After attending a lovely dinner party, I am always inspired to entertain again myself. Last weekend Jon and I went to watch the National Championship game and eat dinner with close friends Elizabeth and Tom. She had her dining table set and a true home-cooked meal from start to finish. After I tried each mouthwatering dish, I asked where the recipe came from. She commented every time,
Oh, that’s old school.
Some of the best recipes are old school techniques, simply reinvented. A cream sauce, sometimes called a white sauce, is the foundation for so many recipes. And believe it or not, it doesn’t have any cream in it at all! You probably have the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry now. Once you master this basic sauce, the possibilities are endless!
Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
Makes 2 ½ cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset. Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
Learn from Leslie: For a milder version, use less white pepper, or add it a little at a time to taste.
Leslie Byars Register
Yields 2 1/2 cups
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset.
- Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
With the egg craze that seems to be everywhere now, I thought it was the right time to post this asparagus recipe. It’s filling enough to be a light supper or comforting lunch but also a beautiful side to accompany ham—or any meat. It even looks elegant in a cast-iron skillet!
Easy Elegant Asparagus
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Homemade breadcrumbs (see recipe below)
Place a vegetable steamer basket in a medium Dutch oven. Fill pot with just enough water to reach the bottom of the basket. Bring water to a boil; place asparagus into the basket, cover, and steam until tender when pricking with a fork (about 5 minutes).
Remove asparagus from Dutch oven (in the basket), and place into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove asparagus from the basket, and pat dry on a paper towel. Set aside. (This step can be done in advance.)
In a baking dish or ovenproof skillet, arrange half of the asparagus in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce and half of the chopped hard-cooked eggs; repeat with remaining asparagus, sauce, and eggs. Top with 1 cup of homemade breadcrumbs.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Homemade Breadcrumbs: In a food processor, combine 2 or 3 slices of bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Learn from Leslie: You may not use all of the sauce, but it reheats nicely. Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce recipe can also be cut in half if desired. Personally, don’t mind a little extra!
One of my childhood favorites, originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is the Legendary Kentucky Hot Brown. If this was ever on a menu, it was all mine!
This knife-and-fork sandwich is a quick and easy weeknight meal, and impressive enough for company when serving a smaller crowd.
Kentucky Hot Brown
Serves 4
4 slices white bread, cut in half diagonally
1 to 1 ½ pounds sliced turkey
1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce
8 tomato slices
¼ cup grated Parmesan
8 slices of cooked bacon
In individual ovenproof dishes, assemble in this order: bread, turkey, cream sauce, tomato slices, and Parmesan cheese.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with two slices of bacon, crisscrossed on top.
Lastly, here’s a way to sneak a green vegetable into your family’s diet. One bunch of fresh broccoli goes perfectly with the homemade cream sauce to make a delicious Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese. Pasta is always a family favorite.
Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese
Serves 8 to 10 (maybe more!)
2 cups twist-style pasta (8 ounces)
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
2 ½ cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
½ teaspoon salt (and more to taste)
½ cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
Boil pasta in a large pot according to directions until al dente. Strain and return pasta to the pot. Set aside.
Steam the broccoli in vegetable steamer basket for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Plunge into ice water; allow to cool. Remove from ice water to a clean dishtowel or paper towels; pat to absorb excess moisture. Set aside. (This step can be done a day in advance; and refrigerate until ready to use.)
Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour, and whisk until combined. Gradually add milk, and continue to cook until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add Cheddar, half of the Parmesan (¼ cup), and the next 4 ingredients.
Add the cream sauce and broccoli to the pasta. Stir to combine. Place in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Panko.
Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.
Serve immediately.
Learn from Leslie: Any larger shaped pasta, will work like sea shell or rotini.
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