White Sauce made in Microwave please

jessie981, Jun 16, 4:44am
Always use pkt sauce for Macaroni cheese but woulld like to be able to make my own. Last time I made years ago it turned out grey because I think I put too much pepper in.
Can't even make homemade gravy.

hyborn, Jun 16, 5:08am
Well if I was making a white sauce I would melt butter, add cornflour till all butter used, then add some milk microwave a couple of minutes mix, zap again and again until thick, with this I add cheese more milk if needed salt pepper etc I find using cornflour it doesnt go lumpy.

dbab, Jun 16, 5:14am
I get the butter really soft, almost melted, add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 min on High. Add milkand cook, stirring often, until thick. Season and add grated cheese. Reheat gently.
I have made it with cornflour successfully too. Same method.

js4sj, Jun 16, 5:39am
I find I can make smooth white sauce in the Microwave but not in a pot! it also makes it creamy unlike in the pot. Heres what I do:
Butter melted, add flour until butter used up, add half cupmilk stir (dont worry about lumps! and zap on high for 30 seconds. then I stir and stir the lumps out of it add cheese, parsley or whatever and more milk of course zap again.

I also make Custard this way - makes it taste so much better!

sossie1, Jun 16, 5:41am
I still make in a pot, easy peasy, use a whisk if worried about lumps.

i fry onions first in the butter, mix the flour with the milk, then add to the pot.

jessie981, Jun 16, 6:16am
Thanks all for your recipes. Goin to give a go tomorrow night.

sarahb5, Jun 16, 6:44am
I put the butter (25g), flour (25g) and milk (250ml) in a jug and cook it for a minute in the microwave.Beat the cr*p out of it with a whisk until there are no lumps then cook it again for another couple of minutes.Beat it again, if it's thick enough add 1/4 tsp mustard powder, a shake of cayenne pepper, a bit of salt and pepper and beat again.Then when it's smooth but still hot I add the grated tasty cheese (75g) and don't heat it again - just beat so it's smooth.If you cook it again it can go stringy.I can make it in the pot but still use the "all in one" method.

dbab, Jun 16, 10:12pm
I put the butter and flour before adding the milk to "cook the flour out" first.

sarahb5, Jun 16, 10:23pm
I used to do that (cook the roux first) but found that it actually didn't make any difference to the taste or texture so now I just chuck it all in together

goldenbaygran, Jun 16, 11:53pm
I make it the same method as most of you in the microwave.BUt I make a large jug full.Freeze it in small containers when cold.Pull it out when having broccoli, cauli, etc and reheat in the microwave, add more milk if necessary and bingo lovely sauce for the vegies.No wasteage.

mwood, Jun 17, 3:43am
tablespoon butter plus tablespoon Cornflour (no flour tastes) - 1 minute high - mix in - add 250 milk - high 1 minute - stir - again and again if too thin.

samsnan, Jun 17, 4:26am
I do the same thing goldenbaygran. Always make extra and either freeze it or use it a day or so later from the fridge.

acarya, Jun 17, 7:28am
Awesome!
Thank you so much for posting this.
I can (and do) make it in a pot, but this is soooo much easier and quicker.
Results are great too. ;)

jessie981, Jun 17, 9:24am
Which recipe did you use please acary!

acarya, Jun 17, 9:44am
I used Sarahb5's recipe.
Only made the basic white sauce, then added herbs & chicken stock as it was going in a Chicken Pie. ;)

sarahb5, Jun 17, 9:30pm
Phew - glad it worked then!

arabelle, Jun 18, 1:13am
Bachelors method, melt butter in container in m'wave meanwhile shake flour and milk up in a milkshake mixer. add to melted butter , zap for 30 sec, and stir, repeat until starting to thicken slightly. add grated cheese, zap until 7/8th thick. so that it will then thicken to the right consistency when re heating etc. that way you get no lumps, not mucking aroundmixing flour into the butter, and it certainly doesnt taste any different.
any of my shortcut cookingsgot labelled bachelor method.!

sarahb5, Jun 18, 1:21am
But that makes extra washing up .

lyl_guy, Jun 18, 11:48pm
Delia Smith has an all-in-one method on the stovetop which always works.The only "trick" is to use cold butter, and cold milk, straight out of the fridge.
Just put the milk, butter and flour into the pot, over a medium heat, and start whisking.Add seasonings once everything is combined (I always use fresh grated nutmeg with the S&P)and at a gentle simmering point , turn down the heat to very low and cook till nice and thick, about 5 minutes.

sarahb5, Jun 19, 12:15am
And I remember my mum exclaiming about Delia Smith's version that it was nothing new as it was what she had been doing for years - even before Delia said you could!