10 Ways to Use Béchamel Sauce
I didn't cook at all until my 50s, and for years béchamel sounded like something only real chefs made. Then I learned that my béchamel is just milk, butter, flour, salt and a little nutmeg, and that it holds together half the dishes I love: croquetas, lasagna, mac and cheese.
One batch makes about 2 1/4 cups (540 ml). Some ideas need it thick and some thinner, and the recipe tells you how to make both. Here are the 10 ways I use it most, with amounts and a tip for each.
Pasticho or lasagna
Béchamel is the creamy layer in Venezuelan pasticho, between the pasta, the meat sauce and the cheese. A 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan needs about a double batch, around 4 1/2 cups (1.1 L). Make it on the thinner side so it spreads easily between the layers.
Croquetas
For croquetas, make the very thick version from the recipe tips: 80 g (5 1/2 tbsp) of butter and 80 g (2/3 cup) of flour for the same 500 g (2 cups) of milk. In the Thermomix® TM7™, cook it 10 min/90°C (195°F)/speed 4. Stir in about 2 cups (300 g) of finely chopped ham or cooked chicken, chill it until firm, then shape, bread and fry the croquetas like my croquetas de jamón. Shaped and breaded croquetas freeze well for up to 3 months, and you can fry them straight from the freezer.
Baked mac and cheese
Turn a batch into Mornay sauce with the cheese tip in the recipe: 80 g (3/4 cup) of grated Gruyère or sharp white cheddar and 20 g (1/4 cup) of Parmesan. Toss it with 8 oz (225 g) of cooked elbow pasta, top it with breadcrumbs and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes, until golden. My creamy mac and cheese is the quick version for busy weeknights; this is the one I bake for Sunday dinner.
Croque monsieur on pan sobao
Make a ham and Swiss sandwich on thick slices of pan sobao, spread 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of béchamel on top and add a little more grated cheese. Bake it at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque madame, perfect for brunch.
Cauliflower or broccoli gratin
Steam 1 1/2 lb (680 g) of cauliflower or broccoli florets until just tender, spread them in a baking dish and pour one batch of béchamel over them. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (50 g) of grated cheese and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden on top. Drain the vegetables very well first, or the sauce turns watery.
Creamed spinach next to a steak
Wilt 10 oz (280 g) of fresh spinach in a skillet, squeeze out the water and chop it, then stir it into 1 cup (240 ml) of warm béchamel with a pinch of garlic powder. It is the classic steakhouse side, and it goes beautifully with my grilled ribeye. Squeezing the spinach well is the secret, so the sauce stays creamy.
Biscuits and sausage gravy
Brown 8 oz (225 g) of breakfast sausage in a skillet, breaking it up, until it is cooked through with no pink left, and pour off most of the fat. Stir in one batch of warm béchamel and plenty of black pepper, and loosen it with a splash of milk. Spoon it over the buttermilk biscuits from my Southern fried chicken for a big weekend breakfast. For this one, I make the béchamel without nutmeg.
Baked eggs with ham
Spoon 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of béchamel into each of 4 buttered ramekins, add a little chopped ham and crack an egg on top. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the whites are completely set. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet, so they are easy to move in and out of the oven.
Canelones, the Argentine way
Fill 12 cooked cannelloni tubes or crepes with cooked chicken and spinach, or with ricotta and ham, and lay them in a baking dish. Cover them with one batch of béchamel and 1 cup (240 ml) of marinara, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes. In Argentina and Uruguay, canelones with white and red sauce together are a Sunday family classic.
Leftover chicken bake
Mix 2 cups (280 g) of shredded cooked chicken with 2 cups (300 g) of cooked vegetables, such as peas, carrots or broccoli, and one batch of béchamel. Spread it in a baking dish, top it with buttered breadcrumbs or a sheet of puff pastry and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and steaming hot in the center, 165°F (74°C). It is the easiest way I know to turn Sunday's chicken into Monday's dinner.
If I learned to cook, you can too, and béchamel is the sauce that made me feel like a real cook. Make one batch, pick your favorite idea and cook along with me.
