you could use on so much… I must track down that cheese, I have never heard of it but adore the flavour of cumin.
Beth Neels
Oh, me too! You will love it, if you can locate it! Thanks Brian!
Lesli Schwartz
Nothing like a really good cheese sauce! I put cheese on everything, it’s probably my favorite food! Going to have to try these burritos!
Beth Neels
Cheese and I have this huge love affair! Thanks so much for checking out the recipe Lesli!
Immaculate Oniyere
I love building a burrito. The details in this is quite lovely and your bechamel sauce looks so luscious!
Beth Neels
I love making bechamel! They are so delicious! Thank you Immaculate!
Sara Welch
I know what I will be having for lunch today; this looks amazing!
Beth Neels
It is so good! Thanks for checking out the recipe, Sara!
Pam
I’m not familiar with Leyden either, but I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like, so it’s on my list to look for. By the way, I recently made a cheese sauce using aged Gouda and it was fabulous, too!
Beth Neels
I adore aged Gouda cheese sauce too! Although, truthfully, I have never a cheese I didn’t like either!! 🙂
Lisa
This cheese sauce looks amazing! I mean who doesn’t love cheese?! I’ll have to see if I can sub the AP flour for GF flour.
Beth Neels
I have used both GF flour and cornstarch, they both work, but I prefer the GF flour. It works great! Thanks Lisa!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
Did someone say cheese sauce?! What a great way to mix up your burritos, I bet it’s gorgeous and has loads more uses too!
Beth Neels
I could literally drink it! It is so good! Thanks so much Carrie!
Tisha
This cheese cause is perfect for burritos… I’d probably eat it with chips also!!
Beth Neels
I see absolutely no reason why you could not! Thanks so much Tisha!
Olga
Beth, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Beth Neels
Thank you Olga! I really love the Leyden in the cheese sauce! Thanks for stopping by!
Alyssa
Beth, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Beth Neels
Thanks Alyssa! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Woody7
What other cheeses could you use in place of the leyden? Edam? We arent cumin or caraway people 🙂
Binky
Certainly, Edam would work. Gouda would be fine since Leyden is Gouda with cumin. A mild cheddar or Monterey Jack would be great too. Any good melting cheese works well! Thanks for stopping by!
Tina
My oh my oh my – chipotle and cotija – I love it when cheese and chillies balance each other! Perfect!
Binky
They do pair so well together! The Leyden is superior with them too! All that cumin and all! Thank you for your comment Tina!