Best Basic White Sauce Recipes

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Use immediately or refrigerate.

BASIC ITALIAN WHITE CREAM SAUCE (LIKE AN ALFREDO OR BECHAMEL)

Steps:

• Melt butter in small saucepan cooking over low to medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes.
• Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in cream & remaining ingredients, stirring constantly as it thickens.
• Add more cream or flour depending on desired consistency.

BASIC BECHAMEL (WHITE) SAUCE WITH VARIATIONS INCLUDING AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• NOTE - It is best to use warm to hot liquids when making sauce, which helps to prevent lumps. Also, constant stirring will help prevent the sauce from scorching on the bottom. If sauce turns lumpy, whisk vigorously with a wire whip or strain through a wire sieve before serving.
• Stir in milk or other liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Option: Reduce milk by the same amount you add white wine, sherry or brandy will create a lovely flavor.
• CHEESE SAUCE - Once sauce is made, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 to 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor compliments what you are making -- better yet use 2 different cheeses), stirring until melted. To Au Gratin anything use this sauce mixed with potatoes, veggies, meats or whatever and heat through. Top with seasoned bread crumbs and more cheese finishing in the broiler.
• CURRY SAUCE - Stir in 1/2 teaspoon curry powder with the flour.
• DILL SAUCE - Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed and a dash of ground nutmeg with the flour.
• MORNAY SAUCE.
• Add 1/2 cup grated cheese to 1 cup of hot sauce; stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with a little mustard or Worcestershire sauce to taste.
• VELOUTE SAUCE.
• Substitute chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable broth for the milk.
• HERB SAUCE.
• Add 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs to 1 cup of hot sauce. Cook for a minute or two longer to get more flavor from the herbs.
• CREAM SAUCE.
• Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the finished sauce. For an onion flavor, add an onion slice to the milk when heating; remove onion slice before adding milk to flour and butter mixture.
• MUSTARD SAUCE.
• Combine 1 teaspoon dry mustard to flour used in sauce. This sauce is especially good with fish and chicken.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE/BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan over low heat until it bubbles up. Blend in flour. This is the roux.
• In another pan, warm the milk. Infuse with flavours, if desired.
• Strain milk into the roux, combine and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• Adjust taste by adding salt and pepper. Strain.

BASIC BECHAMEL (WHITE SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until blended, 1 minute. Add the paprika and/or nutmeg (if using) and add the bay leaf.
• Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.
• Increase the heat to medium and simmer to blend the flavors, 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf before using.
• Now you can use your sauce any way you like. Like I said before, my personal favorite use is for making Recipe #514039, but I also like eating this bechamel, AS IS, on veggies or making a cheese sauce (see *Notes below). Enjoy!
• *Note: For a thinner sauce, reduce the flour and butter to 2 tablespoons each, but stay the same with the liquid(s). (I highly recommend this if you plan to make a cheese sauce with this (posted below).
• *Note: To create a cheese sauce, whisk 1/2 cup (or more) of grated Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sharp Cheddar or Farm-house White Cheddar (my fav) or any other cheese into the finished béchamel sauce. If a lighter cheese sauce is desired, substitute chicken stock for part of the milk, or use a lesser amount of the flour & butter ratio (like posted above).

BECHAMEL - BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Scald the milk with the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns.
• Cover and let infuse off heat for 10-15 minutes.
• In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is foaming but not browned- about 1 minute.
• Off heat, strain in the hot milk.
• Whisk well, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
• season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and leave to simmer slowly for 1-2 minutes.
• NOTE: This make what is called a "MEDIUM" Bechamel.
• For a "THIN" Bechamel use 2 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. flour.
• For a "THICK" Bechamel use 4 tbs. butter and 4 tbs. flour.

LOW FAT BASIC WHITE SAUCE (WITHOUT BUTTER)

Steps:

• Pour stock into a small saucepan and heat; once hot add cornflour and stir constantly to cook flour, it will be very thick, yellowy & clear.
• Off stove add the milk, very slowly stirring until smooth; this is where I need the blender to get the lumps out.
• Put back on medium heat, add the extra stock and continue stirring until it thickens; add the onion powder, herbs, pepper and salt.
• You may need more stock or skim milk, when I made this tonight, on heating it up after it had cooled it became thicker and needed to be thinned a little.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• 1. Heat milk in fry pan do not boil but bring to low simmer.
• 2. When milk is heated stir the corn starch into 1/2 cup cold water and mix well.
• 3. Reduce heat and stir in the corn starch mixture to the milk. Stir well. then turn up heat again to medium and slow simmer, continue stirring. Note: Corn Starch has to come to a rolling simmer or slow boil in order for it to thicken.
• 4. Simmer on low for approximately 10 minutes. Then very low to keep warm. When re-heating add a small amount of additional milk, stir well.
• 5. Here's the variations: Add shredded Dried Beef, cooked and crumpled breakfast sausage, or fried hamburger loosely cooked for Great Biscuit Gravy. Add finely shredded or powdered cheese and melt well for serving over Asparagus or Salmon Patties. Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup Sour Cream, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese to make my "Poor Man's Alfredo Sauce".
• 6. Other variations: Add a bit of Garlic and Onion Powder, and cheese and add to Augratin Potatoes. I make a cheesey batch of this for my Maccaroni and Cheese dishes. Also add to Tuna and Noodle casserole without the cheese. The possibilities are endless. Add a dash of "Kitchen Bouquet" if you want to brown it slightly for Chicken Fried Steak. Replace the 2 cups milk with a can of Condensed Milk and a can of water and you have a different and richer taste.
• 7. Note: You can make a basic White sauce with flour and butter or grease, but the Corn Starch method provides for a quicker and easier and more lump free final product usually.
• 8. Pictured is my eight year old friend Isabel making Biscuit Gravy for the crowd. She added Dried Beef torn into pieces for this one. Isabel with minimum oversight prepared everything involved in our Thanksgiving Dinner. It is refreshing to see a youngster with such an avid interest. She Rocks.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE - SALSA DI BESCIAMELLA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over med-low heat. Do not let the butter brown.
• Whisk in the flour, and cook it until a uniform paste is formed, and no streaks of flour remain.
• Slowly whisk in the milk in a steady stream.
• Cook about 10 minutes, stirring slowly until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Season with salt and pepper.

BASIC ITALIAN WHITE CREAM SAUCE (LIKE AN ALFREDO OR BECHAMEL)

Steps:

• Melt butter in small saucepan cooking over low to medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes.
• Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in cream & remaining ingredients, stirring constantly as it thickens.
• Add more cream or flour depending on desired consistency.

BECHAMEL (BASIC WHITE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Step 1: In a saucepan, melt butter over low to moderate heat. Add flour, stir from time to time. Mixture has to turn to a slightly golden color. Step 2: Remove from heat. Add half of the milk, stir vigorously. Add the other half of the milk and the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Step 3: Cover and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stir every 20 or 30 seconds.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes to cook away the raw taste of the flour.
• Add the milk all at once. Stir well, and continue heating until mixture comes to a boil. It will thicken as it heats.
• Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
• To make Veloute Sauce: Substitute the chicken stock for the milk.
• To make Cheese Sauce: Stir in shredded cheese of choice into the cooked Basic White Sauce and stir until melted.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan; Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.
• Cook and stir over low heat until evenly combined and smooth, making a roux.
• After butter and flour are combined with no lumps, slowly add all of the milk.
• Stir constantly to evenly blend flour mixture and milk.
• Continue to cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• melt the flour and butter with a balloon whisk and cook gently for about a minute or two to cook the flour.
• It will turn into a sort of ball.
• Add the milk and keep whisking, turn the heat up slightly and keep going with the whisk until bubbles come, then stop or the bottom of the saucepan will burn.
• You can now take it off the heat and add whatever, cheese/mushrooms/use for lasagne etc etc.
• for large quantities just multiply.

BASIC CHICKEN WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat butter in medium sauce pan over low heat. When melted,.
• Sprinkle in the flour and salt. Whisk for 1 minute. Continue whisking and pour in chicken broth. Whisk constantly, cooking until sauce is thickened. Thin as necessary with water.

MAKING A BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Blend 2 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. Cooking for this length of time will minimize 'flour' taste. Slowly add 1 cup of milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.
• THIN WHITE SAUCE: Follow the instructions above, but use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Thin white sauce is used in cream soups.
• THICK WHITE SAUCE: Follow the instructions above, but use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. Thick white sauce is used in souffles. For heavy white sauce, follow the instructions above, but use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour. Heavy white sauce is used as a binder for croquettes.
• TIPS: To make the standard Béchamel, after adding the milk to the medium white sauce recipe add 1 small onion studded with 3 cloves, a bay leaf, and a grating of nutmeg. Light stock, cream, or a combination may be used in place of the milk.
• Add more flavor by seasoning with celery salt, nutmeg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, onion juice, or sherry, or a few tablespoons of chopped chives or parsley.
• SUGGESTIONS: PARSLEY SAUCE: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons parsley. EGG SAUCE: Add 2 diced, hard cooked eggs. HORSERADISH SAUCE: Add 1/4 cup grated horseradish, drained, and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, if desired. CHEESE SAUCE: Add 1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese of your choice.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for three minutes, stirring constantly (This mixture is called a roux). Do not allow the mixture to brown. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat for 3-5 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Season to taste. Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.