White sauce (for lasagne) Qs and recipes

squeaky

LOL But ONLY if you like it

KTFrugal

By the time you get to making the white sauce, you'll have faffed about so much that you'll be pulling your hair out. Solution? Use ricotta - to a 250g tub of same, add salt and pepper to taste, chopped parsley/chives if you like and a beaten egg.

Ricotta often goes on sale and if you buy the whole milk stuff, it freezes well, you just have to beat it to get it's original consistency back.

apple_mint

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

The classic white sauce made with a flour and butter roux is what's needed here BUT there is a modern fat-free, 'instant' version that tastes just as good.
There is a flour made by Carr's called Sauce Flour (Delia used this in her how to cook series). It was developed to not need any fat, you can get it at Tesco and Sainsbury's.

For I pint you whisk 2 oz of this flour into I pint of milk (or stock) and bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 3 mins then flavour as you like. I make it in a jug in the microwave.

All the instructions are on the pack

Apprentice Tycoon ... this is absolutely wonderful stuff. Bought it based on your recommendation above. I've made perfect sauces everytime with it including cheese sauces (cheddar and stilton varieties) mushroom sauce (threw in a bag of frozen mushrooms into the basic white sauce) and a curry and corriander sauce (which was then poured over chicken pieces and baked in the oven). I've also substituted yogurt which didn't set properly in the yogurt maker for the milk.

I've just caught my 18 year old daughter and her friend making a cheese sauce for her pasta with it ... not normally a cool thing for her to be seen doing!

Thank you for the recommendation - I'm well and truely converted!

competitionscafe

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

It's a bechamel sauce and tastes best if home made. There's a Delia recipe here

Theres an even easier Delia version here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/anykindofcheesesauce_70007.shtml

Tried it last night (for cauliflower cheese) and it worked fine. (I used a non stick whisk). Basically you just put the flour butter and cold milk in a pan and slowly heat it while whisking. When it becomes hot it will thicken and you just let it simmer on a very low heat for 5 minutes, then add the cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg/paprika. [I add a bit of english mustard too - it really brings out the flavour of the cheese].

The 'proper' way is combine equal quantity of butter and flour (Eg 40g of each) in a roux and then very slowly add hot milk while stirring constantly.

squeaky

Delia has been looking over my shoulder and pinching my techniques

Except that I grate my cheese into a bowl, add the flour and stir well till all the flour is coating the cheese and only then add the milk. The flour is evenly distributed aready and there's no chance of lumps. Tip into a pan, add the butter (mustard and paprika optional to taste) and heat as per...

frizz_head

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

It's a bechamel sauce and tastes best if home made. There's a Delia recipe here

I agree, Delias bechamel sauce is great - and foolproof. Although liking the sound of Squeakys version!

Bogof_Babe

I got a tub of Sainsbury's "not just for pasta" fresh cheese sauce the other day (reduced to 89p, but only about £1+pennies normally), and it was brilliant in lasagne. I would say one tub would make enough topping for a serves-4 lasagne, and when you consider the hassle factor, and the price of milk, it is well worth while. Needs no attention at all - just dollop it onto your sauce or pasta sheets, and spread with a knife.

nicola1982_2

I add milk and flour to butter till the sauce is thick and creamy, then I add a lump of mozzarella and some grated chedder and it tastes amazing!

recovering_spendaholic

squeaky wrote:

I'm lazy. Not that this is news to anyone.

Grate some cheese into a basin. Add 2oz (50g) flour, a teaspoon of mustard powder, and (if desired) 1/2 tsp paprika.

Stir this about until all the cheese is thoroughly coated then place in a saucepan, add a pint of milk and heat to a boil then simmer gently for a few minutes. Guaranteed no lumps because the flour is already well distributed on the cheese and the sauce has a bit more zing than plain white

That is fab!! Just had a go!!

helen81_2

squeaky wrote:

I'm lazy. Not that this is news to anyone.

Grate some cheese into a basin. Add 2oz (50g) flour, a teaspoon of mustard powder, and (if desired) 1/2 tsp paprika.

Stir this about until all the cheese is thoroughly coated then place in a saucepan, add a pint of milk and heat to a boil then simmer gently for a few minutes. Guaranteed no lumps because the flour is already well distributed on the cheese and the sauce has a bit more zing than plain white

Where in the supermarket is mustard powder?? Ive looked and looked and never found it! I was lookin for some to make cheese straws.