Mornay sauce

noun

Mor·​nay sauce mȯr-ˈnā- 

variants or mornay sauce or less commonly Mornay or mornay

plural Mornay sauces or mornay sauces also Mornays or mornays

: a rich white sauce with shredded or grated cheese (such as Gruyère) melted into it : béchamel with cheese

… a fine, creamy Mornay sauce, which is liberally laced with white wine and delicate herbs.

—Victoria Van Antwerp

Café Zinc's croque monsieur was made with brioche bread spread with mornay sauce (a light, white cheese sauce), with ham and gruyere cheese nestled inside.

—Victoria Ritter

Béchamel, a mixture of flour and milk, is a mother sauce for many other sauces such as Mornay (béchamel with cheese) …

—Michael Ruhlman

Examples of Mornay sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The openface affair features sliced roasted turkey on thick toast, smothered in a rich cheesy Mornay sauce and baked until bubbling. —Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 1 Mar. 2023

This breakfast item is Kentucky country ham and Swiss cheese on toast points with homemade Mornay sauce and a couple of sunny-side-up eggs. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 27 Dec. 2022

But the bowl’s mac and cheese stole the show with a subtle, creamy Mornay sauce that Lott and his team make right there in the trailer. —Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 18 June 2021

Crepes brim with matcha custard cream, strawberries, and green tea ice cream, or ham, eggs, and Mornay sauce. —BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2021

Bring on the spinach, uncut greens mixed with not too much Mornay sauce and Parmesan, meaning the spinach retains its texture and taste. —Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Philippe de Mornay

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above