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. 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 vegetables 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.
How to Make Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Start by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in gluten-free or all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute.
Next, slowly whisk in milk, season with salt and pepper, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir until the mixture has thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat then add freshly shredded cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Taste then add additional salt and pepper if desired.
That’s all she wrote! Liberally drizzle the cheese sauce over your favorite cooked vegetables then devour. I hope you love this decadent, delicious dish – enjoy!
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Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Description
Liven up broccoli to baked potatoes with 5-minute Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup milk (works best with 2% 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, 4-5 minutes, then turn off heat and add cheese. Stir until sauce is melted and smooth then taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Janet Calvin 03.19.2024
Very versatile sauce! I make a Cheesy Chicken Italian bake using this recipe, adding herbs to give it the taste of Italy.
Kristin 03.21.2024
Oo, love that idea, Janet! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Netsanet 12.01.2023
Simple delicious recipe. Thanks. I added a pinch of turmeric to make it more yellow and served it over steamed vegetables.
Kristin 12.04.2023
Sounds delicious!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. :)
Diane 12.27.2020
I’ve made this several times. I love it. Thank you for the recipe!
Siobahn 11.10.2020
Does this store in the fridge okay? How would you reheat?
Charlotte 05.28.2023
I would think that you could.
Just make it a little thinner, and then re-warm it but don’t cook it.
Holly 02.16.2020
The only cheese sauce recipe you’ll ever need! Turns out perfect every time.
Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables | Recipes Food 05.19.2018
[…] We all love pierogies but it had been ages since I’d served them for dinner. I always serve them with bacon and caramelized onions, with a big dollop of sour cream. And I always serve steamed broccoli on the side. This time I wanted to do something a little different with the broccoli. Enter this Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables. […]
Toni 07.23.2017
Can broccoli with gluten free cheese sauce be reheated ?
13 Easy Dipping Sauce For Vegetables | Homemade Recipes 03.28.2017
[…] image via Iowa Girl Eats […]
natasha 09.29.2016
Thank you for your recipe, I was looking where to buy cheese sauce but your recipe is so simple, will be making it soon !!! :))