This easy Broccoli in Cheese Sauce is a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal or a special occasion.
Let’s be honest, everything tastes better with a bit of cheese on it and this easy, three ingredient sauce is a cheese lovers dream.
You will also love this Skillet Broccoli Spaghetti.
Why you will love this recipe
From picky eaters to expert foodies, this cheese sauce is a hit with everyone. You can easily customize this recipe and make it fit your taste.
This cheesy broccoli is perfect for serving at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday and it’s so easy to make that you can whip it for any weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
This recipe is all about that cheesy sauce. You use this sauce on broccoli, cauliflower or any other veggie you’d like to smother in this delicious sauce.
- Cheese: I use a medium cheddar in this recipe and I like to grate my own cheese. Buying pre-grated cheese yields a less smooth sauce.
- Butter: Use a high quality unsalted butter to elevate this dish. The butter and flour are the foundation of the sauce and it is important to use a good butter.
- Milk: You can use any kind you’d like but I prefer using full fat milk.
- Flour: this is our binding agent and allows the sauce to be thick and creamy.
- Aromatics: I love using garlic to add flavor and aroma to my sauce. If you don’t like garlic you can use shallots or omit the ingredient.
Useful tips to make the best cheese sauce for broccoli
Since the sauce is the foundation of this side dish, the technique is very important.
We are basically making a béchamel sauce with butter, flour and milk and adding a heaping amount of cheese to make into a cheddar cheese sauce.
One of the main tips to make a great béchamel is to allow the flour to fully mix with butter before adding the milk.
When adding the milk, whisk continuously to avoid a lumpy sauce. Add the milk slowly and keep whisking as you add more milk.
Broccoli in Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Head of Broccoli About 3 cups broccoli florets
- 3 Tablespoons Butter Unsalted
- 1 Garlic clove Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1.5 Cups Milk
- 1 Cup Cheddar cheese Grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until al dente (not too crunchy but not mushy). Set aside1 Head of Broccoli
- In a sauce pan, over medium heat melt the butter and add the minced garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant for about 1 minute3 Tablespoons Butter, 1 Garlic clove
- Add the flour and whisk until incorporated2 Tablespoons Flour
- Start adding the milk while whisking. Add the milk a bit at a time and whisk well to avoid lumps1.5 Cups Milk
- If the consistency of the sauce is too thick add a bit more of milk1.5 Cups Milk
- Reduce the heat and start adding the cheese. Continue whisking until the cheese is fully incorporated.1 Cup Cheddar cheese
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Pour the sauce over the cooked broccoli and serve immediately
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