Easy Cheese Sauce for Veggies
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Get the whole family to eat their veggies with the easiest Cheese Sauce that's ready in minutes, so it's perfect for any night of the week!
Getting our girls to eat their veggies usually isn't that hard because they love them, well, most of them. My husband, on the other hand, is a little bit more picky. Let's just say he prefers his veggies totally raw, so if I am cooking a vegetable for him, it better be pretty perfect if I expect him to eat them, lol. Lucky for me, he's also a total cheese lover, which is why I end up making my easy cheese sauce to pour over his veggies. Lucky for him, I don't mind because this recipe comes together super quick and doesn't add much cooking time to my usual dinner routine.
Skip the tantrums next time and just make a batch of this easy cheese sauce the next time you make veggies with dinner.
The Whole Family Will Love It
- It has super simple ingredeints.
- Comes together quickly.
- Totally grain-free.
- Perfect on all your favorite veggies!
Ingredients
- Butter or Ghee
- Potato Starch or Corn Starch - I prefer potato starch in this. If you want it extra cheesy/ stringy, you can also use tapioca starch, but I prefer my sauce to flow more for veggies.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Milk or Half and Half if you want it thicker.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Steamed or Roasted Veggies of choice
Tips and Tricks
- Keep the temperatures lower - You might think going higher will make it come together fast, but it can cause the dairy to curdle and separate if you aren't careful.
- Make sure the butter and starch are fulling combined and started to thicken before adding the milk. This will ensure a solid base for the sauce.
- Once you add the milk or half and half, remove it from the heat, so it doesn't start to thicken more than you want it to, as it will make it hard to add the cheese. Don't worry if you want it thicker in the end; just place the sauce over medium-low heat and stir until it's thickened to desired consistency. A good rule of thumb is to see if the sauce just starts to coat the back of the spoon. If it does, take it off the heat.
Let's Make Cheese Sauce
This easy cheese sauce for veggies comes together super quick with only a few easy steps.
- Make the Roux
Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the starch until it's fully incorporated. Allow the roux to thicken.
- Add the Liquid
Once the roux has started to thicken, slowly whisk in the milk or half and half. Do NOT overcook the sauce at this point. Remove it from the heat if it starts to thicken too much.
- Stir in the Spices
Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the spices and mix till combined.
- Bring on the Cheese
Stir in the shredded cheese until it is fully melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.
- Enjoy
Top your favorite veggies with the cheese sauce for a delicious side dish the whole family will devour.
FAQ
If you want to, sure. Cheddar cheese is obviously popular, but if you can shred the cheese, I'm pretty sure it would work. I would caution against using any pre-shredded variety as those tend to have anti-caking ingredients, which can alter the sauce's final texture.
I find this sauce is best when served right away as it tends to thicken more as it cools. If you find yourself with leftovers, you can store them covered in the fridge for two to three days. Just reheat it over medium-low heat when you are ready to enjoy it again. You can also add a tad more liquid if you want to loosen it up a bit after being store. I would not freeze this sauce.
This sauce tastes great over any of your favorite veggies. I really like it over my Easy Lemon Broccoli. You could even use it to add to rice for a quick and easy cheesy rice.
More Veggie Goodness to Love
Mexican Street Cauliflower Bites
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Easy Gluten-free Cheese Sauce for Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 TBS Butter
- 2 TBS Potato Starch or Corn Starch
- ½ TSP Garlic Powder
- ½ TSP Onion Powder
- ¼ TSP Paprika
- 1 TSP Salt
- ½ TSP Pepper
- 1 ½ C Milk or Half and Half
- 2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Veggies of Choice steamed or roasted
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in the starch until it's fully incorporated. Allow the roux to thicken.
- Once the roux has started to thicken, slowly whisk in the milk or half and half. Do NOT overcook the sauce at this point. Remove it from the heat if it starts to thicken too much.
- Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the spices and mix till combined.
- Stir in the shredded cheese until it is fully melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.
- Top your favorite veggies with the cheese sauce for a delicious side dish the whole family will devour.
Notes
- Keep the temperatures lower - You might think going higher will make it come together fast, but it can cause the dairy to curdle and separate if you aren't careful.
- Make sure the butter and starch are fulling combined and started to thicken before adding the milk. This will ensure a solid base for the sauce.
- Once you add the milk or half and half, remove it from the heat, so it doesn't start to thicken more than you want it to, as it will make it hard to add the cheese. Don't worry if you want it thicker in the end; just place the sauce over medium-low heat and stir until it's thickened to desired consistency. A good rule of thumb is to see if the sauce just starts to coat the back of the spoon. If it does, take it off the heat.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.