This is an excellent question that many people have when eating dishes like lasagna or chicken parmesan where the cheese is layered under the sauce. There are a few reasons why this is commonly done in cooking.
Flavor Development
One of the main reasons the cheese is put under the sauce is for maximum flavor development. When the cheese is layered under the sauce, it gets a chance to slowly melt into the sauce and infuse all of its creamy, cheesy goodness throughout. This allows the flavor of the cheese to permeate the entire dish. If the cheese was placed over the sauce instead, the rich cheesy flavor would not have as much of a chance to infuse into the sauce and other ingredients. By nestling it under the sauce as the dish bakes, the cheese melts deliciously into the sauce, creating a more complex, nuanced flavor.
Texture
Texture is another important reason the cheese gets tucked under the sauce. Soft, melted cheese has a very different mouthfeel than crispy, baked cheese. In dishes like lasagna and chicken parm, the goal is usually to achieve a very soft, indulgent texture. By putting the cheese under the sauce, it melts into a creamy, gooey consistency that complements the tender pasta or chicken. If the cheese was left uncoated on top, it would likely become browned and crispy in spots when baked. This would provide too much of a contrast and interrupt the uniformly soft, comforting texture of the dish. It would also prevent the cheese from melting thoroughly and evenly into the sauce.
Prevent Burning and Drying Out
Placing the cheese under the sauce also prevents it from burning or drying out as it bakes. Sauce, especially tomato sauce, acts as a protective barrier preventing the cheese from getting overcooked. High heat can make cheese burn, toughen, or separate if left uncovered. The moist sauce shields the cheese from these issues. The sauce also prevents the cheese from drying out. Even when baked under the sauce, cheese will still slowly render out fat and liquid. But an overcoat of sauce stops excessive drying and preserves the cheese’s supple texture.
Appearance
Lastly, appearance is a factor when putting the cheese under the sauce. Most people have the expectation when eating something like lasagna that the top will have a beautifully smooth, rich red sauce coating. If the cheese was placed over the sauce instead, it would create a bumpy, irregular top layer that doesn’t have the clean, perfect look people expect with these dishes. It’s simply more visually appealing to have the smooth sauce as the topmost layer. The cheese tucked underneath doesn’t detract from the presentation at all once the dish is cut into. And as a bonus, getting a glimpse of the melted cheese layered in the dish is a nice surprise!
Exceptions and Variations
While the most common and traditional method is to layer cheese under sauce, there are certainly exceptions and variations on this technique. Some recipes specifically call for additional cheese to be placed over the sauce to get an extra gooey, cheesy topping. This can provide an additional hit of cheesy richness with every bite. Other recipes may sprinkle breadcrumbs or grated parmesan over the sauce instead of or in addition to cheese for a crunchy contrast. Some cooks may want the appearance of cheese browning on top and don’t mind a slightly irregular surface. Using already-melted cheese on top can provide this appearance without the texture issues from baking plain cheese. So while going under the sauce is the standard, it ultimately comes down to personal preference and the exact dish being created.
Examples of Dishes with Cheese Under Sauce
Here are some of the most common and popular dishes that use this cheese under sauce technique:
- Lasagna
- Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Ziti or Baked Manicotti
- Moussaka
- Pastitsio
- Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie
- Tetrazzini
- King Ranch Chicken
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheese Enchiladas
The cheese buried under sauce provides all of the textural, flavor, and visual benefits described above in these comforting, bubbly baked dishes. The cheese becomes an integral part of the whole, infusing into the other ingredients during cooking. Next time you dig into one of these favorites, you can appreciate why the cheese gets tucked under the tasty sauce!
Conclusion
There are clearly some excellent reasons why most baked pasta or casserole recipes call for the cheese to be layered underneath the sauce. The main goals are to allow the cheese to slowly melt into the sauce for maximum flavor infusion, prevent the cheese from drying out or burning, and keep a smooth attractive top layer of sauce. While not universally required, it is easy to see why this technique produces delicious results in many favorite dishes from lasagna to moussaka. So savor the extra flavor and ideal texture next time your fork delves under that blanket of sauce to find the hidden motherlode of melted cheese!