Cheesy Broccoli

by 36 Comments

No butter needed to make this Olive Oil Cheese Sauce. It’s perfect for dipping chips, making macaroni and cheese or topping vegetables.

This post was sponsored by Pompeian. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

I’m teaming up once again with my friends at Pompeian to share another quick & easy recipe with you! In case you didn’t know, August is National Olive Oil Month. As a fun challenge this month, Pompeian is encouraging people to take the Pompeian Pledge and swap butter for olive oil in everyday recipes!

No butter needed to make this easy cheese sauce. Olive oil makes a sauce that's perfect for dipping chips, making macaroni and cheese or topping vegetables.

I do think butter can be part of a balanced diet and do use it frequently when cooking and baking, so at first I was unsure about this challenge. But I also believe that variety is key and think it’s a great idea to use a variety of healthy fats while cooking and baking! So, I thought this month’s challenge would be a fun way to push myself to use olive oil (another great, healthy fat) in a recipe where I’d typically use butter.

No butter needed to make this easy cheese sauce. Olive oil makes a sauce that's perfect for dipping chips, making macaroni and cheese or topping vegetables.

One of the places I always use butter is when creating a homemade cheese sauce. This time, I decided to try making one with olive oil! And, in an effort to expand my horizons beyond homemade mac and cheese, which I’ve been eating a lot of lately, I thought I’d try this new sauce drizzled over broccoli!

Here’s how you make it:

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Cheesy Broccoli

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★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

A homemade cheese sauce made with olive oil instead of butter that’s great for drizzling over veggies.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 11/2 Tsbp flour
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 cup milk (I used skim, 2% would also be good), room temperature
  • 4 oz cheese, grated (I used colby jack, cheddar would also be a good choice)
  • steamed broccoli or other veggies

Instructions

  1. In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Stir in flour and mix until combined.
  3. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
  4. Add cheese and spices and stir until melted.
  5. Reduce heat and let sauce thicken.
  6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  7. Pour over steamed vegetables and serve immediately.

I noticed that the sauce is a bit grainer when using olive oil so it’s best to make just before serving and serve immediately, not let it sit….but it tastes great and is the perfect way to add a little flavor to your favorite steamed veggies!

No butter needed to make this easy cheese sauce. Olive oil makes a sauce that's perfect for dipping chips, making macaroni and cheese or topping vegetables.

If you’re interested in taking the Pompeian Pledge yourself for a chance to win prizes, visit their Facebook page and click the Pompeian Pledge tab at the top!

  •   At the top of the timeline, find instructions to pledge to switch from butter to olive oil in your recipes during the month of August, National Olive Oil month
  •   1,000 people who take the pledge will be randomly selected to win a coupon for a free bottle of Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, along with a free movie rental
  •   On Pompeian’s Facebook timeline, they’ll also be giving away movie prize packs throughout the month

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Comments

  23. I made this last night but with a couple of substitutions for me:

    I sauteed half a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic (finely diced) instead of powder
    I used Havarti Cheese

    It was sooo good! Glad I found this recipe for a butter-less sauce before the others cause my family couldn’t get enough!

    Reply

  25. I just made this cheese sauce for college football game-time nachos (Go Huskers!; playing in Ireland against Northwestern). The sauce tastes great! I used an 8 oz block of roasted tomato/black pepper Cheddar/Gruyere (grated at home). I had to adjust the milk quantity significantly, adding at least another cup to get the sauce to the “thick” stage for a cheesy bechamel. If you prefer a thinner cheese sauce, consider a different ratio fat:flour:milk. The ratio for typical smooth bechamel is 2:2:1 (fat:flour:milk). Like I said, this cheese sauce is very tasty, plus it skips the butter in favor of heart healthy olive oil which leaves you a little wiggle room for using a great cheese (not so heart healthy)! My husband loved it!

    Thanks, Lindsay!

    ★★★★

    Reply

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Learn how food affects your body.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!