I like my broccoli plain. I don’t like cheese sauce on it. I like it roasted or steamed with some salt…and butter. Lots of butter. So, maybe that’s not plain after all. Hmmm. I’ll have to think on that one.
I do like Broccoli Casserole…and Broccoli Salad. Okay, so nix what I said earlier. I do like stuff on my broccoli – I just don’t like cheese sauce on it. I think broccoli is tasty enough you don’t need it.
However, I have a 3 year old who likes to have sauce of any kind…and if I can get her to eat more veggies by making a healthy cheese sauce, well dagnabbit, I’m gonna do it. Mini Trees Dipped in Cheese Snow? Yes please.
This week in Cooking Through Stacy’s Stash we are tackling the second in my set of Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. We’re dealing with 1982 now…and I was 1 year old. Booya.
These cookbooks smell kinda funny now. Not sure why. I enjoy the smell of old books, so it doesn’t bother me. I guess maybe they gathered the smell in storage while we lived with my parents.
Even though I enjoy plain broccoli (kinda sorta), when I saw this recipe I knew I had to revamp it…because it calls for DIET MARGARINE! Diet margarine?! ACK!!! I must save the world from DIET MARGARINE!!!!!!!! Run away! Run away!
It also calls for skim milk and low fat processed cheese. Does that sound good to anyone else? “Let’s purty up our broccoli, kids! Let’s add us some DIET MARGARINE, skim milk, and PROCESSED CHEESE.” No thanks. Yuck.
This is one of those recipes that you make while your veggies are cooking. You can make it in advance, but it gets really thick…ask me how I know. I tried to cook early and Barry ended up running late getting home, so I had to keep adding milk and whisking…over and over. Don’t make this until it’s time to eat. Amen.
You’ll have to do some tweaking of your own for this recipe – because you’ll want to thicken it to your preference. Do you want your cheese to stand up and walk? Then you’ll not use much milk. If you want it to run off your plate, you’ll add more milk. Anything goes.
I actually made two versions of this: one with milk and whole wheat flour and one with coconut flour and almond milk. Barry and I actually preferred the coconut flour and almond milk, but it wasn’t very thick. It was thin…but I liked it.
Annie preferred the thicker version – and when dinner was over, I caught her at the table eating the rest of the cheese sauce out of the bowl with her spoon. Guess it gets two thumbs up from Annie. 😉
Verdict? I would definitely make this again for Annie. Since I like my broccoli plain (kinda sorta) I don’t need any fancy cheese sauce.
Take THAT diet margarine. Ew.
Vegetable Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter (the real stuff)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup milk + more to thin as desired
- ½ cup shredded cheese (the real stuff)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- Steamed vegetables
- Melt butter in a small saucepan.
- Whisk in flour.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly until combined.
- Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken.
- Add cheese, salt and pepper. Stir well until cheese melts.
- Serve over desired vegetable
**You may need to thin your mixture. It will thicken with standing time.**
Sarah says
March 21, 2014 at 4:38 pmOoo! That looks good! I also figured out how to make “Cheez Whiz”! Now my husband will love me forever! Hahaha it’s the bane of his existence. He insists that I buy it, but it’s soooo bad for you. Here is my recipe: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152265928346904
Tara H says
May 16, 2013 at 5:31 pmThe day you posted this my husband and I went out to eat. I had broccoli and cheese sauce as one of my sides. It was ok but you could just taste the “artificial”; you know how it is after you make everything from scratch!
Anyway, I just made some from your recipe….oh my word!!! It is so good! I’ll totally be eating mine with a spoon (after a few bites of broccoli of course!) 🙂
Stacy says
May 17, 2013 at 8:06 amLOL What am I gonna do with you and Annie? 🙂
Meagan says
May 10, 2013 at 2:25 pmUnreal!!! Diet margarine…that made me lol…processed cheese and skim milk…oh my!!! Glad you tweaked it – esp with the coconut flour and almond milk – I might actually be able to eat that – thanks for an awesome recipe redo – again!!
Stacy says
May 10, 2013 at 3:42 pm🙂 I have a ton of fun doing it!
Tara H says
May 9, 2013 at 3:20 pmI think we’d like this sauce! It looks yummy. I have to have something on my broccoli to help it go down!
And I was born in 1982! 🙂
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 3:39 pmI’m older! LOL
Lori says
May 10, 2013 at 2:46 pmSorry, ladies…but I’m older! Lol
Stacy says
May 10, 2013 at 3:40 pmOkay, you win. 🙂
Lori says
May 9, 2013 at 2:09 pm1982, eh? You were 1? I was making this cheese sauce for my newlywed husband. I feel old.. ..
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 3:03 pmI was born in October 1981. 🙂
Debra says
May 9, 2013 at 12:28 pmI had to skip to the recipe because my over sensitive pregnancy gag reflex was in full gear… and not liking the descriptions of the original recipe. Looks yummy though! My kids love sauce too, except thia peanut and coconut sauce I am told that that “sauce is very very very nasty”. I admit to having given Christopher a cup of water to dip vegetables in before (when he was a lot younger).
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 3:05 pmI will be glad when this baby comes and you’re over the pukey stuff.
Kelly says
May 9, 2013 at 10:54 amI’m a plan broccoli fan, just a little salt for me, but I have two little broccoli haters in my house so we will be trying this today! Loved this post…diet margarine…smh.
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 3:07 pmRoasted with salt – yummy!
Sandy says
May 9, 2013 at 8:41 amThis sounds good! Thanks.
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 3:07 pmYou’re welcome!
Becca C says
May 9, 2013 at 8:04 amWhat the heck is diet margarine, anyways?
Stacy says
May 9, 2013 at 8:35 amI Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light? *shudder*