Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

If you ever thought broccoli was boring, you need to try my broccoli with cheese sauce. Covered in a creamy, melty, and tasty homemade cheese sauce, after one bite I know you’ll make this side dish again and again.

I could eat broccoli any way you fix it, but I especially love it raw. My husband…well, we gotta douse it in a generous coating of cheese sauce before he even considers heading in broccoli’s general direction. So this is a recipe from my new cookbook, Come Home To Supper, that makes broccoli a family affair again using my homemade cheese sauce that is good on just about everything! It’s also easy, like the rest of the recipes in my book. Homemade doesn’t have to be complicated!

My homemade cheddar cheese sauce is quick and simple and includes ingredients you probably already have at home, like butter, cheddar cheese, and milk. Simply stir it all together, pour it over your broccoli, and you have broccoli with cheese sauce, an unbeatable side dish. Yep, it’s done and ready to eat in 15 minutes. Got to love that!

If there’s another vegetable your family doesn’t love as much as you, just add some homemade cheese sauce and they’ll be fighting for the leftovers! I also recommend it with steamed cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini.

Recipe Ingredients

• Broccoli
• Butter (or margarine)
• Cornstarch
• Cheddar cheese (pre-shredded is fine)
• Salt and pepper
• Milk

Place milk and cornstarch in a saucepot.

Stir this together really well with a whisk and place it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and add the salt, pepper, butter, and cup of shredded cheese.

Stir constantly until the sauce is smooth and fully blended, like this.

Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

Fill a big pot 3/4 full with water and add remaining salt.

Bring this to a boil and then add in the broccoli florets.

Boil until just crisp-tender or about 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain and place in a serving bowl.

Pour the cheddar cheese sauce over the steamed broccoli and enjoy!

See how easy that was? There are over 200 more recipes like that to help you get supper on the table in a flash in Come Home To Supper! Click here to purchase your copy online.

Storage

I don’t recommend storing leftovers, as the cheese sauce coagulates in the fridge. However, if you decide to, it will last up to 3 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. If you can, I’d store the leftover broccoli separately from the cheese sauce. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Recipe Notes

• If you want to add a little more flavor to your cheese sauce, add a teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or cayenne pepper.
• You can also use any type of shredded cheese, like sharp cheddar cheese, Havarti, or Monterey Jack.
• It’s totally fine to use either fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli florets in this cheesy broccoli recipe.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with this broccoli with cheese sauce recipe?

Serve your broccoli with cheese sauce alongside any main dish. This might be butter-roasted chicken, meatloaf, or crispy breaded pork chops.

Here are some other sensational side dishes: 

Southern Turnip Greens (Quick and “Fried”)

Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese (Southern Plate Favorite)

Southern Butter Beans Recipe

Superfast Corn Succotash Recipe

Southern-Style Fried Okra Recipe

How To Make Hot Water Cornbread

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Broccoli with cheese sauce is a fantastic side dish that includes covering "boring" broccoli with a creamy and tasty homemade cheese sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 178kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 cup butter or 1/4 stick
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt some is for the broccoli
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bag broccoli florets 16 ounces, or about two heads of broccoli

Instructions

• Combine milk and cornstarch in a small saucepan and stir together with a whisk. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until just boiling.
  1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Reduce heat to low and stir in the butter until melted. Add cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, and stir constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth and fully blended. Cover and set aside.
  1/8 cup butter, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full with water and add the remaining teaspoon of salt. Heat over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil and then add the broccoli and boil until crisp-tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).
  1 bag broccoli florets
• Drain broccoli and place it in a serving bowl. Pour the cheddar cheese sauce over the steamed broccoli and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 “Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.”

~Unknown

submitted by Jackie. Click here to submit your favorite quotes!