Healthy Broccoli with Cheese Sauce (Weeknight Family-Friendly Recipe)

What better way to eat your vegetables, get your protein and calcium, and make your family smile than by serving broccoli with cheese sauce? With this recipe, you can feel good about high-fiber, high-nutrient broccoli with real cheese and no artificial ingredients. Just lightly cook the broccoli until it’s a beautiful green, then cook a quick, creamy, and nutritious sauce in minutes. 

Variations and Serving Suggestions

• Try swapping broccoli for other vegetables like long or cut green beans, cauliflower florets, or carrot sticks. Mixtures of vegetables work, too; just cut them to similar sized pieces so they cook evenly. 
• Frozen broccoli can be an alternative to fresh. Heat it according to the directions on the package.
• For a southwestern-inspired dish, add cumin, chili powder, chopped jalapeno (optioal), and a squeeze of lime juice to the cheese sauce while cooking. Serve with brown rice or whole-grain tortillas for a balanced meal.
• For a different flavor, try other types of cheese instead of cheddar. Possibilities include 1 cup of low-fat cheese, ¾ cup of low-fat mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan or blue cheese, or ½ cup of low-fat mozzarella and ½ cup of feta cheese.
• For a balanced and fun meal, try serving your broccoli and cheese sauce over a baked potato or alongside herb-baked potato wedges or sweet potato fries.
• Try a broccoli and cheese bowl with grilled chicken and whole-grain pasta or sweet potato cubes for a high-protein, balanced, and filling meal. 

Recipe for Healthy Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of broccoli florets or stalks
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1-1 ¼ cups of nonfat milk
• 4 ounces (1 cup) of shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
• (Optional) ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• (Optional) ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard or ¼ teaspoon of mustard powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Steam or roast the broccoli until bright green. Set aside.
2. In a medium-small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Stir in the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes or until incorporated and slightly thickened in a roux.
3. Slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook, stirring continuously, for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Continuing to stir, gradually add the cheddar cheese. Stir in the spices. 
4. To serve, pour the cheese sauce over the cooked broccoli. Toss if desired.

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Nutrition information per serving: 140 calories; 6 grams of fat; 3 grams of saturated fat; 20 mg of cholesterol; 250 mg of sodium; 11 grams of carbohydrates; 3 grams of sugar; 3 grams of fiber; 8 grams of protein

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