There are many kinds of sauces, used to give flavor, moisture or interest to the dishes with which they are served.
White sauce is the most commonly used of all the sauces. The proportion of materials in it vary with the use to which the sauce is to be put, and the ingredients may be combined in a number of ways.
Proportions & uses for white sauces
| Type of sauce | Liquid | Thickening | Fat | Uses |
| Thin | 1 cup | 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon | Cream Soups |
| Medium | 1 cup | 2 Tablespoons | 2 Tablespoons | Scalloped dishes Creamed veggies Creamed meats |
| Thick | 1 cup | 3-4 Tablespoons | 3 Tablespoons | Soufflés Croquettes |
The liquid in a white sauce is always milk of some kind (nut milk, soy milk, cow milk, goat milk, etc.) The amount of milk used determines the quantity of sauce made. The thickening is usually flour, the flour makes the difference in an exceptional sauce(if you can't use wheat try oat flour, barley flour, etc.). The fat is a butter or cold pressed oil of some kind. If you eat meat use the drippings for flavor. Use your imagination for flavoring your sauces, use water from steamed vegetables as liquid for white sauces or brown. Use liquids off soups, sauté onions or carrots and add to your finished gravy. Use spices like spike, onion powder, or garlic powder.
White Sauce Melt butter in cast iron skillet, add
flour, stir to smooth paste and cook a few minutes, stirring often ( don't cook
till the flour turns brown this will make a brown sauce or gravy and we want a
white sauce.) Add milk slowly and stir constantly until it begins to thicken.
Add seasoning to taste.
Hint: Sauces thicken quickly in a cast iron pan because the pan holds the heat quite well, so I would suggest that you set the pan off the heat after cooking the flour and let it cool down for about ten minutes. Then while it is still off the heat add the milk or other liquid and stir and whisk well ( I prefer a wire whisk for this part not a fork the wire whisk is much more through.) Once you have your milk and flour mixture thoroughly mixed, then put your pan back on the heat on medium and stir often being aware of when the mixture gets hot enough to start thickening. Then you want to stir constantly so you are sure to get a smooth sauce or gravy. The following are two other methods for making sauces but I suggest using this method until you are comfortable then move on to theses other methods.
1) Make a paste with flour and butter in a cup or bowl, have milk heating in a pan. Add the warm milk (not hot) to the paste slowly, stirring constantly. Put the mixture into the pan and cook stirring constantly until thickened to desired constancy.
2) Mix the flour with cold water until smooth, add warm (not hot) milk slowly, then the butter, cook altogether in a cast iron pan until smooth, season to taste.
Cheese Sauce Make a medium thick white sauce. And to each cup of sauce add 1/3 cup grated or finely chopped cheese. Stir well until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.