Autumn Celebration

Autumn Celebration by Marjolein Bastin

Bittersweet October. 

The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause 

between the opposing miseries 
of summer and winter.  

~ Carol Bishop Hipps ~

~oOo~

White Sauce Variations and Uses

WHITE SAUCE is the base sauce used as an ingredient of many casseroles, soups, gravies and sauces. It can also be used as a simple thickener for existing stews and gravies.

When looking for new ideas for weeknight meals, white sauce and the variations below, can help turn leftovers into an entirely new dish -- sometimes even better than the original.

[all recipes for sauces may be doubled]

THIN WHITE SAUCE

1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk




MEDIUM WHITE SAUCE

2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk




THICK WHITE SAUCE

3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk

Melt margarine in a saucepan and whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in cold milk, cooking over direct heat and stirring constantly until sauce boils; reduce heat slightly and continue to stir until sauce becomes smooth and thick. When sauce thickens, simmer for a few minutes, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir carefully to avoid lumps.




CHEESE SAUCE -

Use one of the white sauces above and stir in 1/4 to 1 cup grated sharp cheese until it melts.




HORSERADISH SAUCE -

Using THIN white sauce, add 4 tsp. of grated prepared horseradish and 1/2 tsp. dry mustard to 1 cup sauce.




MUSTARD SAUCE -

Add 1 tsp. prepared mustard to 1 cup THIN white sauce. Serve with ham.




ONION SAUCE -

Add 2-3 tsp. grated onion to 1 cup THIN white sauce. Serve with salmon or salmon loaf.




CHICKEN POT PIE -

Add White Sauce to cooked, boned chicken, onions and whatever veggies you like, with 1 tsp. low sodium chicken soup base and a pinch of rubbed sage.

Mix well and pour into pie filling. Cover with top crust and crimp to seal. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. This makes a very easy pot pie!




POPOVER POTLUCK SPECIAL -

To White Sauce - Add chopped, cooked chicken, beef, pork or ham and various veggies and serve over popovers. The sauce may be flavored by adding 1 tsp. low sodium soup base.






CREAM BASED SOUPS & CHOWDERS

White Sauce can be used as a starter for making creamed soups.

PUREE a veggie, such as cooked carrots, celery, mushrooms, broccoli or potatoes and add along with milk or cream to white sauce to make a soup, either to eaten as such OR to be used to make casseroles, replacing store-bought cream of mushroom or celery soups which are laden with salt and MSG and unhealthy!




I love making my own white sauce with lots of old cheddar cheese as the base for homemade macaroni-cheese casserole.




PHOTO CREDITS:
Chicken Pot Pie
Popovers