The “Magical” 3-Ingredient French Sauce I Make Every Week
You may not have known its name, but you’ve tasted the irresistible creaminess of béchamel sauce. It’s what gives bowls of homemade mac and cheese, layered lasagnas, and other cozy casseroles their rich and creamy consistency. Béchamel is one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine, and it is among the first tasks taught in culinary schools — but you don’t need to be a chef to make it. In fact, you’ve probably already made béchamel sauce before without even realizing it.
Béchamel sauce is a creamy white sauce made with only three ingredients, which you likely already have on hand. Begin with a roux made from butter and flour, then add milk and cook until thickened into a velvety sauce. From there, the possibilities are endless. Here’s how to make one of the most useful and versatile sauce recipes at home.
Why You’ll Love It
You can make it from memory. Use 1 ounce unsalted butter and 1 ounce all-purpose flour for every 1 1/4 cups whole milk for a thick, creamy, and velvety-smooth sauce.
It’s so versatile. Béchamel sauce is what gives many of your favorite casseroles and sauces their lusciously creamy consistency, from green bean casserole and Greek moussaka to Croque Madames and creamy white gravy.
Key Ingredients in Béchamel Sauce
Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor of the sauce. If you have only salted butter on hand, skip the salt and add more at the end to taste.
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is what thickens the sauce. Cooking the flour in melted butter first removes the raw flour taste and helps it evenly disperse in the milk with no lumps.
Whole milk: Whole milk helps give the sauce that classically rich and creamy consistency.
How to Make Béchamel Sauce
Make the roux. A roux is the thickening agent for the béchamel sauce. It is made from equal parts (by weight) of butter and flour. Melt the butter, then whisk in the flour until no lumps remain and the raw flour flavor cooks out. For béchamel sauce, do not allow the roux to brown.
Add the milk. Pour cold whole milk into the pan all at once, and whisk until no lumps remain. There’s much debate over whether to use warm or cold milk for béchamel. We tested and found no significant difference between the sauces made with milk at the two temperatures. Using cold milk saves a step and gives the roux time to disperse throughout the liquid before thickening, providing insurance against a lumpy sauce.
Simmer the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking often. You’ll know the béchamel sauce is ready when you can dip your spoon into the sauce, then draw a finger across the back of the coated spoon. If the sauce wipes clean, leaving an open path, the sauce is thickened enough and ready.
Add seasonings. How you season béchamel sauce often depends on how you are using it. At the very least, add salt and pepper. Ground nutmeg is often added too. If you add cheese to béchamel, it turns into a mornay sauce.
Helpful Tips and Swaps
Pepper: Swap white pepper for black pepper if you prefer a speckle-free sauce.
Dairy: Low-fat milk can be used in place of whole milk for a lighter sauce; using heavy cream will result in a thicker, richer sauce.
Sauce is the wrong consistency. Béchamel sauce is actually quite forgiving. If the sauce is too thin, whisk in a slurry or cook it longer (remember that the sauce will thicken as it cools). For a sauce that is too thick, whisk in more milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
Sauce is lumpy. Lumps can happen even when you’ve taken all the steps to avoid them. We tested several methods to save lumpy sauces and found that an immersion blender works wonders.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
You can make béchamel sauce in advance or save leftovers. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container, then press a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming and creating lumps in the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to use the sauce, warm over low heat, adding a splash of milk if needed to loosen upon reheating.
Recipes that Rely on Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel Sauce Recipe
This 3-ingredient white sauce is used in favorites like mac and cheese and lasagna.
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Makes 2 1/3 cups
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces)
Scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups cold whole milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon reshly ground black pepper or white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan or high-sided skillet over medium heat.
Add scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and immediately whisk to incorporate. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture resembles loose scrambled eggs or wet sand, and no longer has the aroma of raw flour, 3 to 4 minutes (do not let brown).
Add 2 1/2 cups cold whole milk all at once. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg if using.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Transfer the sauce to an airtight container. Press a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat over low heat, adding a splash of milk if needed to loosen upon reheating.
Further Reading
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