This easy cream sauce is also called white sauce or bechamel. It's the base for cream gravy, cream soups, and even creamy pasta sauces. It's so versatile you'll be using it often.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of flour to melted butter and stir with a whisk to prevent any lumps.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of milk slowly into the butter-flour mixture and continue stirring, making sure there are no lumps.
It will start thickening.
Continue to cook and stir until thickened.
Remove from heat.
Notes
Storage:Pour the leftover white cream sauce into a canning jar with a lid or other airtight container. Refrigerate it for four to seven days.A lot of people are surprised to learn that homemade white sauce recipes actually freeze well, too. They'll last in the freezer for around three months.Let the sauce thaw in the fridge, first. It won't look normal at this point—but don't worry. Dump it in a pan over low heat and whisk it until it becomes smooth and creamy.Tips:
Avoid non-stick-coated whisks. They are generally flimsier and not tough enough to break up stubborn clumps of flour.
One of the easiest ways to check if your sauce is thick enough is to give it a stir with a wooden spoon. If it coats the spoon instead of immediately running off, you're getting there!
Add salt and black pepper sparingly at first, especially if you're serving the simple sauce with other well-seasoned items. You can always add more spice later, but you can't take it away!
Whole milk is a great option if it's your first time making white sauce and you are trying to pick a good milk.
Thinner milks (like dairy free versions, skim milk, or low-fat milks) may create a thinner sauce. Add a little extra flour to thicken it more.
There are plenty of dairy-free milk options—including coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, and macadamia nut milk. They all have different flavors, so experiment to find your favorite.
Often, Italian recipes will have you reserve some of the pasta water before straining the noodles. Mixing about a half cup of this starchy pasta water into your white sauce helps the white pasta sauce stick better to your noodles.