A ladle of white sauce makes everything better, from a pasta dish to grilled chicken or fish to baked vegetables. White sauce is a delicious combination of flour, butter, milk, and cheese that is creamy and melts in your mouth. While we love it for all its cheesy and creamy indulgence, the white sauce can be extremely calorie-heavy and may derail your weight loss goals. Moreover, having cheesy white sauce every day may not be ideal for your overall health. But who said you need to have cheese for white sauce all the time? We've got a healthy fix for you right here. You can make a great white sauce without even adding cheese to it. Yes, you read that right.
Try these five easy and healthy swaps for cheese when making white sauce next.
1. Cauliflower
Besides being a versatile veggie that can be used to make everything from cauliflower rice to pizza crust, cauliflower can even be used to make a white sauce. It is perhaps one of the easiest low-carb swaps for a healthy diet. Simply chop the cauliflower into small florets, blanch well, and puree them. Add it to the white sauce in place of cheese to make it super creamy and thick.
2. Mushroom
Pureed mushrooms can help thicken the cheesy sauce and also give it a unique umami flavour. It is time you took your love for mushrooms to a whole new level!
3. Milk
One of the most popular alternatives, milk can be a great substitute for oodles of cheese. This will also make the sauce lighter, airier, healthier, and, of course, lower in calories. Make sure to cook it a little longer so that the milk thickens and has the same creamy texture.
4. Cashew Paste
Just like the addition of cashews to any Indian gravy makes it rich and thick, this can be applied to the white sauce too. The humble cashew nut can be soaked for some time, added to a blender, and then used to thicken the white sauce without the addition of cheese. Simple, isn’t it?
5. Potatoes
Potatoes are quite a saviour in Indian cooking, as the incredible vegetable is known for its versatility, and it can actually be used to make a cheesy and comforting white sauce too. Simply boil the potatoes, mash them, or puree them in a blender. Add this to your white sauce and enjoy!
