Broccoli Cheese Casserole is simple, quick and tastes amazing! It’s a delicious side dish for any meal but is hearty enough to stand alone as an easy weeknight dinner!
If easy casseroles happen in your home as much as they do in ours, here are a few more favorites so you can add some tasty variety – Tatertot Breakfast Casserole, Baked Chili Dogs, and Upside Down Pizza Casserole,
An Easy Broccoli Casserole
Nothing says “comfort” quite like warm broccoli and creamy cheddar cheese, am I right? Add some cauliflower and a crunchy, buttery topping and I’m pretty sure this is what heaven tastes like! This delicious broccoli casserole comes together in a snap and is sure to please anyone… unless they have an unfortunate aversion to delicious veggies, of course! Here is how to make it –
How To Make A Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
Prep – Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees F so it’s ready to go once you’re done making the casserole. You’ll also want to crush up the Saltine crackers and then mix it with the melted butter, shredded cheddar cheese and salt & pepper. Set the mixture aside until the very end.
Make The Roux – Start by adding some butter, garlic, and flour to a large pot, stirring constantly over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Once this is golden brown and fragrant, you’ll whisk in some whipping cream and chicken broth.
Broccoli Mixture – Next, you’ll stir in broccoli, cauliflower and a few simple seasonings. Let the mixture simmer for about 5-8 minutes until the broccoli and cauliflower are nearly tender. Remove it from the stove and add in the remaining cheddar cheese. Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch pan.
Topping – Sprinkle the Saltine cracker crumb topping over the top of the broccoli casserole.
Cook – Bake the casserole in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees, or until crumbs are golden brown and crisp. Cool for 10 minutes, then you’re good to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make It Ahead Of Time – To make this broccoli cheese casserole ahead of time, follow all the directions to prepare your dish, but DO NOT add the cracker crumbs (you can store those in a plastic bag separately.) Cover the casserole with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight, or until you are ready to bake it. Bring the casserole to room temperature before topping with cracker crumbs and then bake it in the preheated oven.
- Cheese Variation – You can use either yellow or white extra-sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe, I used white.
- Best Type Of Cheese – Pre-shredded cheese has starches and other added agents to it to prevent clumping. These additives aren’t the best when you’re making a cheese sauce! Because of this, I suggest using a block of cheese and grating it yourself.
- Cracker Substitute – If you don’t have Saltine crackers, you can substitute them with Ritz crackers.
More Recipes That Use Broccoli
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
- Fresh Broccoli & Bacon Salad
- Healthy Broccoli and Chicken Stir Fry
- Broccoli Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup
Easy Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve of Saltine Crackers, crushed
- 8 ounces 2 cups of freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 package, 16 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed
- 1 package, 16 ounces frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, add the crushed Saltine crackers, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine and then set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, garlic, and flour. Stir constantly until golden and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the cream and broth.
- Stir in broccoli, cauliflower, dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli and cauliflower are nearly tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in remaining cheese until incorporated. Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch dish.
- Top with cracker crumbs.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown and crisp. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To make this broccoli casserole ahead of time, follow all the directions to prepare your dish, but DO NOT add the cracker crumbs (you can store those in a plastic bag separately.) Cover the casserole with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight, or until you are ready to bake it. Bring the casserole to room temperature before topping with cracker crumbs and then bake it in the preheated oven.
- You can use either yellow or white extra-sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe, I used white.
- Pre-shredded cheese has starches and other added agents to it to prevent clumping. These additives aren't the best when you're making a cheese sauce! Because of this, I suggest using a block of cheese and grating it yourself.
Nutrition
Other Notes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Jillian is the creator, author, recipe developer and travel blogger behind Food Folks and Fun. She’s a teacher turned SAHM married to a military man—which means her family moves often, traveling and experiencing the world!
A delicious and quick and easy dinner! My kids love this! and anything they love I’ll make again and again. anything to get them to eat broccoli!
LOL, I totally agree!
this was a perfect weeknight dinner. so easy to prepare and it turned out great!
Thanks Rachael!