I have two rules when it comes to feeding my kids. The first is that since I know that when they are hungry they eat and when they aren’t hungry they don’t eat I don’t stress about how much or little the eat on any given day. The second rule is that when they request vegetables I deliver as quickly as possible. When Evelyn asked for broccoli and carrots with cheese sauce for dinner that’s what she got.
This is an easy dish that tastes delicious and uses my practice of making vegetables palatable for children by coating them in something else that they like, i.e. cheese. One of the best parts of this recipe (in addition to being delicious and easy) is that it makes just a little bit too much sauce, which I toss with a small amount of cooked pasta. It becomes a super quick homemade macaroni and cheese that can go alongside the veggies as a reward to the 6 year old for asking for broccoli for dinner.
Broccoli and Carrots with Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 2 small carrots
- 2 tbsp butter (I used unsalted)
- 3 tbsp AP flour
- 1 cup stock, warmed (I used chicken but vegetable will work just fine)
- 1 cup 1% milk, warmed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, made with 2% milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Slice the broccoli and put it in a covered bowl with ¼ cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes to steam. When finished, remove it and drain out the extra water.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots and then use the peeler to scrape the carrots into short thin slices and put them in the bottom of a small baking dish.
- Add the broccoli to the baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter and then add the flour and whisk to combine. When the flour and butter mixture has taken on a slightly toasted color and smell. Quickly whisk in the stock and milk. Whisk thoroughly to thicken without lumps.
- Add in the shredded cheese and stir to melt and combine.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and carrots. (You’ll have a bit too much, I usually have about ½ cup left over. I cook up 1 cup of small pasta like ditalini and mix it up with the last bit of cheese sauce and serve it alongside the veggies.)
- Cover the dish with tin foil and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Cooking time (duration): 60
Diet type: Vegetarian
Number of servings (yield): 4
Meal type: dinner
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