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Classic Béchamel Sauce
Make classic béchamel sauce in just 15 minutes with butter, flour, milk, and a pinch of nutmeg—perfect for lasagna, mac and cheese, gravy, or creamy veggie bakes.
👥 2 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 15 min🔥 Cook: 15 min👤 Marion Cunningham📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●saucepan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in ¼ cup (32 g) all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles but does not brown, about ⏱️ 2 minutes (don’t rush this step; you need to cook the raw flour taste out of the roux). Slowly add 2½ cups whole milk while whisking to incorporate. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, then reduce burner to low heat and cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 2–⏱️ 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper or white pepper, a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg. Taste and add additional kosher salt as needed. VARIATION: Cheese Sauce: Stir in ½ cup grated cheddar cheese during the last ⏱️ 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Do ahead: Béchamel can be prepared 3 days in advance. Chill in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper pressed directly onto the surface of the sauce. Editor’s note: This béchamel sauce recipe was first printed on Epicurious in August 2004; it has been updated to yield twice the volume of the original. Head this way to round out your meal with our favorite French desserts →
. unsalted butter4 Tbsp½ cups whole milk2freshly ground black pepper or white pepper1 pinch
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