Many dishes call for cream soups which can be substituted with a healthier and cheaper homemade cream sauce. The sauce can be used to thicken soups and pastas, as a delicious base for chicken dishes, or as  a gravy, depending on the ingredients you add to flavor it.

3-4 Tbls. of butter or olive oil
3 to 4 Tbsp. flour (All purpose, white or wheat)
1 – 1.5 cups of broth or milk (see HINT below)
salt and pepper

Hint: For a milk-based rue to use in gravy or creamy dishes, add milk as the liquid. For a stock-based
roux, add chicken broth or vegetable stock*.

*Chicken broth is the water with oil left after you have cooked a whole chicken.  Slow-cooking the bones after you remove the chicken will intensify the flavor of the broth.

*Vegetable stock can be made by boiling vegetable pieces in water—onions, celery stalks, etc.
This sauce is very versatile and can be used to enhance all sorts of dishes.

Here are some variations:

1. Add wine (for flavor) after the butter/oil and before the milk or cream.
2. Add sour cream or cream cheese instead of milk for a thicker, richer sauce.
3. Saute onions, garlic, and/or mushrooms in the oil for flavor before adding other ingredients.
4. Pour sauce over chicken and bake until chicken is done—better when served the next day! You
could also place the chicken and sauce in a Crock pot for a ready-made meal. Add vegetables
and serve over rice or pasta if desired.
For more practical tips and recipes about cooking from scratch, check out my ebook, Back to Scratch:  Saving Money in the Kitchen.