It's All in the Roux

A roux is a thickening agent for sauces and gravies, usually made with flour and fat (butter). There are two secrets to making a good roux: using equal parts flour and fat, and allowing your flour to cook for a minute before adding the liquids. I usually use 1 tablespoon of each, fat and flour, for every 1/2 cup of liquid. You can always add more liquid if the sauce gets too thick. I use a lot of rouxs for a variety of dishes. Some get a little more complicated, and may not use butter, but they all follow the same rules. The following recipe is a great beginners' roux for a bechamel (white cheese sauce) that you can pour over whole wheat pasta, cover with shredded cheese, and throw under the broiler for an easy homemade mac 'n cheese.

Bechamel for Mac 'n Cheese
3 Tbsp. flour (wheat flour is best)
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup milk (might need more if sauce thickens too much when cheese is added)
1/2 cup heavy cream (can just use milk and a little extra butter added at the same time as the milk if you don't have cream)
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or 1/2 cup mozarella, 1/4 cup parmesan/regiano, and 1/4 asiago or any combination of white cheeses)
Dash of nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Allow to cook over low heat for about a minute. While whisking, slowly add milk and cream. Turn heat to medium-high. Continue stirring until sauce becomes thicker and bubbly. When sauce is a smooth gravy-like consistency, add cheese and continue to stir until melted and bubbly. Sauce will thicken considerably when cheese is added. Season sauce with a dash of nutmeg (or one grate on the microplane), and salt and pepper to taste.

This simple sauce can be changed easily to a yellow cheese sauce just by changing the cheese, and deleting the nutmeg (it's not too good in cheddar sauce). Pour over cooked and drained whole wheat pasta in a casserole dish, stir, top with extra shredded cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Toss some bacon and green onion on top of each serving, and voila! Dinner is served!