béchamel

noun

bé·cha·mel ˌbā-shə-ˈmel

variants or béchamel sauce or less commonly bechamel or bechamel sauce

plural béchamels or béchamel sauces also bechamels or bechamel sauces

: a creamy white sauce made with milk, flour, and butter and often salt, pepper, and nutmeg

Prepare the béchamel with 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, and 1 1/2 pints of hot milk. Season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and let it cook for at least 15 minutes.—

Elizabeth David

Bechamel is … made of butter and flour, stirred over heat with milk and ground nutmeg until thick and savory.—

Patrick Evans-Hilton

Béchamel is the base for a number of creamy dishes, including gratins, macaroni and cheese, and creamed spinach.—

Rebecca Hays

We then added a filling of peas, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and more ziti …, all held together with a béchamel sauce.—

Larry Edelson-Kayne

… a quick, easy recipe elevated by creamy and buttery bechamel sauce.—

The Fort Morgan (Colorado) Times (online)

Examples of béchamel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Starbucks holiday food New turkey sage Danish: A flaky savory pastry filled with turkey sausage and a bechamel sauce. —

Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 17 Nov. 2024 Ragu sauce and bechamel are fillers between each layer. —

Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Bianca al Forno is a white lasagne with a classic bechamel base. —

Kaila Yu, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 No trendy or costly ingredients went into her one-pot dishes, no spices beyond salt and pepper, no sauces other than homemade bechamel, mayonnaise or vinaigrette whisked up quickly with a fork. —

Jamie Schler, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 A little leaning tower of lasagna features chestnut pasta and roasted chestnuts, bound in rich bechamel and cheese, hinting of speck (smoked ham) and scented with sage. —

Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023 Nutmeg is used to make classic bechamel sauce, which is frequently used in lasagna and other pasta dishes. —

Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2023 The mac-n-cheese has an elevated pasta feel thanks to rigatoni noodles and a beefy bechamel sauce as its base. —

Alex Darus, cleveland, 28 July 2023 Spring for the sumptuous conch fritters — near-liquid with bechamel and onion in the center and light and golden as the best tempura outside. —

Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 17 May 2023