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.
Cheese Sauce – Geeks and Geeklets 06.02.2016
[…] Original Recipe here […]
Andrea Zoner 03.01.2016
I used margarine and 1 1/2 cups of colby cheese and this was fantastic! I ate an entire head of broccoli all on my lonesome and was actually sad when I realized there wasn’t any more. Once it cooled, it got a little too thick, but it reheated just fine with a little milk mixed in. Perfect consistency when hot. Thank you, thank you!
Kathy Gallelli 02.20.2016
if I make the cheese sauce with velvetta instead of cheddar will it be the same and can I make it ahead of time and then she heat it up later? Will the cheese re-melt if I do that or will it stay stuck and lumpy? Than you
Kristin 02.20.2016
Hi Kathy! Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with velveeta, so I can’t be sure. I think you could mix it with milk then heat until creamy!
Switching Roles – The linchpin bunch 02.17.2016
[…] my husband worked hard to cook the main dish, I found a quick cheese sauce for broccoli online here and made my own adaptions. I added more cheddar cheese and an extra table spoon of butter. I also […]
7 Quick Meals: Busy Freelancing Moms - Lisa Tanner Writing 11.25.2015
[…] ten minutes before dinner, mix up a simple cheese sauce. Heat up some frozen broccoli at the same […]
Ray Wright 09.28.2015
DO NOT DO PRINT ON THIS SITE. YOU’LL WIND UP WITH 24 PAGES. A WASTE OF INK AND PAPER.
Kristin 09.28.2015
Hi Ray, if you click the blue print button on the recipe, vs file/print on your web browser, the recipe will print out on one page. I can’t control how your browser prints pages, so I provide an easy print recipe button!
Kerstin 09.18.2015
Thank you for this recipe! It is a staple in my menu rotation, and the first time I’ve used it since summer began. I can’t wait to indulge in it over the winter. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes, too.
Ora 04.09.2015
Must you use cheddar cheese? All I have on hand is sharp cheese.
Kristin 04.09.2015
You can use any good melting cheese – I’d just stay away from cheeses like feta or parmesan.
Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables | Best Recipes Ever 03.16.2015
[…] 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. […]
Dave 02.07.2015
The milk never thickened. Not after 5 minutes, nor after 10. :(
Dave 02.07.2015
Nevermind. My wife told me an unmarked vacuum-sealed bag was flour. It was powdered sugar. I’ll try again later. :)
Sally Budack 01.04.2015
why does it take 21 pages to print this recipe? The recipe starts on page 6. To fix this. I do not need all of the comments & ads. I won’t be back if you are going to waste that much ink & paper for every recipe
Kristin 01.05.2015
Hi Sally! If you click the blue “print” button within the recipe, versus “file/print” in your internet browser, you’ll get the recipe on one page instead of the whole site printing out on 20+ pages.
Sally 01.07.2015
I did click on the blue button on the page. That’s how I got the 21 page print out.
Kristin 01.08.2015
Would you be willing to try one more time? I think we’ve got it figured out!
1/4/2015 | stephaniecameron 01.02.2015
[…] BBQ Chicken, The Cornbread. and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce […]
32 Ways to Make Vegetables Delicious 12.19.2014
[…] will give them a boost in flavor you may not be able to resist. Try out this easy cheese sauce recipe for your vegetables at your next […]
Newsletter for October 28 (Hubbard Squash Tea Bread) | Paul Mazza's CSA 12.02.2014
[…] so happy that we are able to give it out as part of the share! I love steamed cauliflower with cheese sauce, but cauliflower is also delicious roasted and in creamy soups. Cauliflower puree also makes for a […]
Mark 11.01.2014
Great recipe, thanks. I had a package of frozen veggies and only a few minutes to make dinner with a stir fry, and this is a perfect cheese sauce base. My wife loved it. I just realized this is from an Iowa girls recipe site, and I am a Toronto Guy! So from up here in Toronto, pat yourself on the back your recipe is officially international.
Gay 10.26.2014
This sauce ROCKS!! I will never (well, almost) buy stouffers mac & cheese again! Put this sauce over 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni & you will be in taste bud HEAVEN!! Thanks for the quick & easy & DELISH recipe!
Melanie 09.10.2014
This is the easiest, fastest and yummiest cheese sauce ever! I am a terrible cook but this turned out AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, my kids thank you!
G 08.31.2014
How much of each ingredient should I add in order to have 1 pound of sauce at the end?
Shon 08.13.2014
Thanks for the recipe. It was simple, fast, and easy to make.
Kelly 08.05.2014
Whenever I add flour to the butter, it comes out in lumps. Am I doing something wrong?
Shon 08.13.2014
Hi Kelly. Did you try adding the flour slowly to the bubbling butter before adding the milk?
Kristin 08.18.2014
Hey Kelly! I usually sprinkle it in then whisk until smooth. Sometimes it can crumble up a little but it should smooth out when you slowly stream in the liquid.