Taking a recipe or meal to the next level is a lot easier than you’d think. Even just adding a new spice you haven’t tried before can make all the difference. Sauces, especially, are a great way to mix things up and turn an entire meal into something new. Nowadays, it’s hard to find sauces in the aisles of grocery stores that aren’t riddled with unhealthy additives, ingredients, and loads of calories. Luckily, you can make delish sauces right in your own kitchen!

Béchamel Sauce

As a home cook, Béchamel Sauce is one you should definitely know how to whip up. It’s a simple sauce that calls for easy-to-find ingredients such as flour, butter, and milk. Considered as one of the five mother sauces, this is the perfect sauce to add to meals such as a classic Italian cannelloni or drizzled over roasted carrots and parsnips. There are a number of variations for this sauce, so be sure to give it a try.

White Barbecue Sauce

As a classic and staple sauce in Alabama, your next cookout will be amplified with a homemade White Barbecue Sauce. Instead of a base of tomato or vinegar that you’d find in a traditional barbecue sauce, the base of this one is mayo. This sauce is creamy and tangy, making it an ideal dip or spread for fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, or fries. This versatile sauce will soon become a favorite addition to your table. 

Chimichurri

A sauce born in Argentina, Chimichurri is another popular sauce for barbecue. Made with oregano, vinegar, and lots of parsley, this sauce offers a lovely and fresh flavor that’s the perfect addition to smoky tira de asado, spicy chorípan, or seafood. You can also mix up this sauce with the herbs you choose, like mint and borage when you’re having it with seafood.

Harissa

Spice things up with a homemade Harissa sauce. This spicy red pepper sauce is used in a lot of Moroccan cooking and goes on just about everything. While it’s typically used as a garnish, it’s great for mixing into dishes as well. It’s also very easy to make and is basically just peppers mixed together. The prep time of the recipe is about 35 minutes, 30 of which is soaking the peppers, and the rest of the time is used for combining the ingredients in a food processor or blender.