Broccoli in Cheese Sauce

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

21 Comments

5 from 7 votes
6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Broccoli in Cheese Sauce is the best kid friendly side dish! Homemade cheese sauce is easy to make. Perfect for holidays or weeknight meals.

There’s no doubt cheesy Broccoli Casserole is one of the best Veggies for a crowd. This easy Broccoli in Cheese Sauce recipe is just as cheesy and delicious with half the work. Try Easy Roasted Broccoli for another delicious side.

Sabrina’s Broccoli in Cheese Sauce Recipe

Adding a creamy cheese sauce is the fastest way to get your whole family to gobble down their veggies. Skip the frozen broccoli in cheese sauce or the jar of nacho cheese and Velveeta and make this homemade cheese sauce instead. This easy, cheesy sauce makes a winning weeknight side dish every time!

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Broccoli in Cheese Sauce Recipe

Broccoli in Cheese Sauce is the best kid friendly side dish! Homemade cheese sauce is easy to make. Perfect for holidays or weeknight meals.
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Close up of cheese poured on broccoli
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Ingredients
 

  • 6 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded

Instructions

  • Rinse the broccoli and place into a glass bowl covered with a wet paper towel.
  • Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender-crisp then remove the paper towels and place into a baking dish.
  • In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, whisk together the milk, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and nutmeg.
  • Cook the mixture for 5-8 minutes until bubbly and thickened.
  • Add in the cheddar cheese and whisk until smooth.
  • Top the broccoli with the cheese sauce and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 834IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 1mg

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Sabrina Tips

The hardest part of making this recipe is grating your own cheese, which is a must do! When making a creamy cheese sauce, you always want to grate the cheddar cheese yourself. Shredded cheese in a bag has anti-caking ingredients that will make your cheese sauce grainy. You can even shred it ahead of time to make this faster on a weeknight!

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About this Recipe

Broccoli in Cheese Sauce is a quick veggie side dish that is made in 20 minutes. Using the microwave to make steamed broccoli makes this recipe so much easier, but you can always use frozen broccoli or steam broccoli florets on the stove top. For how to cook Broccoli in the Instant Pot, check out the bottom of this post.

Can this be made ahead of time?

While you can definitely make this recipe ahead of time, it’s best enjoyed right away. If you want to make a double batch for a crowd, keep the cheese sauce warm in a small crockpot until you are ready to serve. For crisp broccoli florets, steam them right before your dinner. Reheating cooked broccoli makes it really soft.

Pairing Suggestions

This recipe is perfect served with all your favorite Main Courses. For an easy, fast weeknight dinner, serve Broccoli in Cheese Sauce with Ultimate Garlic Pork Loin or Chicken Breasts and Mashed Potatoes.

How to Store

  • Serve: The cheese sauce is best served right away but it can be out for up to 2 hours at room temperature.
  • Store: Keep your for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. For best reheating, store separately.
  • Freeze: The broccoli can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. The cheese sauce shouldn’t be frozen since it won’t come back together correctly when thawed.

Instant Pot Method

Easily make lots of steamed broccoli in the Instant Pot. Add ½ cup of cold water to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Chop 2 large heads of broccoli into florets and place in Instant Pot with water. Lock the lid and place vent on sealing. Select Manual and high pressure and set time to 0 minutes (it takes about 5 minutes to reach pressure). When the time goes off, use quick release by setting valve to vent.

Variations

  • Veggies: You can substitute your favorite veggies like cauliflower or asparagus. Instead of steamed broccoli, use the creamy cheese sauce on Roasted Broccoli.
  • Cheese: Use your family’s favorite cheese like Monterey jack cheese, white cheddar cheese, or Swiss cheese instead of cheddar cheese. Be sure to grate it yourself!
  • Flour: Instead of cornstarch, you can thicken your sauce with 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour until smooth, and then follow the rest of the recipe.
  • Flavors: You can add different spices like cumin, ground mustard, or cayenne pepper in this recipe. Also try a teaspoon Dijon mustard when you add the cheese.
  • Casserole: Make a quick Broccoli Cheese Sauce Casserole by placing your steamed broccoli in a baking dish. Top with cheese sauce, more cheddar cheese, and breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until shredded cheese is melted and Parmesan breadcrumb topping is golden brown.

More Delicious Cheesy Broccoli Recipes

broccoli pin image

Photos used in previous post

Broccoli in Cheese Saucy collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  3. I just made this and it tastes great. I had a bit of a concern tasting the sauce before I added the cheese as I found it kind of harsh at that point but with the cheese added it is delicious. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  6. I made this for a family birthday party. It was easy to make and everyone loved it. I actually put all ingredients together (except the milk and cheese) in a sauce pan earlier in the day then just before we ate I added the milk and followed the rest of the directions so it was hot for dinner with minimal effort.

    Reply

  7. I’m always looking for new ways to get my kids to eat more green vegetables and this broccoli and cheese recipe is sure to do just that.

    Reply

  8. This is a bowl of cheesy goodness, and it’s complimenting the broccoli so well. This is instantly becoming a hit in my home.

    Reply

  11. One of my husband’s favorite vege sides! I was intrigued to try yours because I never add Worcestershire. We really liked it! I have a new broccoli cheese recipe now. Thanks

    Reply

  12. I’ve never made cheese sauce with cornstarch. Is it smoother than one made with flour, which is often grainy? Is it likely to separate the next day?

    Reply

    1. Cornstarch has twice the thickening power then flour so you have to use less. You should be fine the next day. If you store is separately, make sure to whisk the cheese sauce while reheating. Enjoy!

      Reply