Basic White Sauce (Bechamel, Roux, Gravy)

This is a base for soups, sauces, many things, and thickener. You can make it in the same pan that you just cooked meat in without washing it, picking up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan to add flavor to the sauce.

2 Tbsp butter, oil, or other fat

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 c. milk, stock, or broth

Heat fat and flour with salt and pepper until bubbly, stirring constantly.  Whisk in milk or broth.  Stirring constantly, heat to boiling, then turn down heat immediately.  Keep over med-low heat until thickened.  Stir in flavorings such as cheese, onion, garlic, green chili, bacon, Italian herbs, etc., depending on what you're making. 

This is a need-to-know sauce that can be altered in innumerable ways.  Every Campbell’s “cream of…” soup is a version of this basic white sauce, just with different flavors (mushroom, celery, chicken, etc.)  If you have cooked meat in a pan, just cook this in the same pan, scraping up the bits on the bottom, to make a flavorful gravy or pan sauce.