Microwave Basic White Sauce Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook sauce in the microwave? ›

Yes, you can heat pasta sauce in the microwave oven, but be sure to use a deep microwave-safe bowl and either a microwave heavy plastic-vented cover/lid or use a microwave safe plate to cover the bowl, as the sauce may splatter a bit while being heated.

Béchamel, or white sauce, is a cooked mixture of butter, flour, and milk. It is one of five mother sauces, a rich, flavorful base that can be used on its own or to create different sauces. Béchamel is used in dishes like mac and cheese, lasagna, and cheese souffle to add a wonderfully creamy element.

Once you've finished adding the milk, the sauce will start to thicken fairly quickly, but it's not ready until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you're not sure, dip a spoon into the sauce. If the béchamel is properly thickened, it should stay on the back of the spoon.

Sauces. Just like with the water, hot spots can linger underneath the surface of microwaved sauces, which when "popped" can cause hot sauce to fly everywhere. So, it's both dangerous and messy! "Instead, heat up sauces on the stove, where you can stir them to avoid hot spot creation," she says.

Yes, assuming that your microwave has an adjustable power setting. It will be trial and error however. I would suggest using plain water to test it so you don't burn your sauce. I would try using the bowl/container you plan to use for the sauce at 50% power for 8 to 10 minutes and see if it has started to simmer yet.

It's easy to get lost when it comes to the creamy sauces of French cuisine. Learn the difference between a classic roux, béchamel, and mornay.

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

Béchamel – milk-based sauce, thickened with a white roux. Beurre blanc – Reduction of butter, vinegar, white wine and shallots.

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

To change the thickness of a white sauce, simply use more or less butter and flour (keeping them equal) while using the same amount of milk. Thin white sauce: Use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Medium white sauce: Use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour.

What makes a white sauce thicken? ›

Once all the milk has been added, it'll usually seem as thin as plain milk. That's fine; just bring it to a simmer, and the flour will start to do its thing, its starch swelling and bursting and thickening the sauce.

Solution: First try and cook it for a bit longer and see if it thickens up. If not, make a little more roux in a separate saucepan (using equal parts butter and flour). Whisk the roux into the thin sauce and cook for another 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. Keep stirring.

Cook the Flour Longer: If your sauce tastes like raw flour, it's possible that the flour hasn't been cooked long enough. Try cooking the sauce over low to medium heat for a few minutes longer, stirring constantly, to allow the flour to cook and the raw taste to dissipate.

However, if the sauce stays on the heat too long and too much water evaporates, it will break, since there's no longer enough water to hold the fat in suspension. If this happens, the sauce will look curdled and greasy.

Sure you can microwave sauce in a glass jar. If the jar has a lid, leave it off so pressure does not build up in the jar while heating up, and possibly breaking it. One other caveat: use caution because the jar will transmit some of the heat from the sauce.

Using your hands, crush the tomatoes. Press all juices into bowl. Set crushed tomatoes aside. Place bowl with tomato juices in microwave and cook on high until thickened to consistency of ketchup, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Until you master the nuances of your microwave's power settings, the best defense against a microwave mess is to cover your food. It will take the microwave longer to heat but it's so worth it. Plastic wrap or a paper towel will do the job.

This recipe can be made in the microwave and the results are delicious. Mix the stewed tomatoes and the tomato sauce together in a large microwave-safe bowl with a lid. Stir well. Cook in the microwave on high for 20 minutes until bubbling.