by Diana Rattray
White sauce, also known as béchamel, is an important French sauce with many variations. It is used to hold casseroles together, as a layering sauce in lasagna, and an essential sauce in a gratin. It is also the base for many cheese sauces. The directions are for a basic medium white sauce. For a thicker sauce to use in croquettes or soufflés, use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour for each cup of milk. For a thin white sauce, decrease the butter and flour to 1 tablespoon each.
This is the sauce you’ll use to make a creamy cheese sauce for vegetables, a classic croque monsieur, or mac and cheese, and the roux makes a great base for gravy and many other sauces. See the variations for more recipe ideas.
Recipe Variations
- Mornay Sauce: Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to the thickened white sauce and stir until smooth.
- Cheddar Sauce: Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard and about 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Velouté Sauce: Replace the milk with chicken, beef, or vegetable broth.
- Cream Sauce: Add 1/3 cup of heavy cream along with the milk.
Basic White Sauce (Béchamel)
A classic white sauce is a simple preparation and it is the base for many dishes. This recipe includes several variations.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sauces and Seasonings
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste (white or black)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the flour to the melted butter and stir to blend. Continue to cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the milk to the butter and flour (roux) mixture, stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
