Basic White Sauce (Béchamel)

a classic homemade white sauce (béchamel) — smooth, creamy, and lightly speckled with black pepper. It’s a base sauce used for mac and cheese, lasagna, casseroles, and gravies.

Here’s the simple recipe:

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🥣 Basic White Sauce (Béchamel)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups milk (warm works best)

• ¼–½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• Optional: pinch of nutmeg

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Instructions

1. Melt butter
   In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

2. Make the roux
   Add flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes. It should look smooth and slightly bubbly (not browned).

3. Add milk gradually
   Slowly pour in warm milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

4. Thicken
   Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens (about 5–7 minutes).

5. Season
   Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Adjust to taste.

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Thickness Guide

• Thin sauce (for soups): 2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp flour

• Medium sauce (like in the picture): 3 tbsp butter + 3 tbsp flour

• Thick sauce (for mac & cheese): 4 tbsp butter + 4 tbsp flour

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Easy Variations

• Add shredded cheese → cheese sauce

• Add sautéed garlic → garlic cream sauce

• Add cooked sausage drippings instead of butter → country gravy

If you’d like, I can also give you a cheese sauce version for mac & cheese 😊