Calling all home cooks: if you haven't been acquainted yet with béchamel sauce, it's time you learned a thing or two about it. Chances are you've eaten this white sauce more than a few times in your life, whether layered in moussaka, drizzled on a croque monsieur, or as a component in other classic courses. Béchamel is over 300 years old, and is such a key element of traditional French cuisine that it actually serves as the base for many other sauces (see variations after the jump). The white sauce begins with a roux, and then scalded milk is gradually added, until the consistency is smooth and thick. Once you've mastered the recipe, you can use it to make a filling for white lasagna or to mix together a cheese sauce for nontraditional nachos. What are you waiting for? Get the recipe when you read more.
The Basics: Béchamel Sauce
Calling all home cooks: if you haven't been acquainted yet with béchamel sauce, it's time you learned a thing or two about it.