This easy 7 Ingredient Cheese Sauce for Broccoli recipe is the recipe that will help picky eaters like vegetables! It is so simple to make and one secret tip keeps the cheese sauce smooth and never clumpy! It goes wonderfully with freshly steamed broccoli for that classic side dish everyone loves.

Broccoli Recipes for Picky Eaters

Do you remember years and years ago on that Broccoli Salad post where I chatted about Cade surprising me by cooking a delicious steak dinner and how that was the first time I ate and enjoyed broccoli? Ever since posting about that broccoli he made me, I have received a crazy amount of emails asking for the recipe for his broccoli cheese sauce.

I feel really guilty about taking so long to write about it but Cade never measures so it took some time to figure out exactly what the recipe was. So, without any further babbling, here it is. From the man who didn’t even eat it that first night because it wasn’t healthy and he didn’t eat junk. (I’ve since cured him of that. You’re welcome.)

Ingredients for Cheese Sauce with Broccoli

This is a no roux cheese sauce meaning we aren’t using flour or butter. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: The star of the sauce! Sharp cheddar will give the most bold cheesy flavor. Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself for the best meltiness.
• Cornstarch: Toss the grated cheese in cornstarch to help thicken the cheese sauce as the cheese melts. Cornstarch also helps with the emulsion of the cheese and milk. Flour can also be used, but by using cornstarch, you keep the sauce gluten free.
• Evaporated Milk: Acts as the base for the creamy cheese sauce and doesn’t have the heaviness or high fat of cream. It has less water than regular milk which helps the sauce be extra creamy.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Adds flavor and hint of warmth.
• Ground Mustard: Adds flavor that enhances the flavor the cheese. Mustard is also a great emulsifier which helps keep the sauce smooth.
• Broccoli: Using fresh broccoli florets is preferred. Frozen broccoli ends up soggy and don’t hold up to the cheese sauce very well.

How to Make Homemade Cheese Sauce

1. Toss: Add the grated cheese and cornstarch to a large bowl and toss together. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Combine: Add all the ingredients for the sauce over medium-low heat and stir to combine. Whisk until the cheese is melting and it comes to a soft boil. Then whisk constantly for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Serve: Pour over cooked broccoli with fresh cracked pepper.

The secret for smooth chees

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower with Bacon

This indulgent Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower with Bacon makes the most amazing side dish. It’s a one skillet recipe filled with tender cauliflower and vibrant broccoli simmering in a creamy garlic sauce topped off with gooey cheese and crispy bacon! I can’t wait for dinner!

Upgrade your vegetable game with this delicious and easy recipe for creamy garlic parmesan broccoli and cauliflower topped with crispy bacon. Perfect for an easy side dish or even as a meal on its own.

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower

There is so much flavor and creaminess packed into this dish, it almost seems like you aren’t even eating vegetables! Haha! Not that eating vegetables is bad! I love vegetables! But load them up with bacon and garlic and all sorts of cheese and even my picky kiddos eat them! Here is everything you need:

• Bacon: I found thick bacon worked the best, but it adds a lot of grease so make sure you follow the recipe and remove some before adding the butter.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted so that I can control the saltiness a little more.
• Onions: Regular yellow onion is great.
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets: The stars of the dish!
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Aleppo Pepper: Aleppo Pepper is a must on top. That tiny fleck of sweet heat takes this dish to a whole new level. It’s not spicy, but it adds that wonderful flavor like a spice would.
• Heavy Cream: adds all the rich creaminess to the sauce
• Lemon Juice: adds a pop of freshness that takes this dish to a new level
• Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese: We tried other cheeses like monterey jack and cheddar but the flavor was off with the garlic.

How to Make Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower

Let’s walk through each step of making this indulgent vegetables dish…

1. Cook: Fry the bacon until crispy in an oven safe pan over medium heat. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain most of the bacon grease.
2. Preheat: start the broiler
3. Sauté: Melt the butter in the skillet and add the onions. Cook it until transparent stirring occasionally.
4. Add: Place the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic and season with salt and pepper and toss everything together. Cook until the broccoli is bright green and fork tender.
5. Simmer: Pour the cream in and then reduce the heat to medium low and let it summer until the sauce thickens.
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Creamy Parmesan Garlic Broccoli

Freshly sautéed broccoli and fragrant garlic are baked in a rich cream sauce topped with broiled mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Creamy Parmesan Garlic Broccoli is guaranteed to convert ANY non-broccoli lover into a full-blown fanatic!

Creamy garlic broccoli and cheese is a delicious way to change up your boring broccoli into the side dish of your dreams!

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Broccoli

This side dish recipe is quite indulgent and probably not something you would want to make every night, but if it’s a special occasion or you want a decadent vegetable dish, then this is what you will need:

• Butter: salted or unsalted work fine, you’ll just reduce the salt if you use salted
• Onion: just regular yellow onion works great
• Broccoli Florets: fresh broccoli is best, but frozen could be used if needed
  • Note: Feel free to use the stems too if you want. Just be sure to cut off the tough exterior of the stem.
• Garlic Cloves: adds flavor
• Salt and Pepper: add flavor
• Cream Cheese: adds richness and creaminess
• Heavy Cream: acts as the base for the creamy garlic parmesan sauce
• Smoked Paprika: adds flavor and smokiness to the sauce
• Lemon Juice: adds acidity and a pop of freshness
• Mozzarella Cheese: adds gooiness
• Parmesan Cheese: adds nuttiness and saltiness
• Aleppo Pepper: adds some heat and flavor and great color
  • Note: This is my latest obsession! It adds such a delicious flavor. It looks similar to red pepper flakes but it is just moderately spicy.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

No flour or cornstarch needed. We are going full cream, a little cream cheese and cheese to make this indulgent sauce! Just simmer it until it reaches your desired thickness. Here are all the steps for this recipe followed by a recipe so you can see how it all happens…

1. Prep: Preheat broiler and place a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat and start melting the butter.
2. Sauté: Add the onions to the melted butter and cook until transparent, stirring occasionally.
3. Cook: Toss in the broccoli and minced garlic and season them with salt and pepper and let them cook until bright green and fragrant.
4. Simmer: Add the cream cheese, cream and smoked paprika and reduce the heat to low letting it simmer and thicken.
5. Finishing Touches: Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine and then top with the cheeses.
6. Broil: Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is bubblin

Simple Broccoli Slaw [+Video]

Broccoli slaw that is so simple and so tasty, it will blow your mind! A simple creamy homemade dressing and some veggies is all you need!

I’ve never been a big fan of slaw. It always looks like it’s drowning in mayo. I would skip the coleslaw every time at summer BBQs. I don’t know…it just never looked appealing to me. Then someone mentioned broccoli stems instead of cabbage. I had to try it! It has changed my mind on slaw forever!

So bust out the grill for some BBQ chicken or the Traeger for some smoked pulled pork! This is a great slaw to add to a pulled pork sandwich! It’s time for some summer BBQing and this broccoli slaw recipe is on the menu!

What Ingredients are Needed for Broccoli Slaw?

I said that this was simple, so now I’m going to prove it. You can go with the store bought broccoli slaw to make it super duper easy, or go totally from scratch. Either way, it’s going to be a hit at the BBQ. Here is your ingredients list:

• Broccoli Stalks (or a bag of broccoli slaw mix)
  • Left over from using the broccoli florets in our delicious chicken stir fry.
• Carrots (shredded)
• Mayonnaise (light)
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Sugar
• Raisins (or craisins/dried cranberries)
• Ground Mustard
• Salt Pepper
• Sliced Almonds

The measurements for each ingredient is listed in the recipe card below.

How to Make Broccoli Slaw

Here are the steps for making this yummy colorful veggie side dish:

1. Peel the carrots and set them aside.
2. Slice off the outer skin of the broccoli stems.
3. Grate the carrots and broccoli stems (use a food processor or electric shredder, or buy a bag of broccoli slaw) and add to a large bowl.
4. Combine the sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.
5. Add the rest of the broccoli slaw dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.
6. Add the shredded vegetables and raisins and toss to combine. Then chill. Letting it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or so will really amplify the flavors.
7. Top with sliced almonds before serving if desired. I love the crunch it adds!
   • If you have an almond allergy, crunchy sunflower seeds or pistachios would be great substitutes.

The detailed instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Spicy, sweet, and slightly tangy glazed salmon with broccoli is one of my favorite ways to cook and serve fish. One delightfully simple sauce does double duty as marinade for the fish and flavor booster for the fresh broccoli.

Glazed Salmon

This keeper of a recipe makes adults and kids alike happy, even if some of the kids turn their noses up at the broccoli. They just don’t know what they’re missing!

This fuss free broiler method is ideal for busy weeknights when I don’t have a ton of time to get dinner on the table. And the glaze on the salmon helps balance the “fishy” taste that lots of folks find less than desirable.

I like that I can use the same sauce for both the fish and the vegetables here, keeping prep time and dishes minimal! Feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes in the recipe based on your preferred level of spiciness.

This recipe is a hit with salmon lovers and skeptics alike!

Salmon Glaze

Baking salmon in the oven results in a deliciously tender filet packed with flavor. It truly doesn’t need to be more complicated than that for a great result!

This baked salmon recipe is as easy as mixing together a simple sauce, spooning it over a fresh filet and letting the whole thing cook in the broiler. In my sauce, I used olive oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and peach jam for a glaze that is equal parts sweet, savory and tangy with just the right amount of heat.

(You can use store bought peach jam in this recipe but if you happen to have Homemade Peach Jam on hand, it’ll work wonders in this recipe too!)