SAUCES
Guide for Cooking Sauces
Sauces boil over rapidly, especially those that contain milk. As soon as the door is opened, cooking stops.
If ingredients are not taken directly from the refrigerator, cooking time will be less than given in the recipe.
Stir sauce quickly, about every 30 seconds to eliminate lumps. Be sure to use a container twice the size of
the amount of liquid to prevent boiling over.
A wooden spoon may be left in the dish while sauce is cooking for easy stirring. If sauce is stirred slowly,
cooking time may require about 15 seconds longer. If desired, a 1 quart glass measure may be used to
prepare some sauces.
White Sauce
Amount
Butter
Flour
Milk
Cook
Cook
Special Notes
Butter
Sauce
1 cup, thin
1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp
1 cup
30 sec.
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 min.
med. 2 Tbsp
2 Tbsp
1 cup
1 min.
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 min.
thick 3 Tbsp
3 Tbsp
1 cup
1 min.
3 - 4 min.
Brown Gravy
Amount
Fat from
Flour
Liquid or
Cook on
Special Notes
Drippings
Drippings
Power 100
1 cup, thin
1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp
1 cup
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 min.
med.
1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp
1 cup
3 - 4 min.
thick
1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp
1 cup
3 - 4 min.
CASSEROLES
Casseroles may require occasional stirring to distribute heat. They cook more evenly when made with
ingredients of similar size and shape. Because of their shorter cooking time, casseroles cooked in the
microwave oven generally need less liquid. Casseroles with cream and cheese sauces, or meats which
need slower cooking to tenderize, cook best on power level 40.
When cooking a favorite casserole, make two and freeze the second for future use. Line a casserole or
baking dish with plastic wrap. Transfer the cooked food to the lined container and freeze. As soon as the
food is frozen in the shape of the dish, remove it and wrap with freezer paper. Later it can be unwrapped
and returned to the container for defrosting and heating.
Dry Casserole Mixtures
Many prepared box type casseroles are available on the grocery shelves. Many have freeze dried foods or
evaporated foods included. Cooking periods are so short there may not be time for the foods to absorb the
moisture sufficiently and reconstitute the foods. To prepare this type, boil the amount of water recommended
on the package. Add the noodles (when included), cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Allow
noodles to stand covered for an additional 10 minutes, rinse with warm water and drain. Then follow
package directions for preparing the mix. Reheat four to six minutes before serving.
COOKING GUIDE (CONTINUED)
Cook on Full power as directed
or until thickened, stirring once.
Let stand, covered, before
serving.
Cook on Full power as directed
or until thickened, stirring once.
Let stand, covered, before
serving.
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