Broccoli Cheddar Beans
Updated April 13, 2026
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 40 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
3 (½-inch-thick) slices of bread (any kind)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion (about 12 ounces), finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups whole milk
1½ pounds broccoli, florets and stems, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Tear the bread into chunks in a range of sizes, 1 to 3 inches or so and add to the pan. Add about one-fourth of the Cheddar to the pan, drizzle with the olive oil and toss it all together so the cheese sticks to the bread as much as possible. Spread the pieces apart and bake, tossing halfway through, until the cheese has melted and the bread is crispy and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Add the onion and garlic and season with ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the flour and the mustard and whisk into the onions for about 30 seconds. While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk so it is absorbed into the flour mixture (take your time here — working slowly and steadily will help to avoid clumps of flour).
- Step 4
Bring the sauce to a simmer, stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. (The sauce might seem very thick at this point, but the broccoli will release its liquid as it cooks, thinning the sauce.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is bright green and just tender, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Step 5
Stir in the remaining Cheddar and once it’s fully melted, stir in the beans. Bring to a simmer and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 6
To serve, ladle the broccoli mixture into bowls. Place Cheddar croutons on top and sprinkle with more black pepper, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
Very easy and fast. I added a smidge more mustard, a dash of white wine and a bit of red pepper. Lovely for a weeknight.
@Andrew , I used a frozen bag of broccoli and can confirm it works just fine! The frozen broccoli pieces are just in bigger pieces so when they get soft, I used kitchen scissors and cut them to be smaller.
This is very hearty and delicious. I added red pepper, more mustard and the splash of wine others mentioned. I might increase the garlic next time.
I skipped the croutons and added a blend of leftover cheees (aged havarti and monterey jack, probably extra). My teenager and I loved it. Given that it is quick and budget friendly, I will definitely make it again. The crunch of the croutons would probably be a great contrast.
I made this completely omitting step 3 - so no flour, no mustard, and no whole milk - and it turned out very nice!! I substituted two tablespoons panko bread crumbs instead of the flour, and a splash of the canned bean liquid while the (frozen) broccoli was cooking. I would make this again.
This was just OK. The sauce is kind of gloopy, and has surprisingly little flavor given the garlic, onions, sharp cheddar, and mustard. I had to add water to get the broccoli to even start cooking, and it never did really soften up. The only part that was really good was the cheese croutons (which I kinda wanted to just eat separately). And this made WAY more than 4 servings in my world. More like 6. I'm not sure we'll make it through the leftovers...