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    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Side Dish / Cheese Sauce for Broccoli (and other dishes!)

    Cheese Sauce for Broccoli (and other dishes!)

    Published: May 23, 2022 · Modified: Aug 28, 2022 by Anna 4 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Cheese Sauce is creamy, smooth, and silky! Made in just 15 minutes with cheddar, half and half, cornstarch, and butter, this sauce is perfect over steamed broccoli, in pasta, as a base for soups, or with fries. 

    Cheddar cheese sauce drizzled over cooked broccoli in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients:
    • How to make cheese sauce for broccoli?
    • Best tips for making cheese sauce!
    • How to serve it?
    • Recipe FAQs:
    • More sauce recipes:
    • Best Cheese Sauce for Broccoli

    Why This Recipe Works

    How do you turn steamed broccoli into a dish that disappears from everyones' plates? You serve it with cheese sauce. And not just any sauce. Definitely not store-bought stuff. This cheese sauce is made from scratch and ready in under 15 minutes. You make it once, and become a fan instantly!

    If you ever tried any of my sauce recipes, you know my favorite duo of ingredients: cornstarch and half and half. Together they make smoothers, rich and creamy sauces ever! This also makes this dish gluten-free since we are making the sauce without flour.

    Ingredients:

    Ingredients for cheese sauce on a photography board.
    • cheese: I used mild and sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
    • butter: unsalted, divided
    • half and half: better for making sauces than milk but lighter than heavy cream
    • cornstarch: better for making smooth sauces than flour
    • salt and pepper: to taste (add a pinch of cayenne for heat)
    • broccoli: fresh, cut into florets (follow my easy tutorial on how to steam broccoli)

    How to make cheese sauce for broccoli?

    • Start by whisking half and half with cornstarch.
    • Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.
    • Add half and half mixture, ¼ cup at a time. Whisk constantly.
    Half and half and cornstarch in a glass cup and poured into melted butter in saucepan.
    • Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. This will allow the cornstarch flavor to melt away.
    • Add shredded cheese to half and half mixture. Stir in until melted.
    • Remove sauce from heat and add the last tablespoon of butter. Stir in to melt. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
    • The sauce is now ready to be served.
    Cheddar added to half and half and smooth sauce in a saucepan.

    Best tips for making cheese sauce!

    • Use cheddar from a block and grate it on a large hole side of a box grater; store-bought shredded cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and it will add chalky flavor to the sauce.
    • Half and half is a mixture of milk and cream and it's my favorite liquid for making creamy sauces.
    • Butter base makes the sauce rich but stirring one tablespoon of it into a ready sauce adds to the silky texture.
    • I used a 1-quart saucepan to make this sauce and it was a perfect size.

    How to serve it?

    The most popular way to serve the cheese sauce is with broccoli, but baked potatoes and pretzels are right there too! We enjoy it for dipping fries and drizzle over burgers. This sauce, just like cheese, goes so well with many dishes, like casseroles and soups.

    Cheese sauce in a saucepan drizzled from wooden spoon.

    Recipe FAQs:

    Is this sauce gluten-free?

    There is no flour in this sauce so yes, it is gluten-free. Always make sure you are using quality ingredients, according to your cooking preferences.

    Can I freeze this sauce?

    I do not recommend freezing this sauce. It will separate and once you thaw it, the texture will be gritty, not smooth.

    How to store it?

    Prepared cheese sauce should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge. It will stay well for 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this sauce. The texture will become grainy.

    How to reheat it?

    To reheat the sauce, pour it into a saucepan and heat up over low heat. Stir often so it will not burn on the bottom.

    Cheese sauce on steamed broccoli florets on a white plate.

    More sauce recipes:

    • Mushroom sauce in a pan.
      Mushroom Sauce (fail-proof recipe)
    • Alfredo sauce in a jar.
      Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce
    • Marinara sauce in a pot with wooden spoon.
      Simple Marinara Sauce Recipe
    • Square image of pizza sauce in a glass jar on white background.
      Homemade Pizza Sauce

    If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!

    Cheddar cheese sauce drizzled over cooked broccoli in a bowl.

    Best Cheese Sauce for Broccoli

    Author: Anna
    This Cheese Sauce is creamy, smooth, and silky! Made with cheddar, half and half, cornstarch, and butter, this sauce is perfect over steamed broccoli, in pasta, as a base for soups, or with fries.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 413 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
    • 1 ¼ cup half and half see note
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • a pinch of cayenne optional

    Instructions
     

    • In a glass measuring cup, whisk half and half and cornstarch. Mix well until there are no clumps.
    • Shredd the cheddar on a large-hole size of a box grater. Set aside.
    • In a small saucepan (I used 1-quart stainless steel saucepan), melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
    • Pour half and half into melted butter, slowly drizzling it in and whisking at the same time. Stop once in a while to let the sauce thicken a little bit.
    • Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, whisking often, for 2 to 3 minutes. This will cook off the starch flavor.
    • Add cheddar cheese to half and half mixture and stir in until melted. The sauce should thicken nicely right away.
    • Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and stir until melted. This will enhance the silky texture.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Your sauce is now ready to be served.

    Notes

    • Use block cheddar cheese and shredded yourself. Store-bought shredded cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and it will add chalky flavor to the sauce.
    • Half and half is a mixture of milk and cream and it’s my favorite liquid for making creamy sauces.
    • I used a 1-quart saucepan to make this sauce and it was a perfect size.
    • Store this sauce in a fridge for up to 4 days.
    • Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.
    • Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1097IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 484mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jamie says

      August 06, 2022 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      Never knew I could do this without velveeta. Turned out very tasty!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        September 03, 2022 at 10:26 pm

        Yay! Thank you for making my recipe, Jamie!

        Reply
    2. Larry Dawdy says

      May 23, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Can this sauce be frozen for later use or frozen in small meal size portions?

      Reply
      • Anna says

        May 23, 2022 at 4:12 pm

        Hi Larry! Information about freezing is included in the post above the recipe.

        Reply

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    Crunchy Creamy Sweet Anna

    Hi, I'm Anna! Thank you for stopping by! Here you will find easy and delicious recipes for busy people. My recipes are made with everyday ingredients and all of them are family approved!

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