This Broccoli Cheese Casseroleis a cheesy, delicious side dish! Made from scratch with a delicious creamy sauce and buttery crunchy top, this fresh, family favorite recipe is the BEST! Perfect for holidays and family suppers!
So simple to prepare, my Broccoli Cheese Casserole is made from scratch and is an updated version of that old favorite from my childhood that included cans of cream of chicken soup. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I wanted to remake the recipe to make it fresher and an even more delicious comfort food favorite!
I made my own creamy cheesy sauce for my Broccoli Cheese Casserole and have never looked back. The result is a fresh, easy side dish with a buttery, crunchy cracker crumb topping that is the BEST Broccoli Cheese Casserole I’ve ever tasted!
Table of Contents
- How to Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Storage Tips
- Other Favorite Casseroles and Side Dishes
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Once you try this made-from-scratch recipe for this iconic casserole, I think it will become your favorite version, too.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Broccoli – I prefer to use broccoli florets that I cut off of whole heads of broccoli in my casserole. You can also use pre-cut broccoli florets if you prefer.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- All-purpose Flour – Used to make the homemade sauce for the casserole. This sauce replaces the cream of chicken or mushroom soup used in many recipes.
- Milk – Used in the homemade sauce. I prefer whole milk or even heavy cream for a rich and creamy sauce.
- Kosher Salt – I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you substitute with Morton’s Kosher salt, fine sea salt, or table salt, you will only need half the amount of the salt called for in the recipe.
- Ground Black Pepper – You can also use white pepper if you prefer.
- Cayenne Pepper – You are only using a little cayenne pepper in this casserole dish for added flavor. If you are sensitive to cayenne, you can omit it.
- Monterey Jack Cheese – Makes the homemade sauce creamy and delicious.
- Sour Cream – Adds even more creamy, silky richness to the sauce while adding a slightly tangy flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese – Tops the casserole as it bakes.
- Buttery Crackers – Adds a crispy, crunch, buttery topping on the casserole.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Prep. Preheat the oven and prepare your baking dish. Cut the broccoli into florets.
Cook the broccoli. Add the fresh broccoli florets to a large, heavy-bottomed pot of boiling water and cook. Drain the cooked broccoli and set aside.
Make the sauce. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet or saucepan. Whisk in flour until well combined. Then, whisk in milk, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and Monterrey Jack cheese. Reduce heat to simmer. Continue to whisk until the sauce simmers slightly around the edges and has thickened slightly. Stir in the sour cream.
Bake the casserole. Arrange the broccoli in a casserole dish. Then, pour the cream sauce over the broccoli. Top with cheddar cheese and crushed buttery crackers. Bake uncovered until bubbling. Then serve warm and enjoy!
This is great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with Turkey Breast or Roasted Turkey. It is also delicious anytime with Roast Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts. You can also add 1 to 2 cups of shredded chicken to the recipe for an easy and delicious one-dish meal.
Storage Tips
Make Ahead Unbaked Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. Make without the final topping of cheese and butter crackers. Store the unbaked casserole for up to one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, top with the cheese and crackers and bake as directed.
Freeze Unbaked Broccoli Cheese Casserole. Store the uncooked casserole in an airtight, freezer-safe container without the final cheese and butter cracker topping for up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, top with cheese and crackers, and bake as directed.
Store Leftover Casserole. Refrigerate leftover casserole in an airtight container or wrap well with wrap for up to 4 days. Reheat and serve.
Freeze Leftover Casserole. Transfer to a freezer-safe container(s) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you reduce the servings for this broccoli cheese casserole?
Yes! You can easily divide this recipe to make fewer servings. Another idea is to prepare the full recipe and divide it into two smaller dishes. Bake one for now and hold off on adding the topping to the second dish and freeze it for later. See how to freeze this recipe under Storage Tips above.
Can you substitute cream of chicken soup for the homemade sauce?
You can. I would prefer to use my homemade cream of chicken soup, but you can use your favorite store-bought. Omit the ingredients for cheesy cream sauce from the recipe if using.
Other Favorite Casseroles and Side Dishes
Green Bean Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Skillet Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole
If you tried thisBroccoli Cheese Casserole Recipeor any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟star ratingand let me know how it went in thecommentsbelow. Thanks for visiting!
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Robyn Stone
4.99 from 91 votes
This Broccoli Cheese Casseroleis a cheesy, delicious side dish! Fresh recipe is made from scratch with a decadent creamy sauce and buttery crunchy top! Perfect for holidays, family get togethers and Sunday suppers!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 3 heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups crushed buttery crackers
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 13 x 9 – inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Add broccoli florets to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot of boiling water. Cook for 3-5 minutes and then drain broccoli from the water. Set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour until well-combined, then whisk in milk, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and 1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to whisk until sauce simmers slightly around the edges and has thickened slightly. Stir in sour cream.
Arrange broccoli in casserole dish and then pour cream sauce over broccoli. Top with cheddar cheese and crushed crackers.
Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.
Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 598IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Robyn xo
Categorized as:All Recipes, By Special Diets, Casseroles, Christmas Recipes, Cooking, Easter Recipes, Egg-Free Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, Simple Recipes, Southern Favorites, Thanksgiving Recipes, Vegetable Recipes
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About Robyn
Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.
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