Cheesy broccoli and bacon bake

Creamy broccoli bake with cheese recipe

Though it’s made to be a side dish, when broccoli with cheese sauce graces the table, it gives the main dish a run for its money. And when it’s made with crispy bacon bits, like in this recipe, you better believe everyone is gonna go for second helpings. Is there a tastier way to get some extra greens into your diet?
Baked broccoli and cheese also stirs up feelings of home for many people. Perhaps your dad always made it on Saturday nights, or maybe you had it at a cousins’ house when you went over for dinner. This is comfort food 101, and this recipe is one your family will fall in love with.

Tips for making broccoli bake

Before starting the cook, take the cheese out of the fridge so it can sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
While you wait for the cheese, brown the bacon bits in a pan. You don’t need to add any oil because bacon will cook in its own fat. The bacon may stick to the pan in the beginning, but once the fat renders, the bacon will lift off easily.
The next step is to cook the broccoli bake cheese sauce. Make the bechamel sauce from butter, flour and milk. When melting the butter, keep watch as it can burn quickly. Add the flour and continuously stir for about 1 minute, until the mixture is grainy. A whisk or spatula is great to use for this step. Then, slowly pour in the milk, whisking according to the recipe instructions. Choose a milk with a higher fat content to make your sauce creamier.
Take the saucepan off the stove to prevent the cheese becoming lumpy. Add a handful of cheese at a time, stirring quickly so the cheese melts properly. Swap the whisk for a spatula or fork when mixing, as these will be easier to clean.

Choosing the cheese for the sauce

If you’re thinking of mixing two different cheeses to make a cheese sauce for broccoli, start with cheddar as the base, as this is the classic melty cheese. Combine cheddar with another cheese that melts to become smooth and velvety, like gruyère, gouda or brie. Or combine it with parmesan, which isn’t melty but adds a fruity and nutty flavour to the sauce. Hot tip: buy blocks of cheese and grate it yourself for the best results, as pre-shredded cheese has more preservatives that can cause uneven melting.

Now get cooking

Need a flavourful and easy side that takes only 30 minutes to make? You can’t go wrong with this easy broccoli bake with crispy and salty bacon bits. Prefer making broccoli cheese magic in the oven? This recipe for cheesy broccoli bake shows you how to do it with ready-made three-cheese pasta sauce. Or turn the side dish into a full meal with these recipes for chicken mac ‘n’ cheese with broccoli and cauliflower and Darren Purchese’s bacon mac and cheese. Hankering after other cheesy bakes or casseroles? Check out these recipes for easy cheesy lamb bake, bacon and pea pasta bake, cheesy chicken tray bake with leek and bacon and leek and thyme potato bake.