what to do with extra bechamel

I accidentally made extra bechamel while making mac and cheese and it was probably my best ever bechamel. Other than lasagne and more mac and cheese, what should I do with it?

Diana
  • Posted by: Diana
  • September 13, 2016
  • 38664 views
  • 13 Comments

13 Comments

Anthony S.
Anthony S. May 18, 2020
Also fish pie great option pour over fav fish cover with mash sprinkle cheese and bake very easy and nice add dill or parsley well nice
 
yellowbird
yellowbird September 16, 2016
One of our favorite breakfasts is harboiled eggs chopped up, mixed with bechemel, and spread thickly over toast. It isn't glamorous, but it tastes amazing!
 
keg72
keg72 September 15, 2016
Depending on how much you have, you could use it in a croqueta recipe. For instance, something like this one:

https://food52.com/recipes/15341-serrano-ham-and-manchego-croquetas-with-smoked-pimenton-aioli
 

Voted the Best Reply!

aliyaleekong
aliyaleekong September 14, 2016
You could do an easy pot pie with it - throwing in sauteed vegetables and cooked chicken and layering with pastry. OR, add cheese, refrigerate and make croquettes!
 
PHIL
PHIL September 14, 2016
DOn't know how much extra you have but HalfPint's croque madame sounds like an easy (and delicious) way to use it up.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx September 14, 2016
eggs benedict
 
HalfPint
HalfPint September 13, 2016
You can use it to make moussaka or a cheese soufflé.
 
HalfPint
HalfPint September 13, 2016
One more thing, crocque madame :)
 
Nancy
Nancy September 13, 2016
Two main suggestions
1) it freezes well (do in portions usable for one next meal)
2) since it is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine, use this as an occassion/excuse to make one of its daughter sauces, depending on your tastes - Mornay, Nantua, Mustard, Soubise, Cheddar.
And, oh yes, :)
3) try to figure out what you did this time so you can repeat "your best ever" sauce
 
Diana
Diana September 13, 2016
I don't know a lot about French cooking, so I should probably explore that. Good idea.

As for No. 3, I really wish I knew. I was making "pantry mac and cheese" because we didn't have much food. And was throwing things together without paying a lot of attention to my proportions. I might have browned the butter more than usual. It'll take some trial and error to figure it out.
 
Nancy
Nancy September 14, 2016
Diana - glad these ideas may suggest more ways to use the extra bechamel.
Just to clarify, Cheddar Sauce isn't really a French sauce, but yes one way to use bechamel. And since you basically made it for the mac and cheese, it won't be much new to you.
The others will be different & can be used on various mains (for example, fish) and sides (simply blanched vegetables).
Also, if you thin any of the sauces with broth, milk, cream or tomatoes, it can become a soup.
 
Anthony S.
Anthony S. May 18, 2020
Croquettes are best option if eggs in sauce heating as a soup eggs will probably scramble could do nicetoasties add fav cheese spring onions chilli and tomatoes and toast
 
702551
702551 September 13, 2016
Well, you can freeze it.

Since you are using it for mac and cheese or something like lasagna, the defrosted stuff recuperates okay, provided you reheat it slowly and give it a whisk.

The defrosted stuff is less stellar as a "pour on" sauce rather than something that is fully incorporated into a dish like mac and cheese, but since the latter is apparently your primary use case, you should feel pretty good about the freezing option.

Good luck.
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52