So my husband, recognizing my need to feel like I’m going to be a food influencer some day, got me a subscription to Scoolinary for our anniversary (yes, it’s a gift for both of us!) I decided my first class would be the classic sauces that I could never master. Which brings me to my efforts to make béchamel sauce. It’s one of the mother sauces especially in French cooking, but I’ve found some really fun ways to use it.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
2 cups whole milk
salt & pepper to taste (bonus if you have white pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly-grated is the preferred method, but that’s all I had)
The steps are pretty easy once you get ready to devote the time to letting it come together. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk into the melted butter until smooth. Cook and stir constantly until flour turns a light, golden color which takes about 10 minutes. Slowly start whisking the milk in to make sure there are no lumps. Once the milk is in, let the sauce barely come to a bubble, then reduce the heat and let the flour cook and the sauce reduce. Maybe I’m slow, but this really took about 20 minutes for it to be the perfect texture. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
At this point, you can use it immediately or put in a storage container. If you’re storing it, press a piece of plastic wrap into the sauce to make sure there’s no air to cause a skin on the sauce. So what kind readers did we do with the béchamel? I’m glad you asked!
Grilled Croque Monsieur sandwiches using a spread of the béchamel (mixed with a good handful of parmesan cheese) on thick sourdough bread, ham and gruyere cheese.
A fresh cheese sauce for broccoli, heating a quarter cup of sauce, stirring in a half cup of sharp cheddar cheese till melted smooth, and extra pepper to season it up.
A base for grilled Buffalo chicken pizzas taking half a cup of heated sauce, a hearty teaspoon of our favorite ranch dressing mix, and a 1/4 cup of blue cheese crumbles melted in.
I have to say these classes are seriously fun and a great reminder to find things that bring you joy – especially the joy you can share with your family and friends when you cook!
Eat well friends!
Michelle Cooks 
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