Easy Cheesy Sauce

Today, we're going to discuss a Bechamel sauce. This is one of the 4 foundation sauces that most restaurant chefs use to make sauces. Bechamel is also referred to as a white sauce or white gravy.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp flour (regular, not self-rising)
1 1/4 cups warm milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan, add the flour, and cook, stiring constantly. The flour and butter should bubble around the edges but not brown. This should take about 2 minutes. Add the warmed milk, and stir to eliminate clumps. Bring this mixture to a boil, then add salt and pepper to taste. If your sauce is too thick, add more milk. Lower the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Makes about 1 cup. This can be doubled easily. Just add the milk in batches to make sure you don't develop a too-thin sauce.

This base sauce can become many things. Add freshly grated hard cheese (about 1 cup) and a pinch of nutmeg for a mac and cheese type sauce. Add herbs and garlic for a layering sauce with the red sauce typical with lasagne. Mix with pepperjack and top nachos, enchiladas or even chili. The sky's the limit with this base sauce. Substitute bacon, ham or sausage drippings to top biscuits for a southern sausage gravy and biscuits treat.

Other options: use almond flour and chicken broth (thanks for the idea, Rachel!); substitute chicken broth for the milk for a great base to potato and similar soups and stews. I also start with the butter, add a chopped onion and let it brown then add the flour, milk/stock, etc.

On top of Spaghetti

You've gotta have meatballs! They're also great on a crusty roll with some pasta sauce and cheese! Here's my recipe:

Mega Meatballs
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1/2 jar roasted red peppers, finely chopped
3-5 sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1 egg
1 tbsp Pensey's 3000 chili powder
1/3 cup rolled quick cooking oats, dry
1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning blend
1/2 tbsp each salt and pepper
3 pound ground beef
1 pound mild Italian sausage

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until well incorporated (don't over mix or the meatballs will be tough). Roll into balls a little bigger than a golf ball, and place on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. For fast cleanup, cover the cookie sheet with foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Let cool, then freeze what you won't immediately use.

Variations: add finely chopped mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, etc.; grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese; a well drained can of diced tomatoes - play around with whatever sounds good!