White Sauce Mix Substitute?

[kanedax]

I found what I'm hoping is a great recipe for Creamy Tortellini Soup in the crock pot. The liquid ingredients are 4 cups of water, a can of vegetable broth, a 1.8 ounce envelope of white sauce mix, and a can of evaporated milk near the end.

Unfortunately, after searching every local grocery store, both large and small, I've come to the conclusion that white sauce mix just doesn't exist here in Minnesota.

So, yeah, anyone have any ideas for what I could use instead? I found some recipes online for home-made white sauce mix, including powdered milk and butter, but I'm not sure they'll match up well with the other liquids like a straight powder would.

So.... alfredo sauce mix? Chicken gravy mix? Southern gravy mix? Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Andy M.]

White sauce is made with ft, flour and milk. It's much too easy to bother buying a mix. If you had to choose, go with the chicken gravy mix.

I'd just look for a different recipe.

 

[Josie1945]

Welcome To DC.

Josie

 

[jennyema]

Just make some white sauce and cut back on the water.

 

[Zhizara]

White sauce mix is usually marked "Country Gravy". I use it when I don't have milk. (I drink it all.)

Walmart carries one called "Country Style Gravy" Great Value brand. It makes 2 cups sauce. I also get Marcum brand at another store called "Country Gravy" but it only makes 1 cup.

Since your recipe calls for the mix, and if you still can't find the "Country" style either, you could probably use Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix as a substitute.

 

[Stephaniedavis]

Did you try any of the gravy mixes? Did they work? I'm looking for the same thing!

 

[Zhizara]

I've used all the gravy mixes and they're pretty good. I keep some on hand when I don't have pan drippings. They also sell gravy in jars and cans, but I really think the mixes taste a little better.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I sometimes use Williams Country Gravy (for something else, NOT the recipe in the OP) and it tastes more spicy than ordinary white sauce (Béchamel sauce) made from scratch, which is just butter, flour and milk. I'm concerned that some country gravy mixes might add additional spices not in the OP's original recipe.

One thing I discovered when looking up white sauce mixes, from the Knorr directions: "Whisk sauce mix and 2-1/4 cups milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer. Stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute." It seems to me that the mix is replacing the roux (butter and flour) normally used to make white sauce, since at least the Knorr white sauce mix requires you to add milk when you make it.

Knorr white sauce ingredient list: Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Maltodextrin (Contains Corn), Lactose (from Milk), Salt, Modified Potato Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Whey Protein Concentrate (from Milk), Sugar, Cream, Whey, Onion Powder, Butter Oil, Sodium Caseinate (from Milk), Corn Syrup Solids, Spices, Annatto and Turmeric Color (for Color), Guar Gum, Soybean Lecithin, Natural Flavor.

I'm wondering if the white sauce mix is just acting as a thickener and binder in the recipe from the OP, and the evaporated milk added at the end completes the reconstruction of a white sauce.

Could the substitution be as simple as making a roux, then slowly adding in the broth while simmering (technically we are making a Velouté sauce here but the idea is to get the thickening provided by the roux into the crock pot at the beginning of cooking), then add that to the crock pot and proceed with the OP recipe directions, and complete it with adding the evaporated milk near the end as directed?

 

[CWS4322]

Welcome to DC! If you coat the chicken in flour and saute it first, it should work. You can always add more flour (or Masa) about 30 minutes before it is done if you want it thicker. I've eaten a lot of chicken tortilla soup, but never one with a cream base. Can you share a link to the recipe or the source?

 

[SherryDAmore]

OP is making tortellini soup, not tortilla. I would not use any milk based sauce in the slow cooker. Tends to break and really doesn't taste good. Consider making a "slurry" and adding it about 1/2 before your done.

 

[Stephaniedavis]

creamy tortellini soup

Here is a link to the recipe:

Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe

 

[Mo K]

I found the same slow cooker recipe via Pinterest, and I also could not find "white sauce mix" in Idaho. I subbed alfredo sauce mix and it worked just fine.http://myfavoritethings-miranda.blogspot.com/2012/03/creamy-slow-cooker-tortellini-soup.html

 

[ashstrat]

I found a great substitute!

After discovering this recipe on Pinterest, I went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Once there, I spent way too long looking for non-existent "white sauce mix" in an envelope. I love to bake but don't know much about cooking. Thus, I very reluctantly bought a can of Cream of Chicken and a can of Cream of Asparagus because I could think of nothing better. Once I got home to see what constitutes the typical substitute for white sauce mix, I was devastated (yes, I'm dramatic) to find this forum and see that all I needed was country style gravy mix. Determined I was not to return to the grocery store, I risked the whole giant pot of soup and fell upon undeserved success.

Nixing the white sauce mix and evaporated milk completely, I started off with the Cream of Chicken and Cream of Asparagus and two cans of water (in place of the 4 cups of water), then followed the recipe as is. 4ish hours later, as a side of Italian-breaded Chicken, the soup was DELICIOUS!!!

 

[Addie]

After discovering this recipe on Pinterest, I went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Once there, I spent way too long looking for non-existent "white sauce mix" in an envelope. I love to bake but don't know much about cooking. Thus, I very reluctantly bought a can of Cream of Chicken and a can of Cream of Asparagus because I could think of nothing better. Once I got home to see what constitutes the typical substitute for white sauce mix, I was devastated (yes, I'm dramatic) to find this forum and see that all I needed was country style gravy mix. Determined I was not to return to the grocery store, I risked the whole giant pot of soup and fell upon undeserved success.

Nixing the white sauce mix and evaporated milk completely, I started off with the Cream of Chicken and Cream of Asparagus and two cans of water (in place of the 4 cups of water), then followed the recipe as is. 4ish hours later, as a side of Italian-breaded Chicken, the soup was DELICIOUS!!!

Genius! See Vit, that is how you substitute and make up your own recipe. After all, the title of the recipe is "Cream of..." And this poster went with the title to make substitutions when she couldn't find the needed ingredients.

BTW, welcome to DC ashstrat. Great substitutions for this recipe. If you had used the white sauce, all you would have done is thicken it. By using the cream of... cans of soup you added additional layers of flavors to your soup. No wonder it was a big hit.

 

[Andy M.]

'Creamy Tortellini Soup'...

Shouldn't it be thickened with cream instead of white sauce/country gravy/Cream of Something Soup?

 

[Addie]

I have purchased Country Gravy Mix in the past. The main spice for seasoning is tons of black pepper. The more gourmet style ones use freshly ground black pepper. You can see the large chuncks of ground pepper in the mix. Now I have nothing against seasoned food, but the black pepper is more than my delicate system can handle. You really have to be a lover of black pepper to use these mixes. To make one from scratch, it is often started with a roux made from bacon grease, then milk and seasoning added. It is just a white sauce with a lot of pepper added. Use the packets and you have a lot of chemicals and additives added. Make you own and it taste so much better. Great over FF potaotes.

 

[Addie]

'Creamy Tortellini Soup'...

Shouldn't it be thickened with cream instead of white sauce/country gravy/Cream of Something Soup?

If you look at the recipe, the cream, milk, cream of soup, etc. is added at the end. You do't want to add it at the beginning. As a previous poster stated, added at the beginninig the dairy product will separate and break down. Like chowders. The dairy is always added at the end. Although ashstrat added the soup with the water at the beginning, remember there are additives in the can of soup to prevent the breaking down of the product.

 

[Andy M.]

Addie, my point is that you don't need white sauce mix, evap milk and cream of soups to make a creamy soup. You just need cream. Leave out all that other white crap and , like a chowder, you just add the cream at the end.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I would still just make white sauce. Flour, butter, salt and milk...need two cups? 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups milk...

on edit: I typed this as Andy was re-responding...I do agree with his POV, too.

 

[Addie]

I would still just make white sauce. Flour, butter, salt and milk...need two cups? 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups milk...

on edit: I typed this as Andy was re-responding...I do agree with his POV, too.

True. But I think the writer of the original recipe was looking for a way to add some thickness to the soup. Remember it is called Cream of .... Otherwise it was just a chowder. Chowders just have milk and water in them. And yes, make your own white sauce and add it at the very end. Simply because it has dairy products in it.