This easy Broccoli Cheese Casserole recipe is creamy, savory and all kinds of delicious! Made with fresh broccoli, seasoned cheddar and cream cheese sauce, this side dish is ready in 30-minutes and ALWAYS a crowd favorite!
BROCCOLI CHEESE CASSEROLE
The classic combination of broccoli and cheese is the perfect vegetarian dinner or side dish for when you want some downright delicious comfort food.
There are those certain dishes that make a regular appearance on our dinner table, and oven baked broccoli swimming in cheese is one of those dishes.
Also, “with cheese” is the ONLY way I can get my kids to eat the “green tree vegetable”. 🙄 Which is why we can live on Broccoli Cheese Soup and Chicken Broccoli Shells and Cheese FOR DAYS!
Broccoli Cheese Casserole is easy to make, foolproof, and delicious, and what’s even better is that it can be made ahead! 🙌 If I were you, I’d plan on making a double batch – make one for now and keep the other one in the fridge for tomorrow.
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEESE CASSEROLE
- First, you’ll want to get one-and-a-half-pounds of broccoli florets. You can pick up a bag of fresh broccoli florets at your supermarket.
- Add the broccoli florets to boiling water; cover and cook for 3 minutes. or just until crisp-tender. Drain.
- Transfer broccoli to a greased 2.5 to 3 quart baking dish and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic plus seasonings, and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Stir cream cheese mixture into the broccoli and mix until combined.
- Bake in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and lightly browned on top.
- Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CASSEROLE AHEAD
- Cook broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a baking dish and add in the cheese mixture.
- Wait for everything to cool down to room temperature, then cover with foil and set in the fridge for 1 day.
- When ready, remove cover, stir everything together, and bake until mixture is hot and bubbly.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
- If your baking dish comes with a lid, keep the contents in the baking dish; cover with the lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can also store the casserole in an airtight container and refrigerate.
CAN I ADD CHICKEN TO THIS CASSEROLE?
Absolutely, as long as the chicken is cooked and shredded up, or cubed. Would work perfectly with a rotisserie chicken.
MORE BROCCOLI CHEESE RECIPES
- Garlicky and Cheesy Cauliflower Broccoli Bake
- Creamy Broccoli and Cheese with Bacon
- Broccoli Cheese Veggie Dip
- Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Quinoa Casserole
ENJOY!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli florets
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, cut in cubes
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste
- crushed red pepper flakes for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Grease a 2.5 quart to 3 quart baking dish with butter and set aside.
- In a large skillet, bring 1/2 inch of salted water to a boil.
- Add the broccoli; cover and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Drain and transfer broccoli to prepared baking dish; set aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix until incorporated.
- Add cream cheese mixture to the broccoli and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Bake in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
- Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Optionally, garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and serve.
Notes
- REDUCE POINTS DOWN TO 6 by using Neufchatel Cheese in place of full fat cream cheese; use reduced fat sour cream, too, and fat free cheddar cheese.
- Cook broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a baking dish and add in the cheese mixture.
- Wait for everything to cool down to room temperature, then cover with foil and set in the fridge for 1 day.
- When ready, remove cover, stir everything together, and bake until mixture is hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Could eggs be added to make a crust less quiche?
As this was baking I was reading the reviews so I took it out and looked at it and it was definitely too thick. So I added some whipping cream to it to thin it up some it still came out a little thick but oh it’s good, delicious. I actually used frozen broccoli so I just warmed it up enough to thaw it out and then proceeded to make the sauce it really is good. Thank you so much for the recipe.
This is DELICIOUS!! I was never a fan of broccoli but I am trying to like it. Plain broccoli is a no go for me so when I saw this recipe I thought it looked amazing and I gave it a try. I followed the recipe almost exactly. I microwaved my room temperature cream cheese because I thought it would be creamier and it did not get clumpy at all. I used a mixture of shaved Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheeses because I didn’t have any grated Parmesan. I saved a half cup of the cheddar cheese and sprinkled on top. The only thing I would do differently would be to add a little more salt than I did, I didn’t want to over do it but that was an easy fix, I just added it at the table. Thank you for sharing this! It was so easy to make and tastes wonderful!
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made this for my son and me. Yummy! We love broccoli and cauliflower so will add more next time as I had plenty of the cheese mixture. Don’t forget to cube cream cheese for better mixing. I forgot. Clean up the dishes as you go. Will be adding this to my recipe rotation.
That’s wonderful! I’m very happy you and your son enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂