Bechamel Sauce sounds fancy, but you shouldn’t be scared to make it from scratch – it‘s easy! All you need is butter, flour and milk, along with my secret added ingredient: chicken stock powder (bouillon), which provides an extra punch of flavour. This popular creamy sauce is perfect on its own or combined with cheese to layer in lasagne, stir through a creamy pasta, or top vegetables, a potato bake or seafood (this is my go-to for oysters or lobster mornay).
Bechamel Sauce
Share Pin Recipe PrintYou can easily make your own delicious Bechamel Sauce at home in only 15 minutes. Use it in lasagne, creamy pastas, for vegetable bakes and to top seafood.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 625 ml (2½ cups) full-cream (whole) milk
- 1 tsp chicken stock (bouillon) powder
Instructions
- Heat the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once it is melted, add the flour. Stir until you form a paste (this will take 1 minute).
- Slowly add the milk and stir using a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and continue whisking for 6–8 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, it’s ready.
- Whisk in the chicken stock to season. (See note 1 if you'd like to turn the bechamel into a cheese sauce.)
Nutrition information
Nutrition Facts
Bechamel Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
196
% Daily Value*
Fat
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
40
mg
13
%
Sodium
184
mg
8
%
Potassium
254
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
14
g
5
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
8
g
9
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
498
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
0.01
mg
0
%
Calcium
203
mg
20
%
Iron
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes
Recipe notes
Note 1 – To make a cheese sauce To turn this bechamel into a cheese sauce for lasagne, you can simply stir cheese through at the end once the bechamel has thickened. I like to use a good melting cheese like mozzarella, cheddar or a combination of both. Add around 100–150 g (1–1½ cups), depending on how cheesy you like it, and stir until melted and smooth. Parmesan is also a lovely addition for extra flavour – you can add a small handful along with the other cheeses. Just keep the heat low when adding the cheese so it melts gently and stays nice and smooth.
Angie says:
What type and how much cheese would I add to make a lovely bechamel sauce for a lasagna? Thanks!
Nicole says:
Hi Angie! Great question 😊 To turn this into a cheese sauce for lasagne, you can simply stir cheese through at the end once the béchamel has thickened. I like to use a good melting cheese like mozzarella, cheddar or a combination of both. Add around 1–1½ cups (100–150 g), depending on how cheesy you like it, and stir until melted and smooth. Parmesan is also a lovely addition for extra flavour – you can add a small handful along with the other cheeses. Just keep the heat low when adding the cheese so it melts gently and stays nice and smooth. Nic x