My parents were lucky in that my brothers and I didn’t need too much convincing to eat our vegetables when we were growing up. Well besides, say it with me, bell peppers and cooked carrots (like, stewed carrots. I can’t even!) Oh, and lima beans. If I never see a bag of frozen succotash again, it’ll be too soon.
That said, even I, a die-hard veggie lover, can appreciate a little jazzing up of my favorite side dish every now and again with a warm, decadent Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce drizzled on top, muwahaha!
This cheddar cheese sauce takes just 5 minutes to make and will liven up everything from steamed broccoli and cauliflower, to hot baked potatoes. In addition to veggies it’s also great to stir into pasta and rice, or even pour directly over crunchy tortilla chips for a little homemade nacho action!
The recipe is adapted from the cheddar cheese sauce I made to swirl into my Cheesy Taco Soup, except it has just a tad more shredded cheddar to really pump up the flavor.
The result is sensational! Thick and extra-cheesy – perfect for convincing any veggie hater to eat their greens or, for those who don’t really need an extra push, a special, occasional treat.
Start by melting 2 Tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in 2 Tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute.
Next, slowly whisk in 1 cup milk (I used skim,) season with salt & pepper, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir until the mixture has thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat then add 1-1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. I HIGHLY recommend using freshly grated cheese (vs pre-grated) as pre-grated cheese has a coating to prevent it from sticking together and won’t melt as well.
Taste the sauce then add more salt & pepper if necessary. Drizzle over your favorite steamed veggies then devour!
Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
salt & pepper
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese (not pre-grated)
Directions:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour then whisk for one minute. Slowly whisk in milk then season with salt and pepper and switch to a wooden spoon. Stir and cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat then add cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Taste then season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
This cheese sauce is so yummy that it might even convince your kids to eat the broccoli “trunks”. I was all about the broccoli “tree tops” when I was little, leaving the trunks for, well, the dog. (RIP Friski.)
Feel free to play around with the type of cheese in here too – I’m thinking a mix of cheddar and Pepper Jack would be awesome drizzled over a baked potato!
Everything is better with cheese! Especially broccoli. And Friski…such a a cute name. I wish they could out-live us!
does that make me odd that i love lima beans, lentils,bell pepper, cooked carrot and pretty much any veggie and ALWAYS have? hmmmm? cheese looks yummy
That’s how I make the cheese sauce for my personal serving of mac & cheese… right down to the switch from whisk to wooden spoon. It’s soooooo good. (Add roasted broccoli to eat with & I’m happy!)
Looks decadent!
What don’t you like about bell peppers? I’m not a fan of raw carrots but cooked are okay.
I’ve always made cheese sauce with Velveeta but will try this recipe in an attempt to get the kids to eat broccoli. Thanks for the info about the shredded cheese. Didn’t know about that coating but makes sense. Did you use a mild or sharp cheddar?
Yum!
No kids, but my husband still asks for cheese on his broccoli! I think I will try freezing some of this sauce to have on hand.
Perfect! I had to sit myself down for a come to Jesus talk today because I’ve been slacking off on the whole lose weight before summer thing. We decided that I needed to eat more veggies. This will definitely make that easier.
Cheese sauce makes everything better but I can definitely go to town on some steamed broccoli. Yours looks perfect!
I almost never have cow milk on hand! I always have almond or soy milk, however. Can i use it for this recipe? I was just thinking that I needed a way to jazz up my veggies and would love to try this!
My mom used to make green beans with a certain processed cheese when us kids were growing up. Although I’d never buy a block of that stuff for myself, I could certainly get a little nostalgic by making this not-so-naughty version
This looks yummy! I wonder if I can use Veggie Shreds instead of real cheese… my son has a dairy allergy, so that’s what I use for him when anything calls for cheese. He’s always saying he wishes he could have nachos!
cheese sauce or not, the broccoli stalks are my *favourite* parts – the little tree bits are definitely second rate!
I did not know that about coated per shredded cheese, good to know and this is yummy looking!!
Brocolli trunks are my favourite bit!
I pin just about everything you post. You’ve made my life/meal-planning so much easier with your recipes. Keep up the good work! My tummy (and my husband’s) is so thankful.
That is a great basic cheese sauce that every new cook needs to add to his/her recipe box. That makes so much sense about the coating on the cheese. Duh!
Broccoli with cheese sauce is one of my most favorite things!! Yay to no more cheez whiz!! Totally trying this
This looks like a perfect addition to broccoli (or any other veggie!! YUM!
LOVE this! It was totally the only way I would eat broccoli as a kid, although that was cheese sauce from a jar
I’m definitely making this!
The “trunks” were (and remain) my favorite part. Too bad we couldn’t have tag teamed that as kids! I will definitely be trying this cheese dip soon; even as a mostly grown up, I need some extra encouragement to eat the veggies. And, I think the brocoli and cheese would be amazing on top of a potato. Kind of like the ones you get at Wendys, but healthier.
I love the idea of drizzling this over a baked potato – yum! When my brother was little I remember the only way we got him to eat broccoli was to call them “tree stars” – my brother loved The Land Before Time!
This looks great and simple enough! I always want a cheese sauce but never took the time to figure out how to make one. I am going to try this for our baked potatoes next time. Thanks for posting!
Almost licked the screen … thats how dang good these pictures are … looks sooooooo good.
Cheese makes everything better–this is a great way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies!
My mom always made baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese sauce (pretty much your exact recipe) as dinner growing up – it was always one of my favorites!
I willl do this…..tonight! I’ve been thinking of a different way to eat the leftover broccoli and cauliflower in my fridge – and now I can’t wait
Broccoli is my go-to veggie. I crave it sometimes, my roommates think I’m crazy!
Made this last night with broccoli, cauliflower, sausage, and rice. It was so easy, so delish, and sooo cheesy! Thanks for the simple and perfect fix to an otherwise boring dish
I am going to try this tonight, hoping it will help my 5-year old eat broccoli/cauliflower. The problem is, its just the two of us. How do you think this would re-heat?
It reheated just fine for me, but you could also halve the recipe and it will turn out great, too!
I used this today in place of a can of cheddar cheese soup for a hotdish I was making. Turned out great! Thanks!
hi, if I make this and have some leftover, will it last in the fridge till the next day? Thanks!
Yep! Just add a little milk before microwaving.
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