Béchamel Sauce

Name: Béchamel Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Salted Butter; 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour; 2 cup milk, at room temperature; 0.25 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste plus more; 0.25 tsp Ground White Pepper; 0.25 tsp nutmeg ( ), freshly grated optional

Learn how to make smooth and rich béchamel sauce. This French sauce recipe is the base for many creamy dishes like mac and cheese, casseroles, and gravy.

Brooke1999

Prep10 min

Total10 min

Servings1

Difficultyeasy

FrenchLunchDinner / Supper

Ingredients

3 tbspSalted Butter
3 tbspAll Purpose Flour
2 cupmilk, at room temperature
0.25 tspKosher Salt, to taste plus more
0.25 tspGround White Pepper
0.25 tspnutmeg ( ), freshly grated optional

Instructions

1
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted and the foaming subsides. (Do not let it brown.) Whisk in the flour until well combined. Cook, whisking constantly, until the raw flour smell disappears, 1 to 2 minutes.
2
Slowly stream in the milk, whisking constantly, until no lumps remain. Increase the heat to medium and continue whisking and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a rubber spatula until the sauce thickens, coats the back of a spoon, and resembles thin white gravy, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, if using.
3
Use the béchamel immediately, or transfer to a medium bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface so it does not form a skin, and refrigerate up to 5 days.