Cream Sauce for Dummies

Use any recipe in a cook book.

The secret, especially with an electric stove, is that when it is time to add the liquid, take the skillet/pot off of the hot burner, add, the liquid and stir it until it is smooth and THEN return it to the heat. Start it on a low heat and while stirring, raise the heat to a med.

Works with gravy too..

You can do it..

I've never had anything but an electric stove to cook on.
Use equal parts flour to butter.
(Actually any grease/oil will do - some people use bacon grease for a different flavor).
Melt the butter and thoroughly mix the flour into it, then heat/stir it for awhile before adding anything else - this really helps get rid of the pasty flavor.
If I use half n half or real cream, the sauce comes out velvety and lovely.
If I skimp on the fat content of the 3rd element then I'm not as happy with the result.
(I have one recipe that calls for using sour cream instead of cream (3 Tbsp flour/3 Tbsp butter/16 oz sour cream) and that makes for a very nice difference in flavor.)
Once you have your roux (it's a base for many other sauces), you can add shredded cheese to it.
If you add parmesan, garlic and some dried basil - you have alfredo sauce.
If you add cheddar, and/or other shredded cheeses you have a great cheesy sauce for pasta or vegetables.

cream sauces and cheese sauces......2 different things.

here's how to make a mac n cheese sauce that he'll like.
double boiler...or I use a metal mixing bowl, over a large saucepan full of water. bring the water to a boil and to the mixing bowl add
heavy whipping cream and shredded cheeses. most any cheeses work...my cheese sauce contains cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, sometimes also a little gouda. season it with salt, pepper, maybe a little thyme. cook the pasta, and drain/rinse it. then add a little olive oil to to that pot and some crushed garlic...saute it for a couple of minutes, add the pasta to it and toss, then add the cheese sauce. at this point...I would bake it for a little bit. covered, for 20 minutes or so. it won't dry it out.

now cream sauces and gravies....they are really easy...don't let it intimidate you. wanna know the tastiest easiest beef gravy? 1 can of cambells double strength beef broth....bring it to a boil. in a little cup mix 2 tbs Wondra flour and 1/4 cup of water.....slowly whisk it in to the broth....boom...gravy...(tastes amazing on garlic mashed potatoes too) most other cream sauces are simply butter and onions...sauteed until soft, then add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk it and cook it for 1 to 3 minutes (this part is important...don't add the liquid right away) then adding some kind of broth or milk, usually about 2 cups, with a whisk slowly. possibilities are endless

When it tastes like paste it's probably because you didn't cook it long enough. After you combine the flour and butter continue to stir it until it's bubbled for a minute or so. Then after you've added the milk/liquid continue to cook it for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

It's thick because the proportion of flour to milk is not right. Either use less flour or more milk. You can continue to add milk until it's the consistency you want.

Use equal parts butter and flour. Melt Butter (2 T) sprinkle in flour (2T) use a whisk the whole time until all of the flour is mixed in. Make sure you can't see any flour or you'll taste flour.
Add milk while whisking a bit at a time. Continue over heat. Maybe need 1 cup of milk all together. But add a bit at a time while whisking until the consistency you want. Add some pepper and then cheese if you're making mac and cheese.
Done. :)

I have made countless perfect cream sauces on an electric stove. The trick is learning how to make a proper roux. That's a fancy word for butter and flour mixed together and cooked over heat. Usually equal parts, the rule is the longer you cook them, the thicker your end product will be. Google ROUX, learn what you can, and then proceed. If you are ending up with paste, you have too much roux and need more moisture.

I love Alton Brown from food network. He has done a good Mac & Cheese. Search for it at Food Network.com. What's great about his shows is he talks about the science behind the dishes he makes.

My creamy cheese sauce is super simple. It takes about 10 minutes. I lightly saute a little chopped garlic and/or herbs in some olive oil or butter. Then I reduce heat to medium or medium low and add heavy cream. Since you're using an electric stove, either pull the pan off the burner and reduce heat, or use a second burner preheated to medium.

Then I simmer it a little, stirring frequently - small bubbles around the edge of the pan are good. A rolling boil is not. Anyway, next I add whichever grated cheese I have and like - for example, a mix of padano and parmesan is good. For a stovetop mac-n-cheese flavor, maybe cheddar or a mix of cheddar and parmesan would be good. Gruyere or gouda are great. I finish with salt and white pepper as needed. With cheddar cheese, a dash of paprika is good.

You'll notice I use no flour in mine - I like it pourable, and the cheese and simmered cream give it enough thickness to cling to pasta or veggies. If you want to thicken it, use a blonde roux - flour cooked in butter until it is beige. Add it to your sauce a little at a time until you get the desired thickness. If it's still white and smells like flour instead of like toast, your roux is undercooked. That's what makes flour-thickened sauces taste pasty.

Good luck!

P.S. - I just remembered seeing a "Good Eats" episode on which Alton Brown makes a homemade stovetop mac-n-cheese. I'll bet his recipe is on foodtv.com.

Here's a lower fat version:

3 tablespoons of flour in a saucepan
turn the burner on to medium heat
immediately add 3/4 cup milk (I use 2%, but you can use whatever)
stir, stir, stir, stir and it will start to thicken (about 4 minutes)
when thicker, add 3/4 cup grated cheddar
reduce heat and stir until cheddar is melted
season with pinch of salt and pepper

good luck!