Homemade White Sauce
This white sauce recipe makes a creamy béchamel that’s perfect for casseroles, gratins, pasta, and more.
Servings: 1 cup, medium consistency
Calories: 338kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk warmed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- Optional: white or black ground pepper
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed small saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- Whisk flour into the melted butter. Cook over low heat, whisking, for three minutes. This will eliminate the floury or pasty taste.
- Slowly, add 1 cup milk, whisking constantly (you can also use light stock, cream, or a combination of the two in place of the milk).
- Continue cooking slowly, whisking or stirring, until the sauce is smooth, contains no lumps, and is thickened.
- Stir in salt; taste and add more salt if needed.
- Stir in 1-2 grinds of pepper, if using.
Video
Notes
To modify sauce consistency: For a thin sauce, use 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour. For a thick sauce, use 2 tablespoons each of butter and flour. Keep in mind that these ingredient ratios can be modified to work in a particular recipe since there's no single definitive standard white sauce ratio.
Nutrition
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 920IU | Calcium: 307mg | Iron: 1mg