My Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a simple and DELICIOUS side dish or light dinner. Creamy, cheesy, and topped with crunchy, buttery crackers, this is has been a favorite since I was a kid, and is STILL one of the best casserole recipes ever!
Table of Contents
Broccoli Cheese Casserole Is One Of My All Time Favorite Side Dish Recipes!
How To Make My Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Ingredients You Need For Broccoli Cheese Casserole:
Broccoli Cheese Casserole Is One Of My All Time Favorite Side Dish Recipes!
I’m always on the hunt for side dishes that my kids will eat. We eat a lot of grilled chicken around here, and while that’s an easy dinner it can tend to get a little boring and repetitive. But switching up your side dish is an easy way to keep dinner interesting!
I have been eating a version of this Broccoli Cheese Casserole my whole life, and it’s still one of my most favorite recipes. It definitely gives off 80’s vibes with the condensed soup and crushed crackers, but I’m fully here for it.
How To Make My Broccoli Cheese Casserole
You’ll be happy to know this is an extremely easy dish to make! I use frozen broccoli and think it turns out best that way! I tried before to use fresh broccoli, but you have to blanche it to get the right consistency, and when you blanche the broccoli you add moisture, which you need to drain completely so it doesn’t end up watery. Long story short, it was more trouble than it was worth, in my opinion!
BUT, I do recommend that you thaw the frozen broccoli and drain it well. Too much moisture is the enemy of this casserole.
Once you have the broccoli squared away, you just mix everything together and spread it in a baking dish!
Ingredients You Need For Broccoli Cheese Casserole:
Cream of Chicken Soup. You can absolutely use cream of mushroom…or cream of anything!
Mayonnaise. If you just can’t do mayo you can use sour cream instead.
Frozen (and thawed) broccoli. You can use florets, or pieces…whatever you prefer!
Seasonings. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder are the basic seasonings I use. Feel free to get creative here and try other spices!
Egg. You’ll just need 1 to help bind the ingredients together.
Cheddar Cheese. Grate your own, you won’t be sorry!
Butter. Because everything is better with butter.
Crushed Crackers. I love using Cheeze-Its!
What Else Can You Top This Cheesy Casserole With?
This recipe is old school and is topped with crushed crackers. This adds a salty, buttery, crunchy layer! Like I said, I love using Cheeze-Its to up the cheese factor, but here are a few other ideas:
Butter crackers, like Club Crackers or Ritz
Potato Chips
Breadcrumbs
Crushed Pretzels
Can You Make This Casserole Ahead?
Yes you can, but I like to top it with the crushed crackers right before baking so they stay crisp! They do get a little soft when this is reheated the next day, but the flavor is still great!
What Should You Serve This With?
Grilled Chicken, Steak or any other protein is a great main dish to go along with Broccoli Cheese Casserole. OR I actually like to eat it on it’s own for a light or meatless meal!
The ingredients? Broccoli of course, then bacon, flour, milk, cream, eggs, cheddar cheese, a little Dijon, salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. The tricks to this broccoli cheese casserole are to: Pre-cook the broccoli florets a bit so they cook up tender in the casserole.
Frozen vegetables release moisture as they cook and when they're used in a casserole that moisture has nowhere to go but into your dish. If you want your casserole to have the best texture, it's best to use fresh vegetables.
The key to a good casserole is the sauce or broth that binds those ingredients together as they bubble in the oven, allowing the flavors to meld together into a harmonious, comforting meal. This can be something as simple as the McCormick Brown Gravy Mix used in this tasty Hamburger Casserole dish.
To reheat, place into a preheated oven set at 180. c – 350. f and heat for 12-15 minutes or until hot in the centre. Alternatively, heat it in bursts in the microwave, mixing each one.
In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...
You might not realise it, but those perfectly ripe, bursting-with-moisture-veggies that you're tossing into your casserole are most likely the culprits when it comes to a watery bake, which is why it's important to heed the recipe when it comes to prepping your vegetables and cooling your finished product.
Tip. Cooking broccoli before adding it to a casserole can cause it to become mushy and brown. And if you don't cook fresh broccoli for your casserole, it can come out undercooked in the final product. For best results, blanch fresh broccoli before adding it to casserole recipes.
"Partially cooking these ingredients is the only way to make a casserole with a satisfying texture," says LaClair. She stresses you should undercook rather than overcook them, as they will continue to cook in the oven—and will dry out quickly if already fully cooked.
Bone stock is good for beef casseroles, but failing that plain hot water enriched with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup makes a handy instant stock. Red or white wine will add extra flavour of its own, and its acidity will actually help to tenderise the meat as it cooks.
Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!
If you coat it too early, the moisture in the meat absorbs the flour and spoils the texture of the casserole. Begin by browning the meat or chicken, separately, before adding vegetables, liquids and herbs. This seals in the juices and adds flavour.
Can I freeze broccoli casserole leftovers? Absolutely. Broccoli out of all vegetables loves to be frozen. Well, it doesn't mind it as it doesn't get too mushy when thawed, though it all depends on how you prepare it.
Reheating food multiple times can lead to bacterial growth and foodborne illness. It's generally safe to reheat leftovers once or twice if done properly, but it's best to avoid excessive reheating to minimize the risk.
If you've made this casserole ahead of time and refrigerated it, allow for an additional 5 minutes of cooking. Leftovers if any can be reheated in the microwave for several minutes on high, or in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
“A casserole dish and a baking dish are the same thing, an oven-safe piece of cookware, usually made of ceramic, porcelain, or glass,” says Anthony Contrino, Emmy-awarded culinary producer and food stylist. "They can come in various shapes, with the most common being rectangular, oval, or square.
Its ingredients, broccoli, garlic, and olive oil, sound simple, but when brought together with pasta and pasta water to form a creamy sauce, something magical happens. Even the pickiest of eaters love it!
While lasagna may not share the same ingredients as what comes to mind when you picture a typical casserole, it is not only the type of food within the dish that defines it. Any one-dish meal that is cooked in the oven in a wide, deep dish (or, casserole dish) is by definition a casserole.
In summary, cream of broccoli soup is a creamy and smooth soup that is served warm, while cheese broccoli casserole is a baked dish that is made with cheese, breadcrumbs, and a creamy sauce and is served as a main or side dish.
Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557
Phone: +59115435987187
Job: Education Supervisor
Hobby: Genealogy, Stone skipping, Skydiving, Nordic skating, Couponing, Coloring, Gardening
Introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, friendly, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.