Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Cooking 101
  3. How to Make Béchamel Sauce

How to Make Béchamel Sauce

By David Bonom November 01, 2010
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
Learn how to make Béchamel Sauce, one of French cuisine's "mother sauces," with our step-by-step guide.
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

How to Make Béchamel Sauce

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
While its French name may sound intimidating, learning how to make a béchamel sauce is easier than you might think. Known as one of the "mother" sauces in classic French cuisine, Béchamel is versatile: It's used in dishes such as lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and moussaka, and it can also serve as the base for soufflés, soups, and savory pie fillings. What's more, add a little Swiss cheese, and voilà—you've got Mornay Sauce. We call for white pepper so it isn't visible in the sauce. If it's unavailable, you can omit it.

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 1

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
Combine milk, onion, grated nutmeg, and bay leaf in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Flavor Boost: Onion lends the sauce a faintly sweet note. For an even more aromatic béchamel, add a crushed garlic clove to the steeping milk.

2 of 5

3 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 2

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
After the milk mixture stands for 15 minutes, strain it through a fine sieve over a bowl to catch the onions and bay leaf.

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 3

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
Wipe the pan clean with paper towels. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add flour to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to form a roux that will thicken the sauce.

4 of 5

5 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 4

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
Gradually add strained milk mixture, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. The resulting béchamel, also known as white sauce, will bring out the rich creaminess in a dish without resorting to saturated fat-laden cream.

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By David Bonom

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 How to Make Béchamel Sauce
    2 of 5 Step 1
    3 of 5 Step 2
    4 of 5 Step 3
    5 of 5 Step 4

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    How to Make Béchamel Sauce
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.