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This post will tell you everything you need to know when it comes to making a cheat’s white sauce. There are three recipes below, all for an easy/cheat’s white sauce to make it gluten-free, without milk, or with eggs. They can all be used in an easy lasagne or an indulgent and cheesy Croque Monsieur.
Table of Contents
Even though I have an easy white sauce (béchamel) recipe, I do think a white sauce gets a bad reputation for being tricky and easy to mess up. I’m not sure if that’s because the name “béchamel” makes it seem fancy, or because the idea of making a roux puts people off, but it is simple once you’ve done it once. However, there are many other variations of a white sauce that work beautifully in a lasagne and are so easy.
Years ago, I had Simon Rimmer on the Desert Island Dishes podcast. In that episode, Simon recounts how his mum makes lasagne in a slightly non-traditional way, using a cheat’s white sauce made of cottage cheese rather than white sauce. I’ve used yogurt before with great success in a vegetable lasagne, but I liked the idea of the tanginess from the cottage cheese. After some experimenting in my kitchen, I found a combination of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, and eggs. And it’s great!
Easy Gluten-Free White Sauce Shortcuts
Between the three options for Cheat’s White Sauce on this page, there’s a version that works whether you’re gluten-free or just want an easier route to a classic white sauce.
Cottage cheese and yogurt cheat’s white sauce
This is a version of a cheat’s white sauce without milk or butter, but with eggs. It also includes no flour, so it’s gluten-free.
The eggs are key to loosening the mixture to make it spreadable, and it works perfectly in a lasagne. This makes enough to cover a lasagne for 4 people and is best made fresh rather than stored, since it contains raw eggs.
- 10.5 oz (300 g) cottage cheese, about generous 1 1/4 cups
- 7 oz (200 g) Greek yogurt, about scant 1 cup
- 2 eggs
- 0.9 oz (25 g) grated Parmesan, about generous 1/4 cup
- Salt and pepper
ONE: Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs to a bowl. Mix well until smooth.
TWO: Stir in the grated Parmesan, then season generously with salt and pepper. Use straight away in your lasagne or other dish.
Ricotta cheat’s white sauce
Another cheat’s white sauce can be made with ricotta. It’s great in a lasagne, as the spinach is a great way to bump up the veggies. This white sauce option is made without flour, without a roux, without butter, and it is gluten-free too! If you buy gluten-free lasagne sheets, you can make the whole meal gluten-free.
- 17.5 oz (500 g) ricotta, about 2 cups
- 0.9 oz (25 g) Parmesan, grated, about generous 1/4 cup
- 2-4 tbsp milk, depending on the thickness of your ricotta
- 1/2 a bag of spinach, wilted and excess moisture squeezed out
- Handful of basil leaves, torn
ONE: Wilt the spinach, then squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Chop roughly.
TWO: In a bowl, combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, chopped spinach, and torn basil. Add 2 tbsp to start.
THREE: Mix well, loosening with more milk as needed depending on the ricotta’s thickness. Season well with salt and pepper.
Milk and cornflour cheat’s white sauce
This is a white sauce recipe without flour, without a roux base, and without butter. It may sound bizarre, but you stir it on the stove until the cornflour thickens the milk. This makes it gluten-free. Do check your cornflour (cornstarch) packaging just in case, but most is naturally gluten-free. The full recipe is below.
Frequently asked questions
All three of these cheat’s white sauce recipes are gluten-free. Just make sure to check the ingredient labels just in case. For a gluten-free cornflour, I like this one.
The ricotta-spinach white sauce and the milk-cornflour white sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, roughly. Just make sure to heat the cornflour one well, and I often find I need to add more milk (or water) to loosen it. Make the cottage cheese-yogurt white sauce when you need it, as it contains raw egg, so it’s best not to let it sit too long.
Other recipes you may enjoy
If you’re making any of these Cheat’s White Sauce recipes, you simply have to use it in my Easy Lasagne with Cheat’s White Sauce and Croque Monsieur. You might also want to try my Easy Tomato Sauce with 4 ingredients as a dip for Green Gnocchi or Melty Mozzarella Parcels.
Recipes
White Sauce for Lasagne
Easy Pasta Recipes
Pasta in Green Sauce
Easy Pasta Recipes
Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Vegetarian Dishes
Creamy Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
If you tried this Cheat’s White Sauce or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Milk and Cornflour Cheat’s White Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 13.5 fl oz milk, about generous 1 2/3 cups; divided
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Mix the cornstarch (cornflour) with 2 tbsp of milk and set aside. Bring the rest of the milk to a simmer on the stove, but don’t let it boil and burn. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir well continuously.
- The sauce should begin to thicken; keep stirring to avoid lumps. When it is your desired consistency, season well with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
