Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

BySauce Fanatic Posted on Updated on

4.45 from 180 votes

Jump to Recipe - Save Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

Thick, rich, and creamy, this parmesan cream sauce is the best for dipping breadsticks or serving over vegetables.

Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (1)

Table of Contents

  • 1 Parmesan Cream Sauce
  • 2 Parmesan Cream Sauce Ingredients:
  • 3 How to Make Parmesan Cream Sauce:
  • 4 Ways to Serve Parmesan Cream Sauce:
  • 5 Parmesan Cream Sauce

Parmesan Cream Sauce

We love a thick and creamy sauce, especially when it’s filled with parmesan cheese!

This recipe is different from our classic alfredo sauce. It doesn’t use garlic and uses cream cheese in place of some of the parmesan.

The cream cheese makes the sauce creamier and offers a lovely tang that pairs well with vegetables.

We often serve this sauce over a variety of mixed veggies but you can also pair it with pasta, steak, and chicken.

Our homemade cheese sauce is another great option for vegetables if you’re interested in giving it a try!

Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2)

Parmesan Cream Sauce Ingredients:

To make this parmesan cream sauce recipe, you will need:

  • Butter:Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt going into the sauce
  • Flour:Adds thickness to the sauce
  • Heavy cream:Because it’s not a cream sauce without cream
  • Milk:We like to use a combination of cream and milk so the sauce isn’t too rich
  • Parmesan cheese:Freshly grated parmesan cheese works best
  • Cream cheese:Use just a tad tomake the sauce creamy
  • Salt and pepper: Season to taste once the saucehas finished cooking
Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (3)

How to Make Parmesan Cream Sauce:

To make a good parmesan cream sauce, simply…

  1. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour.The roux is what will make the sauce thick.
  2. Whisk in the cream, milk, parmesan, and cream cheese.Keep whisking until the cheese is fully melted and no lumps remain. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more cream until it’s the desired consistency.
  3. Season with salt and pepper then serve. This sauce is best served immediately.
Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (4)

Ways to Serve Parmesan Cream Sauce:

There are quite a few ways to serve this parmesan cream sauce recipe.

  • Spoon over steamed veggies or baked potatoes.
  • Toss with cooked pasta.
  • Drizzle over grilled steak and shrimp.
  • Use it as a dip for breadsticks.

How To Refrigerate Potsticker Sauce: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

When you are ready to use the sauce, warm it a saucepan over low heat. The sauce will be quite thick when it’s cold but should loosen as it warms. Add a little milk or heavy cream to thin it out if needed.

Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (5)

If you are a fan of Italian food, you will certainly enjoy these other sauces.

  • Best Pizza Sauce
  • Creamy Basil Pesto
  • Easy Spaghetti Sauce
  • Classic Alfredo Sauce
  • Parmesan Cream Sauce

Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (6)

Parmesan Cream Sauce

Sauce Fanatic

Thick, rich, and creamy, this parmesan cream sauce is the best for dipping breadsticks or serving over vegetables.

4.45 from 180 votes

Print Recipe Save

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 185

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

  • Gradually whisk in the cream, milk, Parmesan, and cream cheese until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed.

  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Serve over steaks or steamed veggies.

Video

Notes

Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

When you are ready to use the sauce, warm it a saucepan over low heat. The sauce will be quite thick when it’s cold but should loosen as it warms. Add a little milk or heavy cream to thin it out if needed.

Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 644IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 0.2mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients you used in the recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Quick Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

FAQs

What is Parmesan cream sauce made of? ›

What is garlic parmesan sauce made of? Garlic parmesan sauce is made from butter, heavy cream, garlic, flour, herbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. All of the ingredients are combined and heated to make a creamy dipping sauce or spread.

Can I use cream cheese instead of Parmesan? ›

Not really as Parmesan is a hard, strong cheese used mainly for flavouring dishes. Soft cheese is usually mild in flavour and can dramatically change the consistency of a recipe depending on how much is needed. And as a complete last resort; mature cheddar can be used.

How do you reduce heavy cream sauce? ›

Simmer the sauce until it is reduced to the desired thickness. The amount of time you will need to reduce the sauce depends on your preference and the sauce itself. Cream sauces can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to reduce to the consistency desired by the chef.

How do you melt shredded Parmesan cheese? ›

Because of its dryness, it melts poorly, unless you incorporate it into a liquid, like Alfredo sauce. You can sprinkle it onto a dish and then slip it under the broiler, or into the oven, to get a little of the melting effect going.

Is Alfredo the same as Parmesan? ›

Alfredo sauce is a deliciously indulgent sauce that is made with a combination of butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese.

Why is Parmesan not melting in Alfredo sauce? ›

the dryer the cheese the easier it will melt. The difficult to grate rind can be grated in the smallest setting and added slowly under low heat mixing as you go. You can also swirl the pan — and do this without the pasta and then add it back.

What is a good substitute for alfredo sauce? ›

Greek yogurt: Mixing Greek yogurt with minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt can make a low-calorie and lower-fat alternative to traditional alfredo sauce. Cauliflower puree: Blend cooked cauliflower with chicken or vegetable broth, garlic, and Parmesan cheese to make a creamy and lower-calorie sauce.

What can I substitute Parmesan cheese for alfredo sauce? ›

If I did not have Parmesan or similar cheese, I'd substitute a sharp cheddar (white cheddar if possible, or Havarti or even mozzarella) and add some some combination of fresh black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings (basil, oregano), and potentially a bit of dill or rosemary.

What thickens a cream sauce? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

Does butter thicken sauce? ›

Butter does not provide any thickening to a sauce, since it is made of just fat and water. But a chunk of butter, salted or unsalted, swirled into a sauce at the end, can temporarily emulsify a sauce, while adding richness and sheen, all of which are good things.

Will adding more heavy cream thicken a sauce? ›

Adding heavy cream will change the flavor of a tomato sauce, but it will also thicken it. Drizzle in the cream and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has your desired consistency.

Will shredded Parmesan melt in sauce? ›

Parmesan cheese is delicious but it's dry and doesn't melt as well as soft cheeses, so get the finely grated stuff, not the shredded kind. If you try to melt the shredded kind it mostly clumps up into little balls. With the finely grated stuff you have half a chance of incorporating it into a sauce completely.

Why won't my shredded Parmesan cheese melt? ›

The cheese is not grated finely enough: If the Parmesan cheese is grated in large chunks or shreds, it may not melt properly. Try grating the cheese finely before adding it to your dish. The temperature is too low: Parmesan cheese needs a high tempera.

Is shredded or grated Parmesan better for Alfredo? ›

You can use pre-shredded Parmesan cheese in this Alfredo sauce recipe, but it won't have the pronounced, intense, fresh flavor you get when you grate it just before use.

What is parmigiano cream? ›

Produced using the best PARMIGIANO REGGIANO DOP, this cream enhances all the unique and unmistakable flavor of the King of cheeses. Creamy and easy to spread, it is ready to use to garnish cold appetizers, finger food or delicious snacks.

What is cream sauce made of? ›

None of them are really needed to make a full flavour cream sauce for any types of pasta. No need to build more suspense though. Truth is all you need is cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Some recipes include milk or flour.

What is cream sauce pasta made of? ›

With butter and heavy cream (30%+ milk fat). For American-style Alfredo sauce, melt butter (about two tablespoons per serving) in a fry pan, add heavy cream (about 1/3 cup per serving), salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese to taste, probably about two tablespoons.

Is Alfredo sauce made from parmesan cheese? ›

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients

You'll need just five simple ingredients to make this basic Alfredo sauce recipe: butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh parsley.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6664

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.