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Home » Recipe Type » Cheesy
4.9 from 22 reviews

Cheesy Broccoli

20 minutes
broccoligarlic
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:10/15/21
Updated:4/23/25
Jump to Recipe

Looking for the best kid-friendly side dish? This Cheesy Broccoli recipe takes minutes to put together and is a delicious way to eat your veggies! After all, everything is better when it’s covered in cheese sauce.

wooden spoon filled with broccoli with cheese in pan.

The best broccoli and cheese recipe

Cheese and broccoli? Total soulmates. Whether it’s stirred into 15 minute broccoli mac and cheese or slow-cooked into cozy crockpot cheesy chicken and broccoli, this duo is the secret weapon for winning over picky eaters — and sneaking in those veggies without anyone putting up a fight.

If you’re desperate to serve your kids some vegetables, this Cheesy Broccoli recipe has your back. Simple blanched broccoli is mixed into a homemade easy cheese sauce to transform a regularly boring side into something irresistible!

The kids won’t be able to resist this quick broccoli and cheese side dish. If they really love it, then you’ll definitely have to try my Cheesy Cauliflower, Cheesy Brussels Sprouts and Cheesy Cauliflower!

closeup of cheesy broccoli.

How to boil broccoli

First, we have to cook the broccoli. This can always be done later on if you prefer to cook the cheese sauce ahead of time. 

To boil the broccoli:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
  2. Add the broccoli florets, turn down the heat, and cook until it’s fork tender.
  3. Drain and set the broccoli aside. 
broccoli cooked in strainer.

How to make homemade cheese sauce

Now comes the fun part! Making homemade cheese sauce on the stove is super easy and always turns out amazing. It’s ready to eat in just a few minutes:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic. 

Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper.

Pour the milk into the pan and whisk until smooth. 

To finish, add the shredded cheese and stir until it melts and the mixture is creamy.

spoon stirring cheese sauce.

Add the cooked broccoli florets into the cheese sauce and stir to fully coat. Serve and enjoy! 

spoon stirring broccoli and cheese in white pan on table.

Tips and substitutions

  • Instead of boiling – The broccoli can be steamed, sauteed, or oven roasted broccoli instead of boiled if you prefer.
  • Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese is best when making cheese sauce but you can also use white cheddar or mozzarella if you want to make a white cheese sauce.
  • No fresh broccoli at home? Frozen broccoli works just as well!
  • Add more veggies – Add all the veggies you like to the broccoli, like carrots, cauliflower, green beans, corn, or brussels sprouts.
  • Toppings – Make this broccoli cheese recipe extra flavorful with fun toppings, like crumbled bacon, shaved parmesan cheese, crushed almonds, or chopped green onions.
spoon stirring broccoli with cheese sauce.

Storing Leftovers

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy again, just reheat in the microwave or warm them up on the stovetop until heated through.

Pin for later:

Looking for the best kid-friendly side dish? This Cheesy Broccoli recipe takes minutes to put together and is a delicious way to eat your veggies! After all, everything is better when it’s covered in cheese sauce.
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4.87 from 22 reviews

Cheesy Broccoli with Cheddar

Print
Looking for the best kid-friendly side dish? This Cheesy Broccoli recipe takes minutes to put together and is a delicious way to eat your veggies! After all, everything is better when it’s covered in cheese sauce.
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
serves 8

Ingredients

  • 2 large heads broccoli chopped up into florets, about 7 cups
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets, reduce heat to medium and boil for 8 minutes, or until softened. Drain broccoli.
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat melt butter with garlic. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and mix for 1 minute. Add milk in and whisk until smooth. Add shredded cheese and mix until cheese is completely melted and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add broccoli florets into cheese sauce and stir to fully coat. Cook for 2 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: cheesy broccoli
Vegetarian Fall, Spring
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

Similar Recipes

  • Baked Broccoli and Cheese Sticks
  • Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich
  • Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese

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4.87 from 22 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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  1. Joe says

    May 28, 2024 at 4:26 pm

    why need to put flour? Is it a must? thanks

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      June 11, 2024 at 12:33 pm

      Hey Joe, the flour will help thicken the cheese sauce so it’s more creamy, and less runny so it doesn’t run right off the broccoli.

      Reply
  2. Rita Cook says

    February 13, 2024 at 11:40 pm

    I would like to serve this at a soup kitchen. Do you have any recommendations on how to make this ahead for about 75 people and then how to rewarm it?

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      February 14, 2024 at 10:03 am

      Hey Rita, do you have a couple crockpots (or ask a few friends/neighbors?)? If so you could add the cheesy broccoli to them once cooked and keep on “warm” while serving. There is also buffet warmers that can help! Hope this helps!

      Reply
  3. Linda Robertson says

    November 18, 2023 at 8:23 pm

    Can you freeze this recipe?

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      November 18, 2023 at 8:49 pm

      Yes, you sure can! Just allow it to cool before you freeze it. Thaw in the refrigerator, or pop in the microwave to defrost. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. Denise says

    February 22, 2023 at 4:35 pm

    Great recipe. I left out the salt bc my little one isn’t into too much salt or flavor and I added pasta to make it as close to mac & cheese as possible. I did have a hard time with the smoothness bc of the flour. What can you do to minimize the graininess from the flour? I mixed it according to the instructions but it still wasn’t smooth enough. Still yummy, tho. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Deja says

      April 8, 2024 at 8:37 pm

      Melt the butter first then add flour slowly while whisking it 😉

      Reply
  5. Courtney says

    February 1, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    Does the broccoli supposed to be half raw?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      February 2, 2023 at 9:50 am

      The broccoli should be tender after you boil it, a fork should easily be able to slide in.

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    August 28, 2022 at 8:34 pm

    My family loved it! Next time I will double the broccoli. The cheese sauce part went a long way.

    Reply
  7. Faith says

    July 12, 2022 at 1:11 am

    Super simple and came out awesome!

    Reply
  8. Daniel M Winyard says

    June 6, 2022 at 12:12 pm

    My Wife and kids loved this recipe thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      June 8, 2022 at 9:59 am

      So happy to hear that, thanks for commenting Daniel! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Andi Fitts says

    May 10, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    this recipe was delicious and my whole family liked it, it was gone within 5 seconds! Everyone asked for more!

    Reply
  10. Holly says

    May 5, 2022 at 11:16 pm

    Consistency was good for the cheese but I feel like it needed more flavor. Next time I think I will season with Tony’s for more flavor. Good recipe, thanks for sharing

    Reply
  11. Smorty says

    March 16, 2022 at 8:53 pm

    This was so easy and delicious. I used frozen broccoli. I soaked it for 5 min in water, drained it, then added it to the cheese sauce and heated it through.

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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