Why it works: Cream cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 473 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Sour Cream Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Stir in ¼ cup flour with 4 tablespoons margarine, adding gradually while stirring.
Cook until mixture thickens.
Add 1 ½ cup milk, 1 cup cream cheese (if desired), 1 cup grated cheese (or 2 cups cheese sauce), and 1 cup sour cream to the flour-margarine mixture.
Cook until cheese simmers.
Serve
Pour into a bowl.
Serve hot and use as a dip.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cream cheese + cheesetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together473 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + cream cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,393 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Cream cheese + creamtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,087 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-decalactone (peach, creamy).
Milk and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Thickens the margarine and milk into a smooth, stable sauce.
- Margarine
- Fat that cooks with the flour to form a roux for thickening.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that the sauce thickens around.
- Grated cheese
- Adds rich flavour and melts into the sauce for creaminess.
- Sour cream
- Adds tang and a creamy, smooth texture.
The step that matters
Adding the liquids to the roux. Adding the milk and dairy gradually to the flour-fat mixture, while stirring, prevents lumps. Cooking until the sauce thickens lets the starch swell fully, giving a smooth, stable texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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