Hot and Spicy Ham and Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

2 oz. Clarified Butter
2 oz. All-purpose flour
1 qt. Milk
5-6 oz. Cheddar Cheese
2-3 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese
3 oz. Diced Red Pepper
3 oz. Diced Onion
8 oz. Isaly’s Chipped Chopped Ham
Salt and Pepper to taste
Yields 1 quart of sauce

Directions

1. Mix the clarified butter and the flour together in a saucepot and heat for about 5 minutes stirring constantly over medium heat to make a roux.
2. Add milk one third at a time when roux begins to smell like pie dough.
3. Each time you add the milk stir it constantly until it comes to a simmer, and then add another third. Be careful not to boil the milk or else it will burn. Also alternate between using a wooden spoon and metal whisk in order to incorporate all the roux into the milk.
4. Once all the milk has been added, reduce the heat to medium; stir it consistently for 15 –20 minutes to remove the flour taste.
5. Begin adding the cheese and melting it into your white sauce.
6. Depending on how spicy you want the sauce depends on how much pepper jack cheese to add, a total of 8 oz. of cheese is needed to reach the desired thickness of the sauce.
7. The most important thing about making this sauce is to keep stirring it so it doesn’t burn to the bottom of your saucepot.
8. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Finish the sauce by sautéing the peppers and onions with the chipped ham, and adding it into the sauce once the vegetables are tender.
10. Pour the sauce over biscuits and serve.
11. Garnish with scallions or parsley.