You’ll be glad you learned to whip up this savory white sauce!
It’s great on pasta by itself topped with a blanket of shredded cheese.
It also helps extend that last little bit of leftover pesto that might not otherwise be enough for a meal.
Also use this as part of the base for Chicken, Sausage and Peppers, a really strong family favorite at our house.
You can use milk or cream — in which case it’s a cream sauce.
For added richness, mince a clove of garlic and simmer it during the last few minutes of cooking.
This white sauce is adapted from Joanna Cismaru’s yummy recipe for ham in a cheese sauce. Here’s a quick simplified version of the white sauce recipe below.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp yellow onion minced
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 14.5 oz can chicken broth (or 2 c. water)
- 2 c grated cheese a blend like cheddar, jack, gouda and Romano is ideal
- 2-4 oz cream cheese optional
- salt to taste
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet or sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon minced onion, and cook until onion softens. Add in 1 tablespoon flour and stir to blend. Add 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk. Add 14.5 oz can chicken broth (or 2 cups water and 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes) and stir to combine. Simmer. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until slightly thickened. Add 2 c grated cheese – a combination is great Add 2 cups grated cheese you have handy. We’ve combined random pairs including cheddar, pepper jack, gouda, mozzarella or Romano. Stir until cheese is melted Stirring with a wire whisk helps to get a smooth texture. 2 – 3 oz cream cheese Adding cream cheese is optional, but so worth it. Cream cheese adds an extra special velvety texture. Salt to taste Have a taste, and adjust for salt.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until slightly thickened. Add 2 cups grated cheese you have handy. We’ve combined random pairs including cheddar, pepper jack, gouda, mozzarella or Romano. Stir until cheese is melted. Vigorous swipes with a wire whisk help to get a smooth texture. Adding cream cheese is optional, but so worth it. Cream cheese adds an extra special velvety texture. Have a taste, and adjust for salt.
Recipe Notes
This tastes especially good with chopped leftover ham tossed on top and served over pasta.
Also use this as part of the base for Chicken, Sausage and Peppers.
I forgot to photograph this before we ate it. Image courtesy of RitaE on Pixabay