Easy Broccoli With Cheese Sauce Recipe

Name: Easy Broccoli With Cheese Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 pound frozen broccoli spears or florets (or fresh broccoli florets); 12 ounces shredded or cubed American cheese; 2/3 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; Kosher salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Dash ground cayenne or hot sauce, optional

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 12 mins

Total: 22 mins

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
219	Calories
14g	Fat
12g	Carbs
12g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	219
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 46mg	15%
Sodium 839mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 49mg	246%
Calcium 837mg	64%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 428mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This simple cheese sauce transforms everyday broccoli into a glorious side dish. You'll have it ready in no time, and your whole family will love it, kids included, because who can resist a creamy cheese sauce?

You can use either frozen or fresh broccoli spears or florets. Frozen broccoli often comes in spears, which consist of the florets with a section of the stem.

The recipe gives you the choice of steaming the broccoli or boiling it. You can steam broccoli in a pan, a steamer basket, or in the microwave. Steaming broccoli is a more gentle method than boiling because it is removed from the boiling water and not immersed in it. Steaming broccoli also retains its crisp texture and brighter color better than boiling.

If you are using fresh broccoli, make sure that you cut or break the broccoli into evenly sized pieces or sections. If you don’t want to use the broccoli stems, there is no need to throw them out. Peel them and use them for another dish, such as a stir-fry.

This recipe calls for American cheese, a super performer when it comes to melting. This is because American cheese contains emulsifiers that prevent the milk proteins from separating from the milk fat when the cheese is heated. It is a processed cheese with a very low melting point, that’s why it is often the first choice for grilled cheese sandwiches or cheeseburgers. In this recipe, it only takes a few minutes and a little extra milk for American cheese to melt into a thick, smooth cheese sauce.

The use of onion powder in this recipe is not only convenient—it saves you chopping the onion and possibly tearing up—but it is also a way to get a subtle onion flavor into the dish without risking rejection by picky young eaters who don’t like little bits of onion in their food. If you are someone who likes to make things from scratch, you can also make your own onion powder.

For a little added heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce to the cheese sauce, but that’s optional.

Serve the broccoli and the cheese sauce separately so everyone at the dinner table can spoon as much sauce over the broccoli as they like.

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