Mrs Huston's "Sauce"

There is NOTHING worse than finding a recipe that sounds delicious than finding out that the main ingredient is not gluten-free and not easily substituted but it is a very commonplace thing that you would think that in 2022 there HAS to be something you can use as a substitute.

Condensed soup, for instance. Today, there are many canned soups available on the market but none of them are condensed. And they are more expensive than their gluten containing counterparts.

Going through my mother in law's cookbooks I was delighted to find a recipe with the generic name of "Sauce."

She apparently used this "sauce" in many recipes that required a can of condensed soup. She was not on a gluten free diet but was watching her sodium intake. Condensed soup - like many processed foods on the market - are very high in sodium. With this recipe you can adjust the salt to your taste or even omit it entirely.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of Butter or margarine - the original recipe called for unsalted but you can decide if you want to use the salted version or not. I tend to use margarine as it is easier to spread and get the amounts you want. I only use actual butter when I am doing any baking as I find butter works better for things like cookies and cakes.

1/4c Onion - You can use more or less of this according to your taste.

1 clove garlic - This was not on the original recipe but unless its a dessert, I always add garlic. I love me some garlic.

1/8- 1/4c All Purpose Four - You can switch out wheat flour for an all purpose gluten free blend if desired.

1/2t Coarse Salt. This can be reduced or omitted if you are using unsalted butter or margarine. I don't think I would make this without any salt whatsoever as the taste will be quite bland.

4c Milk - I have never tried this with anything but cow's milk. I am sure you could use a plant based milk instead.

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter or margarine over a medium heat.

Once fully melted, add the onion (and garlic if you are using it) and cook until softened and fragrant. Stir often to make sure it browns but does not burn. This took me about 5 minutes.

Add the flour and salt in small amounts to the cooked onions. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture turns a pale golden colour and has a slightly nutty smell. It should look like cooked oatmeal. make sure not to burn it or it will taste bitter.

Add half the milk slowly while stirring constantly. When it is mixed thoroughly, add the remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly to avoid the milk cooking to the bottom of the saucepan. Cook for about 7 minutes or just until it starts to simmer. If you are using cows milk, do not bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken and no longer feels grainy. This took me about 10 minutes.

This makes 4 cups of "sauce" and can be doubled if needed.

Notes

You can use this in many recipes, as a sub for condensed soup - Tuna Noodle casserole, creamed Spinach, over roast vegetables etc...

Store any leftover sauce in the fridge. Just remember to place in a resealable container and use it within 5 days.

Gluten free flours can be pretty expensive and just as processed as their gluten containing counterparts. I have had a lot of luck using gluten free oat flour in place of regular flour. If you do go with an all purpose blend, just remember that they tend to be denser than regular flours. If you add the same amount as called in the recipe, you might end up with something resembling playdough. Start with 1/8th of a cup and add a teaspoon at a time until you get the desired thickness.