Substitute for Cream of Anything Soup...

I've been cooking a long time....a L...O...N...G time.  And I think I do okay.  I have one friend who used to be a caterer, and she says I'm her only friend who is a good cook.  Of course, she is now vegetarian, so it's kind of hard to screw up salads when I feed her.  :)

A common ingredient you will frequently find in some of my family's favorite old-timey retro home-cooking casseroles are either Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken, or Cream of Celery soups.  Those three used to be staples in my pantry, but I don't find myself buying them often anymore.  So tonight when I wanted to make an easy enchilada casserole, I had everything except the cream of mushroom soup.  (I know, I know.  Cream of Mushroom soup in an enchilada casserole sounds gross, but you will just have to trust me on this.)

Yoo-hoo...Google.  A search for "substitute for cream of mushroom soup"  landed me at Center Cut Cook.

And then I had this DUH moment.  Of course!  So simple.  Why did I never think of this on my own?  The simple recipe is made from ingredients that I ALWAYS have in my pantry and fridge.  It took way less time than a run to the store or even a neighbor's, no gasoline or money spent, and this recipe doesn't have any weird flavorings or stabilizers.

It's basically just a white sauce that can be adapted by differing the type of broth or seasonings that you choose to add.  I used beef broth tonight since I was making a beef casserole.  You could also saute a little mushroom for Cream of Mushroom, or celery for Cream of Celery.  (Who am I kidding, I would SO just use celery salt.)

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Cream Soup Substitute from Center Cut Cook

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk until it begins to thicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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And because I hate dirtying up an extra pan, I just mixed it all in the pan I was already using, then put the rest of my casserole recipe together.  It turned out great.