This basic white sauce is the building block of great recipes like homemade mac and cheese or lasagna. This homemade sauce recipe comes together quickly and easily on the stove.
I first learned to cook out of my mom’s yellow Pillsbury cookbook. It was written in 1971, back in the days when home economics was still taught in schools and when branded cookbooks listed real ingredients like 1 cup flour instead of one 6-ounce package Mary Mary’s baking mix.
Nowadays many cookbooks offer you recipes that are simply open this can, shake in this mix, stir and done. While the convenience is nice, the ingredients not so much.
I am the first to say that I love the Cheesy Potatoes that my Gramma and grandmas everywhere made with canned cream soup. “Church potatoes” were always one of my favorite things at family reunions.
But, I’ve found how to make it myself — from scratch — without all the preservatives and junk. The secret is in the sauce — the white sauce.
Is alfredo and white sauce the same thing?
It might seem like they are the same thing, but they are indeed two different sauces. Alfredo sauce contains cheese, while a white sauce does not. Usually alfredo has a hard cheese like parmesan or another hard white cheese stirred into the sauce.
A white sauce is basically a thickened roux of butter, milk and flour.
What is white sauce made of?
This recipe is simple really and made of 3 basic ingredients –
- butter
- flour
- milk (or broth)
Then you want to season it with salt and pepper. To make this sauce is to conquer a really simple culinary technique that has all kinds of potential. You can flavor it any way you like (parmesan, spices, herbs, cheese, sauteed vegetables, chicken broth for some of the milk) to recreate any creamy sauce you desire.
How do you make white sauce from scratch?
The process is super simple.
- Melt butter in a pan.
- Add flour and whisk until bubbly and fragrant.
- Whisk in milk or milk/broth until smooth and creamy.
- Simmer until your desired thickness. Yum!
One batch of this sauce, seasoned with salt and pepper and any of the options mentioned above can replace a can of creamed soup in your recipes.
What do you eat with homemade white sauce?
That’s really all that canned cream soup is — a white sauce enhanced with chicken broth, chopped celery, sautéed mushrooms, or whatever other flavor you want to “cream”. I use a basic white sauce in a number of recipes:
- Chicken and Biscuit Pizza
- Croque Monsieur
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Alfredo Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Our Favorite Lasagna
I use this basic recipe as the base to my macaroni and cheese recipes, as a base for pizza or lasagna, as the gravy for pot pie, or the luscious Bechamel layer in a Croque Monsieur. Mmmmmm. Good stuff!
(Bechamel is the French name)
What can I add to white sauce for flavor?
You can add a variety of delicious ingredients to add a boost of flavor to your white sauce. Here are a few suggestions:
- Fresh herbs (like parsley or thyme!)
- Grated cheese
- White wine
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Caramelized onions
Can I make this gluten free?
You absolutely can. Just substitute your favorite gluten free flour for this regular all-purpose flour in the recipe.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes. Just swap out the butter and milk for your favorite vegan variety and you’re all set!
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Basic White Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and stir until well mixed, hot, and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth.
- Simmer until thickened, about 7 minutes, stirring.
Nutrition
Lauren says
If you want to make it chicken flavor, do you just add more flour since the chicken broth will thin it out? FYI: I don’t kike to use chicken bouillon–it has too many questionable ingredients.
Jessica Fisher says
No, I’d sub chicken broth for half the milk. And yes, I agree. 🙂
Lauren says
Thanks Jessica! I have been reading (and enjoying) your blog for a couple of years now–lurking actually. This was the first time I commented. Thanks!
Cheri A says
And for those that need to stay away from gluten, cornstarch or your favorite gluten-free blend works well too. I often make this with chicken broth only also.
Allie Z says
I’ll admit, I haven’t had flour in my kitchen in at least 2 years. Sad! But our work around for GF white sauce comes from a sneaky white sweet potato. It seriously works!
I use the microplaner to get a fine grind. I let the butter and 1/2 potato melt together for several minutes, whisk in 1/2 the liquid and simmer for 5 minutes or until thick. Then I thin out the sauce and viola! GF white sauce. I usually season with Organic chicken bullion, onion powder, and mustard powder. YUM!!
Rhonda says
Thanks Allie. My daughter is celiac. I am excited to try this out!!
Ashley says
I’m new to your website. I found it when searching for how to use up a gallon of milk. Can you freeze this? I have a gallon of milk that expired yesterday and I don’t want to waste it.
Jessica Fisher says
Hi Ashley! Welcome! First, expiration dates are not “the law”. Like for reals, the only product that is bound to give a hard and fast expiration date is for baby formula. You can read more about that here on the USDA’s website. Basically, it’s a guideline. If your milk doesn’t smell bad, you’re good to continue using it as you regularly would.
That said, the producer is giving you a “guesstimate” as to when it will taste best. You can absolutely make the white sauce or any of my “Cream of Soups” and freeze those. I recommend packaging them in 2-cup portions so that you can use them like you would a can of creamed soup. The texture looks a little clumpy upon thawing, but whisking it as you warm it should eliminate that. If using it in a casserole it won’t even matter.
For freezing, be sure to chill the containers in the fridge before putting them in the freezer. That will prevent ice crystals and freezer burn from forming. Hope that helps!
Alice E says
Just a note to say that you can omit the butter if fat is a problem, like it is for me. Just whisk/stir the flour into part of the milk until there are not lumps and then cook it ’til done. It doesn’t taste quite as rich, but it does work. You can also use the slurry method to thicken soups, etc. That is what this is, a slurry of the liquid and flour or other thickener. The secret, I think is to not use much liquid. You want something about like pancake batter, I think for the easiest mixing of the slurry without lumps.
Also, you can vary the flour to liquid ratio to control the thickness of the sauce.
Jessica Fisher says
Thanks for the tip!
Joanne says
I’m wondering if almond milk can be substituted for dairy milk.
Jessica Fisher says
You can substitute any liquid for the milk. While it will change the flavor and color, it will make a thick sauce. Likewise, I have used oil instead of butter when I need to make a dairy-free gravy. Just use a bit less.
Reena Bansal says
Came out excellent! I added spinach, parmesan and asiago cheese and stuck with the rest of your recipe. Too good!! Thank you
Jessica Fisher says
Awesome! Those sound like great additions!
Les Oneal says
Any suggestion for sauce on cornbread dressing.
Jessica Fisher says
Do you mean gravy? That’s usually what we serve with dressing/stuffing. This is my go-to, 5-Minute Easy Gravy Recipe, similar process to white sauce but with some flavor changes.
Dorothye Billingsley says
Thank you so much! I used to have this recipe memorized but I hadn’t used it in a while and needed it today! I used the version with chicken broth for chicken noodle casserole today but I use the basic version in a lot of other things too like chicken a la king, chicken and biscuits, potato soup, etc.
Jessica Fisher says
Glad it was helpful!