Cream of Whatever Soup Mix

 Many moons ago I posted a recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup.  Since then I have tweaked it slightly.  Although the old recipe was good, I think that this is even better.

Pictured below:  Homemade cream of celery for tuna casserole.

1 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup broth (any kind will work, you can use bouillon if you need to)
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
dash paprika

• Melt butter in a saucepan over Med-Low heat.
• Stir in flour a little at a time until smooth.  Remove from heat.
• Add broth and milk a little at a time, stirring to keep mixture smooth. Add seasonings and mushrooms/chicken/celery (depends on what kind you're making)
• Return to heat and bring sauce to a gentle boil; stir constantly until sauce thickens.

Note:  I like to use cast iron.  The longer you brown the butter and flour mix, the better the flavor.

On the old post someone asked about making a large batch.  I would recommend this dry mix for storing large batches:

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, more to taste

Store mix in an airtight container.  To use, mix 1/3 cup of mix with 1 1/4 cup water.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add mushrooms/chicken/celery if desired.