This Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is made from scratch with tender broccoli florets, an easy cheese sauce, and a buttery crumbs topping.
Ingredients
BROCCOLI
- Fresh broccoli best in this recipe
- Boil or steam broccoli just until tender-crisp (do not overcook)
- Frozen broccoli can be used in place of fresh but the casserole will be softer (defrost first)
- Whether using fresh or frozen, drain very well to keep the sauce from getting watery.
CHEESE SAUCE
- Cheese sauce can be made with any cheese you’d like
- Dry mustard adds a bit of depth, if you don’t have any, add a small dash of Worcestershire or dijon mustard
CRUMB TOPPING
- Buttery round crackers (like Ritz) can be replaced with any kind of crackers or even chips
- Panko bread crumbs can be used, add a bit of extra butter to the topping
Variations
You can swap out other veggies (cauliflower or asparagus) for some or all of the broccoli. Add in ham or leftover Chicken Breasts to make this a main dish.
Pasta or rice are great additions but do soak up some of the sauce so if you’re adding rice, I’d suggest using a Broccoli Rice Casserole or Broccoli and Cheese Casserole recipe to get the best ratios.
How to Make Broccoli Casserole
This casserole is as easy as 1,2,3!
- Boil or steam broccoli until tender-crisp.
- Prepare the cheese sauce (per recipe below).
- Toss with broccoli.
- Top with buttery crumbs and bake until golden and bubbly.
To Make Ahead of Time
Prepare as directed keeping the topping in a separate container. Cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours.
To bake remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake 15 minutes and stir. Add crumb mixture and bake an additional 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. You may need to add up to an additional 10 minutes to heat through.
Leftovers
To reheat broccoli casserole, cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees.
In the microwave (without foil of course) reheat until heated through. The crumbs won’t be as crisp in the microwave.
More Broccoli Faves
- Broccoli Rice Casserole from Scratch
- Creamy Broccoli Slaw – great for potlucks!
- Broccoli Salad
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli – a quick side dish
- Quick Broccoli and Cheese
- Crispy Garlic Air Fryer Broccoli – ready in under 15 mins!
Did you enjoy this Cheesy Broccoli Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli cut into bite sized pieces (approx. 10 cups)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ medium onion diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Topping
- 1 cup buttery crackers coarsely crushed
- ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Boil broccoli in a large pot for 2-3 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain very well.
- In a saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender. Add in flour, dry mustard, and salt. Allow to cook 1 minute.
- Add milk a little bit at a time whisking after each addition until smooth. Continue whisking over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in cream cheese until smooth.
- Remove from heat and add in cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Toss with broccoli and pour into a 3qt baking dish.
- Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over broccoli cheese mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Side Dish
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This was perfect! Very cheesy and creamy! So much better making this casserole completely from scratch! Thank you!
This was incredibly tasty! Only thing I did was add some cubed ham but there are so many directions you can go with this! so good!
I could have tinkered with ingredients to make something like this, but I really, really wanted just the perfect cheesy broccoli casserole on the coldest night of the year. And here it is. Thank you!
Gorgeous!
Broccoli and cheese sauce looks lovely,I have made it with coulflour before,but I made 2 packets of cheese sauce with milk and poured it on top with grated cheese,
Yum, sounds delicious Eve.
Wow, what a great casserole! I happened to have all the ingredients and it came out so delicious.
I served it with 3 cheese and spinach ravioli. The only thing missing maybe would have been some
garlic bread but it was a huge success. Thank you for sharing that wonderful casserole.
That sounds like a wonderful dinner thanks for sharing Sally!
Oh my, this recipe was excellent!! It was so simple and quick, and it was just so good! No need to change a thing. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it so much, Kasey!
I just want to say thanks for all the little tidbits of help you place in each recipe. This really helps expand recipes to new heights!! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Denice.
My FAVORITE, but I use broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower ALL FRESH OF COURSE sometimes I add halved brussel sprouts. In a hurry you can cheat with cubed Velveeta. If using I bake a bit first , stir then add cracker topping and then finish baking. Just sayin.
Sounds delicious Pam, thanks for sharing!
Hi where do you buy buttery crackers as indicated in your cheese broccoli recipe.
tks
Diane
We use Ritz crackers but any kind of crackers will work.
Only have used a couple of recipes, but love what I’ve made. Looking forward to more!Z
Thanks Audrey! Happy to hear you have been enjoying them!
Made this tonight with a few change- I didn’t have mustard powder so I used Dijon mustard instead and it added a great taste to the whole dish! I also used short grain rice- takes a bit longer to cook (45 mins on stove top) but worth the wait! Will be using this recipe again :-)
Great idea Robyn! That sounds like a delicious substitution.
Nice recipe, sounds better than one I tried which used canned soup! I like to use Evaporated Milk in my casseroles. They come out much creamier than with regular milk. Thanks for this recipe. A very Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family. :-)
Thanks Angelina. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well!
Thank you