Cheesy Béchamel Sauce Food

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.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Scald the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Keep it warm over very low heat.
• Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. When it's bubbling, add the flour and whisk until it forms a golden paste, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, add the hot milk in a steady stream. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk in the nutmeg and the cheese, and serve at once

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 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.

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.

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.

CHEESY BéCHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux.
• Allow the roux to cook for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring.
• Add the milk a little at a time, whisking it continuously, allowing the mixture to blend and thicken. This will take about 10 minutes, although 20 minutes is recommended by cooking school instructors. Lower the heat to medium-low if needed.
• Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese , and hot sauce, if using. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and use it immediately. Enjoy.

HEALTHY MAC & CHEESE WITH BECHAMEL-CHEDDAR SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add macaroni, bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-high heat until al dente (a little less than fully cooked). Set aside ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately rinse with cold water.
• In the same pot used for the macaroni, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until mixture looks like a paste and is light beige in color. Slowly pour in evaporated milk while whisking, and continue until fully incorperated. Simmer and stir for another 3-4 minutes for sauce to thicken Stir in nutmeg, mustard, and salt.
• Remove from heat and add cheese and pasta water. Continue stiring until cheese is fully melted. Pour macaroni back into and stir until fully mixed with sauce.
• (This step is for topping.) Break apart bread in large peices and pulse in food processor with melted butter until bread is in small crumbs. Mix with cheese and cayenne pepper and set aside.
• Pour macaroni mixture into a 9x13 casserole dishes and spread bread/cheese mixture over the top.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Remove from oven when top is slightly browned and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook 3 minutes.
• Whisk in milk and bring to boil, stirring.
• Add salt and nutmeg.
• Reduce heat; simmer until thick enough to coat back of spoon.