A well-made white sauce is one of the most versatile tools in a cook’s repertoire. Whether you’re preparing a creamy soup, a comforting mac and cheese, or a luscious fondue, this simple yet essential sauce forms the foundation of countless recipes. Best of all, it’s easy to make with just a few basic ingredients—flour, butter (or oil), and milk—yet it can be transformed with endless flavor variations, from velvety cheese sauces to herb-infused delights.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to making white sauce, along with tips for customizing it to suit your favorite dishes. Once you’ve mastered this classic, you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again to elevate your home cooking!
White Sauce
| Thin Sauce 1 tablespoon oil or butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk ¼ teaspoon salt | Medium Sauce 2 tablespoons oil or butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk ¼ teaspoon salt | Thick Sauce 2 tablespoons oil or butter ¼ cup flour 1 cup milk ½ teaspoon salt |
Directions: In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and, when melted, add the flour and stir with a whisk until bubbly. (The flour may be browned for richer flavor by allowing the two ingredients to bubble together in the pan. The browning will slightly reduce the thickening power of the flour but does add a richness to the taste). Add the milk and gently cook until thick and bubbly and then continue cooking for another minute to make sure the flour is cooked through. Taste for salt and use as intended. This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled.
Variations for white sauce:
Veloute: Instead of using milk as the liquid, use chicken or vegetable stock or fish stock or clam juice, something light in color. A veloute is a great base for a complex-flavored soup.
Cheese sauce: Gradually add some grated cheese to turn this into a cheese sauce. If you are making a predominantly cheese sauce, for mac and cheese for example, you might want to use about four ounces of cheese per cup of milk. A less concentrated cheese sauce will require only one or two ounces per cup of milk. This can be any kind of cheese but is most interesting when a combination of cheeses is used, including Gorgonzola, Parmesan, goat cheese, and varieties from the Swiss family.
Onion flavored: Take a small amount of yellow or green onions or shallots or minced garlic and include those with the warmed oil. If sauteing onions with the oil or butter, it might be wise to increase the amount of fat slightly because it will be required to cook the vegetables as well as provide a sufficient base for the flour.
Herb and spice flavored: After the sauce is made to completion, simply add a few chopped
herbs to create a wonderful essence. Some traditional herbs would be rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage. These herbs are less likely to bleed green into the sauce. Basil, dill and cilantro might create a green tinge, so those might be best sprinkled on the top at the time of service. Ground and whole spices might include curry powder, chili powder, cumin, fennel seeds, coriander, paprika, to name a few.
Splashes for flavor: A white sauce loves a splash of Worcestershire, Tabasco and a host of other hot sauces, or adobo sauce from chipotle peppers. Any kind of mustard will give it character.
Places to use the white sauce:
1. If you are someone who frequently uses cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, one recipe of the thick sauce is a great substitute for the contents of one can and tastes so much better. Simply add bits of cooked chicken or add small pieces of sauteed mushrooms after sauce is cooked and stir to blend.
2. Mac and cheese is made with a white sauce. The recipe simply put is: 1) one pound of cooked and drained pasta 2) with 4x the recipe of the medium sauce which has one pound of cheese added to it. Splash in some Worcestershire sauce and maybe some Tabasco. That should give you a great result. Use a variety of cheeses for this gourmet casserole. Pour into a greased glass casserole dish, sprinkle with some breadcrumbs or crouton crumbs and allow to bubble and brown in the oven. This homemade dish can be made ahead, frozen and served up for a quick dinner for family and friends. It is a great creative expression of the ultimate comfort food when made with specialty pasta and a variety of cheeses.
3. This sauce is a great base for a cream soup without using straight cream, which is high in calories and fat and tends to leave you feeling somewhat bloated. Instead, use a larger batch of the thin or medium recipe (the veloute variation works wonderfully with soups), add any vegetable ingredients (precooked) and then finish with a tablespoon or two of cream. That way you get the color and psychological feeling of a cream soup without the heaviness and calories.
4. Fondue: Sadly, I confess that I have struggled with making French method fondue. I cheat by making a double recipe of the medium thickness sauce (using the veloute variation (see page 108), broth instead of milk) and then adding to it about 12 ounces of cheese, usually Gruyere or another cheese from the Swiss family. Once the cheese has been added (and this needs to be whisked in gradually) simply transfer to a fondue· pot and serve.
Hungry for more? Check out Chef doughty’s book; The Chef Within Dinner Edition. Find more information and order your copy online here:
https://www.thechefwithinbook.com/bookstore/dinner-book
Meet Chef Doughty
We know her as part owner of Silvercreek Realty Group and the smiling face behind the brokerage accounting department, but did you know that Joyce Doughty has an affinity for culinary arts?
Chef Doughty is a successful food writer and restaurateur who hosted the nationally syndicated daily Public Radio food program “Food for Thought” for 17 years and was also host of the local ABC affiliate morning program “In the Kitchen” highlighting practical recipes and techniques for the kitchen. Recipient of the James Beard Foundation Top Three Chefs in Idaho Award and owner and chef of Idaho’s critically acclaimed Doughty’s Bistro. Chef Doughty was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and received her executive chef certification from the American Culinary Foundation.