Recently, I've had a few friends ask me if it is possible to modify some of my cooking for gluten and or dairy free eating. SO....I came up with this pumpkin puree Béchamel sauce recipe that is to die for and easy to modify for gluten and dairy free!
What I came up with is a sauce that is creamy, delicious and, honest to god, you cannot tell that the cheese is missing!
Traditionally, a Béchamel sauce gets it's creamy and flavorful texture from the 1/2 cup + of Parmesan cheese and milk that is added and it is thickened with a butter/flour roux...clearly a traditional sauce is not gluten NOR dairy free! To remedy this, I modified the basics of the sauce to cut out all of that heavy food .
What I came up with is a sauce that is creamy, delicious and, honest to god, you cannot tell that the cheese is missing! You will notice that I used milk and butter because I am not dairy free I do not keep a lot of dairy free foods in the house...I like cheese and milk too much! The version I originally made is not 100% dairy free. However, I included dairy free/friendly substitutes that I think would enhance the flavor even more! It actually makes me want to go to the store for some almond milk just to taste the goodness I am imagining!
Alright! Let's get cookin' and spend some thyme together ya'll! Per the usual I included the basic ingredients you need for this recipe, the ingredients I used, and directions to follow along. If you modified something, then skip that step or replace the step with your own ingredient!
Scrumptious Pumpkin Béchamel
Cooking Thyme: 5 Minutes
Uses: Ratatouille, Mac & Cheese, Mix with Pesto for a creamy flavor...I'm sure I will come up with more soon!
Keep It Simple | Just The Basics:
1/4 Cup (4 TBSP) Canned Pumpkin Puree
2 TBSP Unsalted Butter (or Ghee)
2 TBSP (ish) Bean Flour or Almond Flour
1/4 Cup (4 TBSP) 2% Milk or Almond Milk/Milk Substitute
Thyme For Mine | Make it With Me:
1/4 Cup (4 TBSP) Canned Pumpkin Puree
2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
2 TBSP (ish) Bean Flour
1/4 Cup (4 TBSP) Almond Milk/Milk Substitute
1 TSP (or more) Thyme
Pepper & Salt to taste *You probably do not need much of either*
Direction Thyme:
1. Heat medium saucepan over medium low heat
2. Melt Butter
3. Add flour
4. Whisk flour and butter to create a soft roux
TIP: Add 1 TBSP at a time to fully incorporate the flour. Also, I made this roux a little more on the liquid side because I knew the pumpkin would need the moisture. Typically, a roux is more flour than butter and you mix until the flour fully soaks up the butter to make a base that will thicken your sauce or soup.
5. Reduce heat to low
6. Add the pumpkin puree
7. Whisk until fully incorporated into roux
8. 1 TBSP add milk or milk substitute whisking constantly
TIP: You may not need all of the milk--once the mixture starts to thin judge your need by the consistency of the sauce. It should be slightly thicker than a pizza sauce but not too thin that it cannot stick to a spoon. Almost like sour cream.
9. Add thyme, and pepper & salt if you need it
10. Once the sauce is complete remove from heat and allow to cool before storing. If you pour it into a container when it is still warm it will create condensation and you don't want that extra water in your sauce. ;)
Tip: Make this sauce ahead of time and put it in an air tight container in the fridge for a quick dinner solution!
