By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 1
213 cal · 10 min
White Sauce - Thin
Recipe GLPR15fd6cf1f68e8c
A classic, silky thin white sauce made from butter, flour, and skim milk. Perfect as a delicate topping for vegetables, pasta, or light dishes. This sauce comes together quickly and provides a creamy base without heavy cream.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 cup fat-free skim milk
Directions
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Place a small pot on low heat and add the butter, allowing it to melt completely without browning.
Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir continuously for about 1 minute to create a smooth paste (roux).
Season the roux with salt and pepper to your preference.
Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
Increase the heat to medium and continue stirring constantly as the sauce heats through until it reaches a gentle boil.
Once the mixture reaches a boil, keep stirring until it thickens to a smooth, pourable consistency resembling thin cream. This typically takes 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Comments
This is a basic béchamel that Charlotte cooks will find instantly at any of the five major chains—butter, flour, salt, pepper, and skim milk are staples everywhere. The stated time is honest for a single serving, though the yield is impractical for most households since a single person rarely makes sauce alone, and scaling up adds no real work. Cost per serving runs under 50 cents. The real limitation is that thin white sauce is a component, not a meal, and does not keep well after a day or two, so it's best used the night it's made as a topping for vegetables, pasta, or chicken.
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