Best Cheesy Bechamel Sauce Recipes

HOW TO MAKE BéCHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
• Whisk until smooth then slowly pour in the milk, a little at a time. (I always reserve approximately ½ cup milk. Some flours will absorb more/less liquid so you might not need all of it and sometimes after adding cheese I like to thin out the sauce just a little with the remaining milk.)
• Whisk continuously until the sauce is thick then turn down the heat, add the spices and allow to simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and cooked through (this takes around 7-10 minutes on a gentle heat).
• Once the sauce is cooked (the sauce will be completely smooth tasting with no flouriness) season to taste.
• If making cheese sauce, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste.

BASIC BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg.

CHEESY BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, begin to melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add in the flour to creat a rue base for the sauce.
• Add the cup of milk and begin to whisk to mix in the rue.
• Add in salt, pepper and ground cinnamon to taste.
• Add in the shredded cheese blend. (store bought blend works just as well as freshly shredded cheese).
• Turn heat on simmer and let sit until thickened.

CHEESE BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Note: to clarify butter: simmer whole butter (I like to do a pound at a time, and refrigerate the unused portion for later recipes). As it simmers, foam will rise to the top. Take a shallow spoon, and skim the foam out of the pot (this is the impurities rising out of the butter. Once all of the foam is gone, remove from heat and let settle for a couple of minutes. Remove any more impurities you see form. Strain through a cheese cloth into container.
• Make an onion pique by placing the bay leaf onto the onion wedge, and stabbing it through with the clove.
• Take melted clarified butter, and whisk in flour until thoroughly mixed, cook until it simmers.
• Add milk and onion piquet.
• Bring sauce to a simmer, add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook until thickened.
• Stir in cheese.
• Strain through cheese cloth to remove onion piquet and lumps.
• This goes great on top of any type of pasta, also good on vegetables.

CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUCE WITH A BECHAMEL BASE

Steps:

• Make a Bechamel sauce as follows: Heat clarified butter in medium size saucepan.
• Whisk in bread flour and stir and cook over low heat until light cream color, but at least 1 minute.
• Cool slightly.
• In another saucepan, scald the milk.
• Gradually add milk to the roux (flour and butter mixture) beating constantly with whisk.
• Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to a simmer.
• Stick the bay leaf to the onion with the clove.
• Place onion in sauce.
• Simmer at least 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Season very lightly with salt, nutmeg and white pepper.
• Strain through a china cap.
• Place plastic wrap on sauce to prevent formation of skin.
• Cool in cold water bath and store in freezer in ziplock bags for later use, or keep warm over warm water bath for use in dishes being currently prepared.
• To 1 qt of this Bechamel Sauce, add the cheddar cheese, dry mustard and worcestershire sauce.
• Whisk over low heat until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.