Hello Fresh Cream Sauce Base Recipe

When you want a creamy sauce but don’t have much time, Hello Fresh cream sauce base comes to the rescue!

This recipe uses only 5 ingredients, and you can make a full cream sauce in less than 15 minutes.

However, you can make this delicious copycat Hello Fresh cream sauce base without a subscription! And, you can store it in the freezer to use whenever you need a quick sauce.

Cream sauce is a flavorful sauce made with milk and cream. It often serves as a base for other toppings, such as cheese sauce.

This easy recipe is extremely versatile and great for beginners. You can change up the seasonings to suit each dish.

With this HelloFresh cream sauce base, you can quickly put together a great topping for pasta, marinated steak, grilled beef, fish, or even pizza. It’s delicious on everything!

All About the Hello Fresh Cream Sauce Base Ingredients

Butter

The base of cream sauce is a roux: a cooked mixture of butter and flour in equal amounts. Actually, this is the base for many different types of white sauce.

First, you melt butter in a pan, and then whisk in flour to cook in the fat. You can use any fat for this, but certain ones work better than others.

For instance, rendered meat drippings or clarified butter are great in a roux. That’s because they won’t separate from the flour as easily when everything cools down.

Vegetable or olive oil, on the other hand, has a harder time suspending the flour. Therefore, it’s more likely to create lumps in the finished sauce.

Also, butter is a great option for cream sauce because its flavor goes well with cream (and cheese if you make cheese sauce).

If you want to add extra richness to the Hello Fresh cream sauce base recipe, you can brown the butter first. Browned butter has a nutty, caramel flavor which will make the final cream sauce more intense.

Flour

Regular all-purpose flour is a common addition to soups, stews, gravies, and even pie filling. Because of the starch and protein in the wheat, flour thickens liquids and gives them a velvety texture.

In particular, making a roux is a great way to thicken a sauce. The fat in the roux adds richness while the flour creates a lovely mouthfeel.

Milk

Once you’ve cooked the roux, gradually pour milk into the pan, and make sure you keep whisking. By doing this step slowly, you can incorporate the milk without getting lumps.

That gives you the body of the sauce.

In this delicious recipe, I like to use whole milk because the high fat content makes the texture very creamy. If you use a different kind of milk, I recommend adding ⅓ cup of heavy cream to compensate.

Also, you can make this recipe dairy-free! Simply use almond or full-fat coconut milk.

Seasonings

The most basic seasonings for this sauce are simply salt and pepper. And with just those two, you can make a great cream sauce!

However, if you want to make a classic bechamel, add a pinch of nutmeg. That will take this simple sauce to the next level.

Method

1. Melt the Butter
   

   First, add the butter to a saucepan, and melt it over medium heat. Make sure it doesn’t brown, unless you want that flavor and color.
   

2. Add the Flour
   

   Next, pour the flour into the pan and whisk constantly for 3 minutes. For a purely white sauce, don’t let the roux turn brown.
   

3. Whisk in the Milk
   

   Then, pour in the milk a little at a time as you continue whisking. Try to prevent lumps from forming by stirring constantly.

   Once you’ve added all of the milk, turn the stove to medium high heat and bring the sauce to a simmer.
   

4. Cook and Season
   

   Once it simmers, keep cooking (and stirring) the sauce for about 8 minutes over low heat. Once it’s ready, it should be thick, silky, and no longer taste like raw flour.

   At this stage, take the pan off the stove. Then, add the salt and pepper, and the nutmeg if you’re using it.
   

5. Eat or Store
   

   Store the sauce in a small bowl.

   If you don’t serve it right away, the sauce might form lumps or a skin. But don’t worry! Simply reheat it over the stove and add a little more milk.
   

Fun Ways to Adapt This Hello Fresh Cream Sauce Recipe

This recipe is very simple, but that makes it very versatile! It’s really a “mother sauce” that you can adapt for any other recipe.

• If you want to make the sauce a little tangy, add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese. (For a mac and cheese sauce, add shredded cheddar or pepper jack). When you add cheese, make sure you turn off the heat first – you don’t want the cheese to burn.


• If this recipe is the base for a cream soup or pasta sauce, add an extra 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. And, instead of milk, you can use chicken or veggie stock, or even pasta water.


• For a spicy take, add hot sauce or a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper. But if you want more flavor without the heat, add a teaspoon of dijon mustard instead.


• And for a flavorful savory sauce, stir in fresh herbs and a dash of garlic powder. For example, parsley, dill, and oregano work really well.

How to Store and Freeze Hello Fresh Cream Sauce Base

In general, the sauce will last for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. But if you want it to last longer, you should freeze it.

Frozen, it will last for about 6 months. And after 6 months, it’s probably still fine to eat – it will just have lost some flavor and/or gotten freezer burnt.

How to Reheat Hello Fresh Cream Sauce

For best results, let frozen sauce thaw out in the refrigerator. If it looks like it has broken, don’t worry.

Simply pour the thawed sauce into a pan and heat it over the stove. As you whisk it, it’ll come back together.

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