Cheese Sauce for Broccoli (2024)

Wanna get your kids to eat vegetables? Rich and creamy Cheese Sauce For Broccoli is a game changer. Made with cheddar cheese and basic ingredients, it's the perfect topping for broccoli or any other veggies.

Why You'll Love Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

Wanna know my favorite way to get kids to love broccoli? My Grandma's homemade cheese sauce is my secret weapon! It's creamy, delicious, and so easy to make. Your family will be fighting for seconds!

Growing up, I had always heard that some people don't like broccoli. This was always baffling to me because I love broccoli and so do my kids! But whichever veggie you love to hate, my favorite way to turn people into veggie believers is this cheddar cheese sauce recipe. It's a pretty simple and quick recipe. It does require a little love. Trust me when I say, your efforts will be well rewarded!

Why you'll love this recipe:

• Incredibly easy to make
• Super simple, common ingredients
• A tried and true recipe
• Kid approved
• 15 minutes, start to finish
• Easy to follow directions
• Tastes incredible

Ingredient Information and Substitutions

• Cheese-My go-to cheese for this recipe is shredded cheddar cheese. Hand-shredding will allow it ot melt easier but it also works with pre-shredded. You can totally use your favorite cheese like Monterey jack or white cheddar.
• Roux- Melted salted butter and flour mix together to thicken this sauce. I always cook my roux for a couple minutes before adding the milk to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
• Milk- Adds just the right liquid component without making it too heavy. YOu could always use half and half or heavy cream, but I think whole milk makes it just the right texture.
• Seasoning- Garlic powder and ground black pepper round out the flavors in this. Once it's ready and you've tasted it, you can totally add salt, but Grandma never felt it was needed additional salt.
• Steamed broccoli- This is my preferred veggie to go with this cheese sauce but I've also enjoyed it with cauliflower. That said, this would be delicious on whatever veggie you love most.

How To Make Cheese Sauce For Broccoli

Step 1: Make a roux

Begin by melting the butter in a medium size pan over medium heat. Once melted, add in flour and whisk to combine. Allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 2: Add ingredients

Whisk in the milk. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper.

Step 3: Cook

Cook the sauce base for 10 minutes or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be sure to stir continuously, so the milk doesn't scald.

Step 4: Add cheese

Add shredded cheese to the pan and stir until melted. Serve over cooked broccoli or any other veggie that you like. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips For Making Broccoli Cheese Sauce

• Cook down the roux before adding liquid. Cook the flour mixture while whisking often for a couple of minutes to get rid of the floury flavor.
• Don't scald your milk. In general, when you do anything involving milk on your stovetop, you'll want to give it a good amount of attention — constantly stirring so as not to scald the milk. Also, make sure you don't cook it over anything higher than medium heat.
• How to tell when your sauce has thickened- A good way to tell that the milk has thickened enough to add the cheese is by sticking a spoon into it. Once it coats the back of a spoon, you're ready for cheese.
• Hand shred the cheese if you can for optimal melting.
• Turn off the heat before you whisk in the shredded cheddar cheese so it doesn't scald.
• Keep broccoli the same size. Be sure to cut your broccoli florets to a similar size for evenly cooked steamed broccoli.
• Prep ahead- You can clean and cut broccoli and shred the cheese ahead.
• Leftovers and storage- Leftover cheese sauce can be stored for up to 3 days covered in your refrigerator and reheated over medium heat in a small sauce pan- whisk in a small amount of milk to thin it out.

What To Serve With This Broccoli Cheese Sauce Recipe

Round out your meal with these tasty recipe options:

• Mom's Easy Meatloaf
• French Onion Rice Pilaf
• Red Cabbage Salad
• Lemon Bars

Other Recipes Featuring Broccoli And Cheese

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie onInstagramandTikTok!