Swiss-Sauced Broccoli

This is a fast broccoli side dish that uses the microwave for both cooking the vegetable and building the cheese sauce. The broccoli steams in a covered casserole with just two tablespoons of water, keeping it bright green and crisp-tender in about 5 minutes. No big pot of boiling water needed.

The Swiss cheese sauce is a miniature béchamel. Butter, flour, a dash of salt and white pepper get melted and stirred together in the microwave, then milk goes in and the whole thing thickens in 1-2 minutes with regular stirring every 30 seconds. Shredded Swiss cheese melts into the hot sauce at the end, giving it that nutty, slightly sweet flavor that pairs so well with broccoli’s earthy bitterness.

White pepper instead of black keeps the sauce looking clean and smooth without dark specks. It’s a small detail, but it matters when the sauce is the star.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut broccoli spears uniformly so they all cook at the same rate. Thick stalks and thin florets in the same dish means some pieces are mush while others are still raw.
• Stir the sauce every 30 seconds in the microwave. Lumps form fast in a sauce this small, and they’re hard to smooth out once set.
• Use real Swiss cheese, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that prevents smooth melting.

Variations

• Gruyère upgrade: Swap the Swiss for Gruyère for a more complex, nuttier cheese sauce.
• Stovetop method: If you prefer, steam the broccoli on the stove and make the sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Same technique, just different heat source.