Bechamel Sauce

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Recipes

You don’t always think of something like a Bechamel sauce when looking at low-carb options; however, it can be an occasional part of a low-carb diet coming in at 9 to 10 net carbs per serving.   Add some cooked spinach to it for a gorgeous creamed spinach.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk (cold)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick (4 oz) of unsalted butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lard (or cooking oil)
  • 1 cup onion, diced small
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Nutrition:

Makes 10 servings

Net carbohydrates:

Whole Milk: 28 total,  2.8 per serving
OR
Fairlife Whole Milk: 15 total, 1.5 per serving

Heavy whipping cream: 6.6 total,  0.7 per serving

Unbleached flour: 46 total, 4.6 per serving

Onion, diced small: 11 total, 1.1 per serving

Total Net Carbs: 106.6 or 93 w/Fairlife

Net Carbs per Serving: 10.7 or 9.3 w/Fairlife

 

 

Directions:

You can use two pans to make the bechamel sauce or use one pan in succession with the other

First pan:

Melt lard or cooking oil

Add diced onions and cook until translucent

Add diced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently

Remove from heat.  Put cooked onion and garlic into a bowl or ramekin.

Second pan:

Melt butter over medium heat

Whisk in raw flour (The butter and flour should get bubbly.)

Keep whisking and cook the butter/flour mixture for five minutes

Whisk in cooked onion and garlic

Whisk in cold milk a little at a time (Don’t panic!  Your flour will get quite lumpy at this stage.)

Continue whisking and incorporating the milk a little at a time (Sauce will start smoothing out)

Whisk in cold heavy cream a little at a time

Continue whisking and incorporating the heavy cream a little at a time (Sauce should finish smoothing out)

Add cayenne pepper

Grate fresh nutmeg into the sauce

 

 

 

Melt Butter
Keep Adding Milk a Little at a Time
Adding a little cold milk
Small addition of cream
Keep Whisking
Whisking Flour into the Roux
Do Not Panic When It Looks Lumpy
Keep Adding Milk a Little at a Time
Slowly Adding Cream
Smooth Bechamel Sauce with Nutmeg and Cayenne