How to Make Alfredo Sauce from Scratch

Start off by making a roux. A roux is much simpler than it sounds – it's just flour and some sort of fat. I use butter or margarine but you can also use bacon fat (great if you're making cream of potato soup), oil, or another animal fat (this is what you would use if making gravy).

Put two heaping tablespoons of margarine or butter in a frying pan. Melt over medium heat (don't melt on high or it will burn!). Once melted add an equal amount of flour and stir until combined and fairly thick. To complete your roux add 2% or whole milk in small portions. You need to start small because otherwise the flour is going to lump together and you'll just have lumpy hot milk! Add a little milk and stir until it is smooth. Add a little more and stir. Once it is fairly thin you can add the rest of your milk. For two tablespoons of margarine and two tablespoons of flour you'll want about 2 cups of milk total.

Once you milk is all added you need to keep stirring. And stirring and stirring and stirring. This is a slow process, not a race. As you are stirring you'll find it getting thicker. When it is at the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir for another minute.

Now, a traditional alfredo sauce is just this – cream, butter, and flour. However, most people like their alfredo sauce to have a bit more flavor than that so here is what I like to do (and I learned this while cooking at an Italian restaurant).

While melting the butter/margarine add minced garlic cloves, white pepper, and dried parsley. Dried onion flakes are nice as well. When working with dried herbs make sure to crush them with the heel of one hand as you hold them in the palm of the other hand. Flavor will be released as you heat the margarine. Proceed as above. Add a healthy sprinkling of parmesan cheese and, if you have it, provolone!

Now what to do with it?

• Put it on fettuccine (add carrots, chicken, shrimp or whatever else turns you on!).

• Use it as a sauce on chicken

• Drizzle over lasagna

• Make spaghetti fancy with a drizzle over the top

You can store it in the fridge for about 3-4.

Oh, and just so you are aware, there are many people that say this is easy but it isn't! It takes a lot of practice to get this just right. And if you see little black flecks in it – oops! You burned it. Start over again unless you're going for that "Cajun" flavor!

Want more recipes? Check out my Family Cooking blog!