Cooking Broccoli: Steamed Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

Easy Veggie Recipe: lightly steam broccoli, dip in cheese sauce, yum!

Thanks to Sarah Kingsbury at the Iowa Source for this easy kid friendly steamed vegetable recipe.

How to Cook Broccoli: Steamed Broccoli and Cheese Sauce is a foolproof way to get kids to eat vegetables.

Both versions of the cheese sauce recipe - vegan cheese sauce and dairy cheese sauce, are delicious with any vegetable that you want your kids - or grownup veggie haters - to eat!

Total prep & cook time: 20 min

4 Servings

Nutrition Data, Vegan Version, 223g Serving: 192 cal, 16g carb, 13g fat, 94mg sodium, 5g fiber, 9g protein, 3g sugars, low sodium, cholesterol, good source Vit. B12, Vit. C, Vit. K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vit. B6 and Folate. Estimated Glycemic Load 6.

Nutrition Data, Dairy Version, 282g Serving: 357 cal, 17g carb, 25g fat, 449mg sodium, 4g fiber, 19g protein, 7g sugars, good source Protein, Calcium, Phosphorus, very good source of Vit. C, Vit. K. Estimated Glycemic Load 10.

Vegan Cheese Sauce Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dried ginger
• 1/4 tsp powdered garlic

• Optional: 1/8 tsp turmeric
• Optional: 1/8 tsp paprika
• 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 Tbsp cashew butter
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
• pinch salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Steamed Broccoli Directions:

1. Peel stems, and cut up 2 or 3 stems of broccoli into 'flowers' and 'cookies' to make 6 cups of chopped broccoli
2. Put a steamer basket into a pot and add 1/2 inch of water. Place the broccoli in the steamer, cover and bring to a boil
3. Turn the heat to medium and steam for 5 - 10 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and just tender, or tender crisp, to your taste

Sauce Directions

1. Heat olive oil on low in a small saucepan
2. Add the ginger and garlic, turmeric & paprika, heat for 5 minutes
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir with a whisk until smooth and thickened. Add more water or almond milk 1 Tbsp at a time if the mixture is too thick
4. Serve in individual bowls for dipping, or ladle over the hot broccoli

Dairy Cheese SauceIngredients

• 3 Tblsp. butter
• 3 Tblsp. flour
• Optional: 1/2 tsp. salt (cheese is already salty, and milk is high in sodium)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated Cheddar or other cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat
2. Add flour and salt and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly
3. Using a whisk, gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly
4. Turn heat to medium high and continue to whisk the milk and flour mixture until itis thick and bubbling
5. Add cheeses and stir until they are melted
6. Serve over broccoli or any other kind of vegetable. This cheese sauce is also good over pasta

Recipe Tips:

For a quick lunch or dinner, serve steamed broccoli and cheese sauce with chewy french bread, or artisan bread to dip in the cheese sauce.

Leftover cheese sauce will keep in the fridge for a day or two, and can be used as a pasta or pizza sauce.

Go for any degree of doneness that suits your family for the steamed broccoli. Start with 5 minutes steaming and work up from there. Use a folding stainless steel steamer basket or steamer insert, or a bamboo steamer.

Our kids love the broccoli 'cookies' as well as the broccoli 'flowers'. Cut off the stems, peel off the tough skin, and slice thinly. Add carrots thinly sliced on the diagonal as a variation.

Serve the cheese sauce on the side, and let your kids dip the veggies, rather than pouring the sauce over the top. More kid friendly fun that way!

For the dairy intolerant or vegan, the non-dairy cheese sauce is as rich and cheesy as anyone could want. Make the sauce first and keep warm while you do the broccoli.

More about cooking steamed vegetables

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