{"id":11225,"date":"2010-04-26T22:22:18","date_gmt":"2010-04-27T02:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/?p=11225"},"modified":"2020-08-31T10:13:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T14:13:13","slug":"basic-cream-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/basic-cream-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Cream Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of you have asked how I make my basic cream sauce. After reading all the entries for the pasta maker<\/a> giveaway it is clear you all love your cream sauce. The truth is I never use a recipe for my cream based sauces, I always make it “to taste.”<\/p>\n

\"basic<\/a><\/p>\n

A basic cream sauce is very easy to make, and is really only a few ingredients. However you can make an amazing cream sauce with some of my favorite additions.<\/p>\n

Ingredients for Basic Cream Sauce<\/h2>\n

Heavy Cream<\/h3>\n

I use heavy cream in almost every cream sauce. The only reason I don’t use it is because there isn’t any in the fridge.<\/p>\n

You can use a little or a lot depending on how much sauce you like. I use about a half a pint for one pound of pasta. If you don’t have heavy cream you can substitute with half and half or sour cream.<\/p>\n

Butter<\/h3>\n

Mmmmm, don’t you just LOVE butter? I do, and I use it in every cream sauce I make.<\/p>\n

Once again, depending on how much exercise you want to do after dinner you can add a little or a lot. (A little meaning 1 Tablespoon, a lot meaning throw in the whole stick)<\/p>\n

I’ve never substituted margarine for butter in cream sauce, so if you’ve tried it let me know how it works!<\/p>\n

Sour Cream<\/h3>\n

If you want to lighten up your sauce (calories, not taste) use less heavy cream and substitute with light sour cream.<\/p>\n

You won’t be able to tell the difference. Sour cream is also cheaper (sales and coupons) than heavy cream, so use it when you want to stretch your pennies.<\/p>\n

Cream Cheese<\/h3>\n

I’ve started replacing most of my heavy cream in recipes with the low fat cream cheese. I think it brings a better flavor to the sauce and a slight tang to it.<\/p>\n

Chicken Base<\/h3>\n

This gives your sauce a little chicken flavor without actually buying meat. I use it when I include chicken in the pasta too, it is just a habit.<\/p>\n

Most restaurants use chicken base in their sauces which is why if you aren’t using it your sauce might not taste like the kind you get in a restaurant.<\/p>\n

You can also use chicken broth, but I like the chicken paste better because it’s cheaper and you can use it to make your own broth if you don’t have any on hand.<\/p>\n

Garlic<\/h3>\n

You can’t have sauce without garlic. You can use fresh, minced, crushed, or in a pinch, garlic powder. I prefer fresh, but I usually use minced garlic.<\/p>\n

Costco sells giant jars of minced garlic which are a perfect for a quick substitute for fresh garlic.<\/p>\n

Salt<\/h3>\n

I don’t use a lot of salt in my sauce, but a little goes a long way. One or two teaspoons does the trick. I like using kosher salt, but it is truly a personal preference.<\/p>\n

Cheese<\/h3>\n

Like salt, a little cheese really livens up your sauce. I prefer asiago, but will use parmesan or romano too.<\/p>\n

I buy it in the triangle wedges and finely shred the cheese. 1\/4 a cup for a pound of pasta is sufficient, but if you are from Wisconsin add the entire wedge.<\/p>\n

Cream of chicken soup<\/h3>\n

I try to avoid canned soups in recipes if possible. I don’t use this often, but it tastes really good in my chicken tetrazinni<\/a> recipe. It makes your sauce really creamy. For a pound of pasta I use about a half a can. Do not dilute, just spoon it right from the can into your sauce pan.<\/p>\n

Extras:\u00a0 I add these ingredients if I have them in my fridge or pantry, they add a lot of flavor to the sauce but aren’t necessary.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n