If you only learn to make one sauce, make it this Bechamel Sauce recipe. Bechamel (also known as White Sauce) is so simple to make, is incredibly useful and it also freezes brilliantly. Stash a batch in the freezer for a quick meal.
Total Time Investment: 15 Minutes
I have this notebook that my Nana gave me many years ago for Christmas. The quizzical look on my face as I opened the present must have said it all. “It’s for your recipes” she told me. At that point in my life the majority of my recipes consisted of ‘open jar, add meat, serve’. If I couldn’t remember that without writing it down I was in trouble. Slowly though, over the years, I have added to the book. It is reserved for trusted favourites, those recipes that have proved themselves time and time again. Recipes I make regularly. This simple bechamel sauce recipe (known to some as white sauce) was one of the first written in its blank pages.
Bechamel sauce is considered to be one of the mother sauces of French cooking, and is infinitely useful within the kitchen. To me, bechamel sauce is classic comfort food, so I pull this recipe out whenever something soothing is required. And the more cheese you add to the sauce, the more comfort it provides. If you only manage to master one sauce in the kitchen, make it this one. It is well worth the page in my treasured book.
How To Use Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
Bechamel sauce is incredibly useful in the kitchen. I use it in lasagnas, gratins, cauliflower cheese, pie fillings or as the binding ingredient in stuffed crepes. And stir in a lot more cheese, add a good dollop of grain mustard, boil some pasta and voila … a quick and easy mac & cheese.
Most foods can be greatly improved by a thick layer of cheese sauce, so its use is really only limited by your imagination.
How To Freeze Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
People are always surprised to learn that white sauce freezes extremely well. It is so handy that even if I only require a cup of sauce for a recipe, I always make a full batch and freeze the leftovers for a quick meal or side dish. The sauce can be frozen for up to three months, although if I am completely honest I have unearthed a small tub during a fridge clean up that was 12 months old and still fine.
Upon defrosting, the bechamel sauce will appear grainy and unappetising, and will seem to have separated. Trust me, and resist that urge to throw the whole lot in the bin. Reheat the sauce slowly over a low heat, and stir the saucepan frequently to prevent the sauce catching on the bottom. As it warms, the sauce starts to come back together. When it is again thick and glossy, your bechamel is ready to use.
Bechamel (white) sauce will also keep in the fridge for up to five days, and just needs to be gently reheated prior to use. Whilst very handy if you want to get ahead on your meal plan, if you have no immediate use for the sauce, or have leftovers from a meal, stash the sauce in the freezer instead.
Ingredient Substitutions
The best way to make this bechamel sauce your own is to mix up the cheese. I tend to use whatever cheese I happen to have in the fridge at the time, and find this sauce a great way to use up little odds and ends in the cheese drawer.
My preference is for a sharp cheddar, which gives a dominant cheesy flavour to the sauce. For a more subdued sauce that will allow other ingredients in the dish to shine I’ll substitute a mild Swiss cheese or just use a little less. Pecorino works well in place of the Parmesan, and I have been known to add a little blue cheese from time to time. I probably wouldn’t use feta or fresh goats cheese, or ripened cheeses such as Camembert or Brie, however if you try it and think it works well then please let me know.
Make the sauce gluten free by using a gluten free flour in place of the plain flour. I have also used spelt flour in place of the wheat flour, although I find that spelt flour requires a little more cooking to remove the floury taste in the sauce.
I only use a full-fat dairy milk to make this sauce, however can see no reason why it wouldn’t work with non-dairy milks. I see no point in using low fat dairy milk for a sauce loaded with cheese and butter.
Did you know you can #freeze White Sauce? Stash some in the #freezer for a quick meal. Click To TweetTips & Tricks for the Best Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce).
Bechamel sauce does need a bit of attention as it is cooking, lest it catch on the bottom of the saucepan leaving you with burnt flecks through your sauce. Not a desirable outcome. Just keep an eye on it, and stir it frequently as it cooks. If you have a Thermomix, use that to make your bechamel sauce, following the instructions in the Everyday Cook Book.
This recipe makes a lovely, thick, full-bodied white sauce. However some recipes do require a slightly thinner consistency, and if I feel the sauce is too thick for the purpose I just add a touch more milk to thin it out.
Treat the amounts of cheese I have detailed in my bechamel sauce recipe as a suggestion. Use more or less cheese depending on the end use of your sauce, and how cheesy you like it. I typically just throw in handfuls of cheese until it tastes right.
Some people infuse the milk with onion and bay before making the sauce. I have done this, and it is worth the effort. However late in the day, when all I want to do is get dinner in the oven, infusing my milk is the furtherest thing from my mind. Rest assured the sauce will still be good.
Kitchen Basics: A Simple Bechamel Sauce {White Sauce} Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 g (1/4 cup) butter
- 50 g (1/3 cup) plain flour
- 500 mls (2 cups) milk
- 125 g (1 1/4 cups) grated cheddar cheese
- 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
- Add the flour and whisk into the butter until smooth.
- Cook the flour & butter for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and changes to a lighter colour. This ensures that the flour is cooked.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to stop lumps forming.
- Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Cook the sauce over a low - medium heat for about seven minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
- Allow the sauce to come to the boil (it should just start to blip quietly) then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the cheeses.
- Use as required.
Notes
P.S. Looking for some ideas to use your sauce? Why not try:
- Easy Lasagna Cups
- Creamy Mushroom & Ham Pies with Kamut & Spelt Crust
- Creamy Silverbeet Gratin
- Broccoli, Blue Cheese & Walnut Hand Pies
* This recipe was originally published in June 2014. I have substantially updated and rewritten the original post to add in lessons I have learnt since it was first published.
What an divine looking bechamel Tania. It looks absolutely amazing and definitely comforting.
Thanks Jennifer 🙂
I’m 71 and I used this recipe to make my very first bechamel sauce. Never realized how easy and tasty it was to make.
That is awesome Carol! I’m so happy you discovered how easy it is.
I have made this sauce for years, but until recently I did not venture further than Italian cooking with it. I have finally got my family to appreciate food that is not made from a box etc. I am glad to hear I can freeze the basic sauce cause that means I can make a lot more meals from scratch with out all the effort.
I suggest that you experiment with this sauce. I found I can make sauces that are light and citrusly or heavy and spicy. My favorite place to shop for good ingredients and from all cuisines is Trader Joe’s. It is the place for inspiring.g cooks to spread there imagination with out going broke.
Hi Rita. It freezes really well so is very handy to have on hand in the freezer. I have also substituted chicken stock for some of the milk, which makes a lighter sauce that is great in chicken pies. Unfortunately we don’t have Trader Joe’s in Australia, but it sounds like a great place 🙂
I have NEVER thought of free zing bechamel before! Why have I never thought of freezing bechamel before?! Do you freeze it cheese and all? Or do you just freeze the white sauce and add the cheese in whenever you’re ready to cook it? Tell me everything!! Haha, oh hi – just discovered your awesome blog!
Hi Bach. I make it just as detailed then freeze it, cheese and all. When you defrost it, it will look really grainy and watery. This is fine. Just gently reheat it, stirring occasionally, and it will come back together as a lovely smooth sauce. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
So good! Id never made bechamel sauce until today. OMG it was so simple. Your instructions were easy to follow. I feel quite proud of myself for creating this glossy sauce that looks like it does in the picture! Thank you! We will never be resorting to packet cheese sauce again!
That is wonderful to hear Fiona 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know. I’m glad I have converted you 😉
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that bechamel is just the flour, butter, milk and nutmeg. When you add cheese it is called Marnay sauce.
Thanks for that Nicole. Do you mean Mornay Sauce? I guess it is like all food in that different terms are used in different parts of the world.
Hi,
Recently, l am so into italian quick meals and my family absolutely loves the meals. Just wanted to ask if l can also infuse garlic to the sauce?? Just a thot cos l absolutely love it………
Thanks for a simple and quick recipe.
That sounds like an excellent idea Aisha. I have infused the milk with onion and herbs before making the bechamel before, but I see no reason why you couldn’t add garlic too. You could also just add garlic straight to the sauce. I usually use this sauce by adding it to vegetables or pasta, and my preferred way to add garlic is to fry some garlic off in olive oil with any other ingredients, then add the bechamel to this. This would still give you the taste of garlic in your finished dish.
How do you infuse milk?
Hi Connie. When I infuse milk, I stud half a small onion with a couple of cloves, and add it to the milk with a bay leaf and a few sprigs of parsley. Bring the milk to just below the boil, then allow to sit with the lid on for at least 15 minutes. I sometimes let it sit for a couple of hours, it just depends on what I have going on in the kitchen. The flavour will only improve depending on how long you infuse it. Strain the milk, discard the aromatics, and proceed with the recipe.
What would be the best meal to put this on? I’m always looking for new meals for the hubby for work
I use it in so many different ways Mysti. It can be used in any recipe that uses white/bechamel sauce. It is good in a pie filling, which might be suitable for lunch, particularly if your husband can reheat his lunch. You could also try my lasagna cups, which my daughter has taken in her lunchbox previously. I have added in links to some of my recipes above that use the sauce. I hope that helps.
Can spelt be used instead of the flour??
Absolutely Lynette. I actually use spelt quite regularly to make this sauce. I do find that sometimes the spelt needs to be cooked out slightly longer than wheat flour, so just taste it before you use the sauce. If you can still taste the flour, cook it slightly longer.
hello! would like to ask this recipe for the sauce can serve how many ya?
Hi Lily. The recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, so it depends entirely what you want to do with it. I find one batch is enough to make a large lasagna.
Thank you for sharing your Nana’s notebook recipe. 🙂
Pleasure Elaine. I hope you enjoy it.
Love the recipe and it looks quite thick. though, it’s really Mornay with that much cheese. Love the nutmeg. When heated milk/cream is involved I have to ask “Why shouldn’t I add nutmeg?”
Cheers!
Thanks Bob. And yes, technically you are right, it is a Mornay sauce. No one seems to use that term here though these days so I stuck with the more popular Bechamel 😀
And I am so with you on the nutmeg!
Oh my goodness, this sauce is amazing! I honestly had never even heard of this sauce before. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock! How did I not know about this incredible sauce?! I was fixing pre-made broccoli and cheddar shells and needed a sauce to cook them in. I wanted something creamy and cheesey and stumbled upon this absolute gem. I used regular sharp cheddar cheese and holy cow, is this sauce good! I can’t wait to experiment with this further and start adding it to all kinds of recipes! Thank you so much for this! This will definitely be a new staple in our home 🙂
Thank you Suzy 🙂 This comment made my day! I love this sauce, it is so useful. Don’t forget that you can freeze leftovers. If you only have a small amount, then freeze it in ice cube trays, which is the perfect amount for a creamy cheese on toast.
I found you by searching to learn if bechamel sauce can be frozen. Your recipe is wonderful.
Thank you Pamela.
How do I get just the recipe?
The recipe is at the end of the post Wilma. You can print it out by clicking the print button at either the top of the post or in the recipe card.
Hi, just a note you can make this with soya milk or oat milk and it does brilliantly well!
Thank you for that Sam. That’s good to know.