How to make "Cream of.." Anything

[Coleroo]

I really dont remember where I learned this... maybe the hillbilly housewife or another site from a google search. But anyway, this is one of my alltime favorite recipes.

It can be used to make white gravy, plain cream soup, potato soup, cream of chicken, cream of broccolli, cream of mushroom, and any other "cream of" you can think of.


2 cups liquid milk (I make it from dry milk)
1 cups flour
1 cup butter (or more to taste)

Optional - pepper, spices, potatoes, or whatever tasty addition you want to add!


Heat the butter in a saucepan til almost melted. Mix up the flour and the cold milk, and pour entire into the pan while stirring. Let it cook on a little below medium heat, with frequent stirring.

It will thicken up into a gravy after a bit (30mins or so). If you are making white biscuit gravy, taste it to make sure the flour tastes done - a hint of buttery flavor coming through is best. Add pepper and you're done with the white gravy!

OR

Add another cup or two of liquid milk, and then your veggies (broccoli) or mushrooms or (cooked) chicken to let cook up. The longer it cooks, the more water (or milk) you may have to add because it thickens up - just keep an eye on it.

When I make potato soup, I boil the potatoes, smush them a litte in the pot, then put them in my blender with seasonings (pepper, salt, garlic, etc) to blend until a little chunky, then I pour the potato mixture into the cream soup - add some motzerella cheese, then stir a bit and let cook a little more (5-10 mins).

This is so easy to make and (if you make the gravy) it tastes better than Bojangles white gravy & biscuits (you know what Im talking about if you live in the south ).

The only thing you need to watch out for is the flour burining. Keep enough liquid in there and keep stirring every few mins (and dont put it above medium!) and you will be fine.

[Coleroo]

Oh... p.s. when I make the gravy, I put a LOT of pepper in there and some chops of green onion. yummmmmmm!

[neece]

> i'll hopefully never forget this recipe: it was the first thing we cooked
in Home Ec class ... so exciting!!!

the technique includes making the 'roux' of flour & butter
& the name of the recipe was simply "white sauce"

yes,
it is a very useful basis for creative gravies!!

i honestly should dress up my cooking with it more often ~

[Staceyy]

What you're referring to is called a "bechamel" or "white sauce". It is one of the first things learned in home ec class.

[Coleroo]

I never took home ec (wasnt offered in my small private school during my years) - how sad...!

[rob62521]

Sounds yummy!