Mornay sauce is a velvety, smooth, sauce with a mild cheese flavor. It is a great addition to fish, poultry, vegetables, or pasta like macaroni and cheese. This recipe replaces the butter, and high fat cheese that are traditionally used with olive oil, and cottage cheese, to create a wonderful sauce that’s low in saturated fat, and full of flavor.
Ingredients & Nutrition
The cottage cheese that you use has a big impact on the flavor of your sauce. To get a nice cheese flavor, you’ll want to use a flavorful cottage cheese without gelatin or other additives. I prefer cultured cheeses with live cultures such as Good Culture, or Nancy’s.
Cottage cheese can also have a lot of sodium. I suggest seasoning after completing the sauce to keep the sodium low.
Nutrition
Nutrition for ⅛ of the recipe. Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~50 kcal | – |
| Protein | ~2.3 g | ~5% |
| Total Fat | ~2.8 g | ~4% |
| – Saturated Fat | ~0.5 g | ~3% |
| – Monounsaturated Fat | ~1.8 g | – |
| – Polyunsaturated Fat | ~0.25 g | – |
| – Trans Fat | 0 g | – |
| Carbohydrates | ~3 g | ~1% |
| – Sugars | ~1.5 g | – |
| – Fiber | ~0.08 g | ~0% |
| Cholesterol | ~1.2 mg | ~0% |
| Calcium | ~56–60 mg | ~4–5% |
| Sodium | ~70 mg | ~3% |
Instructions
Warm 1 cup low fat milk. Microwaving for 1 minute works.- In a small sauce pan, heat 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Whisk in 1½ tablespoon flour. Cook for about a minute until the flour smell is gone without browning.
- Reduce heat to low, then slowly add milk while whisking. Try to keep the mixture homogenized, and don’t forget the corners of the pan. When all the milk has been added, you should have a thin sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little.
- Add 3 ounce low fat cottage cheese a spoonful at a time while whisking, allowing the cheese to mostly melt before adding more.
- Season with nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. It will thicken if it’s allowed to cool. Slowly reheating will thin it out. Add a splash of milk if it’s too thick.
You can refrigerate leftovers and reheat them on the stove or in the microwave. You’ll probably want to add some milk to thin it out.
Heart Healthy Mornay Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup low fat milk Higher fat milks will work.
- 3 ounce low fat cottage cheese About ⅓ cup. See note.
- 1½ tablespoon flour
- 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil mild flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
- Warm 1 cup low fat milk. Microwaving for 1 minute works.
- In a small sauce pan, heat 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Whisk in 1½ tablespoon flour.Cook for about a minute until the flour smell is gone without browning.
- Reduce heat to low, then slowly add milk while whisking. Try to keep the mixture homogenized, and don't forget the corners of the pan.When all the milk has been added, you should have a thin sauce.Cook for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little.
- Add 3 ounce low fat cottage cheese a spoonful at a time while whisking, allowing the cheese to mostly melt before adding more.
- Season with nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. See note for serving later, or storing.
