Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
This classic side dish is quick and easy. Steaming for the appropriate time ensures the broccoli is properly crisp-tender.
How to Make It
Step 1
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and thickened, stirring constantly. Cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Keep warm.
Step 2
Add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; set a large vegetable steamer in pan. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli to steamer. Steam broccoli, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve broccoli immediately with sauce.
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CookingLady's Review
Excellent! I was pleasantly surprised after the mixed reviews. I used Vermont Cheddar, but not fresh parmesean -- I only had the kind that sprinkles out of the green can so that is what I used. Skipped the fresh thyme because I didn't have any. Also, I kept it warm by letting the bowl of sauce sit in a bowl of very warm water as the broccoli cooked. There was very little left over, but I didn't have any problem with it separating as another reviewer did. Easy and very flavorful!
ClaraP's Review
Made this tonight and WOW what a great way to jazz up steamed broccoli. The sauce came together fast and was super tasty. Will definitely keep this in the rotation
Mleigh's Review
This is an easy recipe and cheese makes everything better! I made it as a side for a dinner party and didn't want to worry about making the cheese sauce when I had 8 million other last-minute things to attend to, so I made the sauce earlier in the day and just rewarmed it in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water as I steamed the broccoli. Worked out great.
Preats's Review
My sauce was thick, but bland in flavor.
klwhitney's Review
The sauce is awesome, and goes well with the broccoli. I usually add whatever spices/herbs strike my fancy, sometimes garlic, sometimes italian seasoning. And I add extra cheddar, but of the low fat sort, so the calories are similar.
It doesn't keep well, though, (it seperates into layers, how annoying) so make a single batch at most.
I serve this as a side dish for barbequed chicken (my sauce recipe is from this website) or honey mustard chicken (a recipe I got from a cookbook). Compliments both well.
My sister, who hates broccoli, likes the sauce on rice. She says putting it on broccoli is a waste of the delicious sauce. It's a good all purpose cheese sauce. But like I said it doesn't keep well, so make it the day you use it, and consider making only half a batch if your dinner crowd is small.
kellip's Review
We love the cheese sauce in this recipe. It is quick & easy & really tasty. We use it all the time as a dip for veggies and apples.
gkd1029's Review