Call it white sauce, cheese sauce, Bechamel: the routine is the same. Fat, flour, spices,
liquid, and the melting cheese. It's the first thing you should learn when you start out in the kitchen.
And more importantly, it's the basis for most every fifties casserole or delicious pasta dish. It's the basis for macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, hamburger pie. It's easy... I'll walk you through it.
Step One: grate cheese, about four ounces. I like a sharp cheddar - here I used
colby/jack because it's pretty grated. You could also use a classic Swiss cheese like Gruyere or Emmenthaler for a
more European taste.
Step Two: Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
You'll want a roughly 1:1 ratio of butter to flour. Here I used four tablespoons, or 1/4 cup.
Step Three: Add in flour. Here I used not quite 1/4 cup.
At this point, you should add in salt (about one teaspoon), a bit of pepper or cayenne to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg
(freshly grated is best).
Step Four: Whisk briskly, cooking over medium-high heat, until mixture begins to darken, two to five
minutes.
Step Five: Add in milk or broth (if you use chicken broth
or turkey stock, it's essentially gravy), about 1/2 cup per one tablespoon of butter/flour. For this recipe I used about
two cups of whole milk. Whisk over medium heat until smooth, thick and bubbly, about five minutes.
Step Six: Turn off heat and add in cheese, stirring until
melted. Taste, adjust seasoning, and you're good to go, mixing into cooked pasta, pouring over steamed veggies, or
creating whatever casserole goodness you've got in mind.
[Photos Sarah Gilbert]
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