Basic White Sauce

By gmbeckett

We made this rich and creamy béchamel sauce a little on the thin side so that our baked pastas would stay saucy.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
• 3-1/2 cups (875 mL) 2% reduced fat milk
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) pepper

Preparation

Step 1

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook flour, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes without browning. Whisk in milk, cream, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper; bring to boil, whisking often.

Reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes (sauce will thicken slightly). Strain through fine sieve.