Cheapest white sauce for lasagne?

beckstar1975

I need to make 8-10 people's worth of lasagne - in the past I've used fresh milk, uht milk and jarred sauce (L1dl) and would need at least a pint's worth - more likely pint and a half - what's the cheapest way you've found to make (or buy) white sauce?

Mark_d

I get it delivered along with the rest of my groceries - from asda.com

Rodders53

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/allinonewhitesauce_66114

Milk, butter, plain flour and a saucepan... how much cheaper can you get?

comeandgo

Making it yourself should be the cheapest option.

RAS

Equal quantities of plain flour and butter/margarine, melt and cook together storing until it goes pale ( make a roux). Add a little milk and beat, it'll get stiff, once smooth add more milk and beat until incorporated, repeat. Once you've got something that is like thick cream, add the rest of the milk and simmer for a few minutes.

Add salt to taste and I think a very little grated nutmeg lifts it.

For 500ml milk use 50g each flour and fat. 

beckstar1975

Anyone tried it using oil instead of butter?  Apparently you can make good pastry that way so should be able to substitute it in the sauce too? 

RAS

You could but start with slightly less oil, say 45ml of a low flavour oil. If it's a bit greasy, sprinkle half a teaspoon of flour over after the first milk addition. I'd definitely all some flavouring, even if you just cold infuse a bay leaf of couple of cloves.

Brambling

I use an all in one method these days it's a lot less fuss

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/allinonewhitesauce_66114

beckstar1975

Thank you, I always have a big tub of vegetable stock powder and pop a bit of that and mustard in to flavour. I'll report back

sammyjammy

Rodders53 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/allinonewhitesauce_66114

Milk, butter, plain flour and a saucepan... how much cheaper can you get?

I can get it cheaper, half water half milk.  Works particularly well if you use the hot veg water (I'm usually making a cauliflower/broccoli cheese)  I probably go as low as 75/25 water/milk and honestly cannot tell the difference (if you could I wouldn't so it), obviously makes it less calories as well.

itsthelittlethings

sammyjammy said:

Rodders53 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/allinonewhitesauce_66114

Milk, butter, plain flour and a saucepan... how much cheaper can you get?

I can get it cheaper, half water half milk.  Works particularly well if you use the hot veg water (I'm usually making a cauliflower/broccoli cheese)  I probably go as low as 75/25 water/milk and honestly cannot tell the difference (if you could I wouldn't so it), obviously makes it less calories as well.

The milk cooks down as the water evaporates off so I’m not sure how it works to make it with half water?