Condensed Cream of [blank] Soup

While browsing different pins on Pinterest a few weeks ago I came across one for "Cream of [...] Soup". It was the simple recipe for a homemade version of canned condensed cream of [fill in the blank] soup. I thought to myself, "That might be a handy recipe to have on hand for several reasons." So, I repinned it. I didn't think that I'd use it as soon as I did or that it would turn out as well as it did.

Cream of Chicken for my Enchilada Sauce

As my sisters and I were prepping Thanksgiving dinner at my parents, my youngest sister sadly informed us that she had grabbed the wrong cream soup for her green bean casserole, which is her hubby's favorite Thanksgiving dish. My sis' had all the other ingredients but sadly my mom had no cream of mushroom soup on hand. Just then I remembered the pin! I exclaimed, "We can make our own. I just saw a recipe on Pinterest for it so we can at least try it." It turned out fabulously, as you can see from my Green Bean Casserole post, so I figured that I'd attempt it in place of condensed cream of chicken for my enchilada sauce tonight. Again, it worked beautifully and it's really quite simple.
The basic recipe goes something like this...

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk (skim has worked perfectly both time for me)
• Optional:
• 1-2 teaspoons of chicken or beef bouillon
• 1/2 cup of dried mushrooms, celery, chicken, etc. re-hydrated

Directions

1. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour till it forms a paste.
2. Slowly pour milk into the pan, whisking as you pour until the mixture is smooth. Add an optional ingredients (beef bouillon + dried mushrooms for cream of mushroom, chicken bouillon for cream of chicken, etc.)
3. Simmer until sauce is thickened. Add to your dish in place of canned cream soup.