Bechamel is one of those fancy-sounding culinary words. It might bring up connotations of a French restaurant or perhaps a snooty waiter derisively explaining the ingredients in today’s special.
And bechamel is indeed important. So important, in fact, that it’s among the five “mother sauces.” The other four are hollandaise, sauce tomate (tomato), espagnole, and veloute. They’re called mother sauces because they are foundational to others. Think of them as the parent to another sauce.
But here’s the good news: Bechamel is stunningly simple in both its ingredients and how it’s made. If you’ve got a pot, a whisk, and less than 10 minutes, you can make bechamel.
Also known as a white sauce, at its most basic bechamel is simply made with flour, butter, and milk. Optional but recommended ingredients include a dash of salt, nutmeg, and white pepper.
Bechamel is tasty on its own and even better when turned into another sauce. On its own, bechamel is creamy and has a delicate flavor. If you’ve ever had a chicken pot or lasagna, that white sauce inside is bechamel. I love topping steamed veggies such as broccoli with a coating of bechamel.
The beauty of knowing how to make bechamel, however, is what you can make from it — including a cheese sauce like the kind you would use for mac ‘n’ cheese. All you need to do is add the cheese of your choice to the sauce. Seriously, that’s it.
Below is my recipe for the easiest bechamel sauce. It can easily be doubled or tripled depending on your needs. If this is your first time, go with this amount. I prefer using a stainless steel pot since it won’t get scuffed by a metal whisk, but you can also use a non-stick pot. If you do, use a rubber whisk so you don’t damage the pot’s coating.
One more note: You can easily make gluten-free bechamel by using a gluten-free flour. For the recipe in my video I purchased and used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour with much success.
Easy Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- Pinch of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg
Note: For thinner sauce, use 1 tbsp each of butter and flour
Step 1: Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium-low heat.
Step 2: When the butter is completely melted and starts to bubble, whisk in the flour. This is called making a roux, which is a thickening agent. Make sure the flour and butter are completely combined. It will look like a paste.
Step 3: Whisk constantly for a couple of minutes or until the roux begins to smell nutty and begins to turn tan. This is called a blond roux.
Step 4: Slowly pour in the milk while whisking, then add the seasonings. Whisk constantly until the sauce thickens and gets hot. This should only take a couple of minutes. Taste and add seasonings as you wish. Congratulations! You have just made bechamel. If you want to turn this mother sauce into a cheese sauce, simply add cheese. Start with 1/4 cup or a small handful and add more as you like.
See how easy that was? Bechamel is best used immediately, but it can be refrigerated if there are leftovers. To reheat, you can zap in the microwave or head slowly in a pot on the stove.