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Loaded with Italian seasoning and garlic, this cheesy broccoli casserole will be a hot and bubbly weeknight favorite for everyone in the family— even the little ones. Ready in 35 minutes, all you have to do is mix and bake.
You could serve this easy broccoli casserole with my slow cooker crack chicken for a hearty meal! For a lighter side, try this zucchini salad to add a fresh contrast.
Topped with golden, melty goodness, this broccoli and cheese will become a weeknight favorite from the first time you put it on the table. Even if you’ve got some picky eaters at home, broccoli might just become their new favorite vegetable once they try this dish.
Mixed with a homemade cream cheese sauce, this broccoli cheese casserole is the perfect opportunity to use up all your leftover bits of cheese in the fridge. Instead of using canned cream of mushroom soup, I make the sauce entirely from scratch for a rich and flavorful homemade touch.
Got leftover air fryer rotisserie chicken? Add that in too! This recipe is super versatile and easy. All you have to do is boil the broccoli (or maybe you like steaming the broccoli), whisk the sauce, mix, and bake. That’s not too bad, is it?
With a great mix of crisp and creamy textures and flavors, this cheese and broccoli bake will redefine how you feel about weeknight cooking adventures. Ready in roughly 30 minutes, I’d say this casserole is so worth it— and anyone with a cheese-smothered smile will agree with me too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Don’t skip the Italian seasoning—it’s the secret flavor punch for this broccoli cheese casserole recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for complete instructions.
- Broccoli florets – I use about 1.5 to 2 pounds of bite-sized broccoli florets.
- Cream cheese – Take the cream cheese out of the fridge a while before you start working with it. It needs to be at room temperature and cut into cubes for the cheese to blend in smoothly.
- Sour cream – Aids in the creaminess of the sauce. If you like, you can use plain yogurt instead.
- Cheddar cheese – You can’t have broccoli and cheese without more cheese! Feel free to use your favorite cheese blend or bits of all your leftover cheese.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated parmesan is best for this.
- Garlic – You can substitute it for 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
- Italian seasoning – I like this blend in a broccoli casserole, but if you enjoy other herbs and seasonings, you can use those in its place.
- Salt and ground black pepper – Enhances the flavors of the dish.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Boiling broccoli for less than 5 minutes and making a quick homemade sauce is about as hard as it gets for this easy broccoli casserole.
- Prepare the dish. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter and set it aside.
- Boil the broccoli. Bring 1/2″ of salted water to a boil in a large skillet or pot. Add the broccoli and let it cook for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain it and place it in the prepared baking dish.
- Make the sauce. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl until well combined.
- Mix it. Add the creamy sauce to the baking dish and stir until the broccoli is coated in the mixture.
- Bake it. Pop the baking dish into the oven for 17-20 minutes or until the broccoli cheese casserole is bubbly and lightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Line it. Use foil to line the baking dish for easy clean-up when you’re done.
- Don’t over-bake. Remove this dish from the oven once the cheese is hot and bubbly. Letting it bake for much longer can make the sauce seize and separate.
- Use chicken. Leftover rotisserie chicken is an easy variation of this dish.
- Add turkey. Grilled or shredded roast turkey are great ways to add protein to this easy casserole.
- Add more veggies. Adding your favorite veggies like cauliflower or yellow corn into the mix can make this casserole extra healthy and flavorful.
- Cheese options. Cheddar cheese is a popular choice for this casserole, but feel free to experiment with different types like Gouda or mozzarella.
- Add crackers. Top this easy casserole with Ritz crackers! Crush about 1 sleeve (around 30 crackers) into coarse crumbs. Toss the crumbs with 2 to 3 tablespoons of melted butter until they’re well coated. Then, evenly sprinkle the buttery cracker crumbs over the casserole before baking. This will create a crispy, golden topping that pairs perfectly with the creamy cheese casserole.
- Make it spicy. Sprinkle this dish with red pepper flakes before serving for some heat. Cayenne pepper works too.
Can I Use Frozen Broccoli?
If you’re using frozen broccoli florets in a casserole, stir fry, quiche, and so on, it’s better to thaw the broccoli so it is at the same temperature as the rest of the ingredients for even cooking. To quickly defrost the broccoli florets, place them in a large bowl, cover them with hot water, and let them sit for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, and continue with the recipe.
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole In Advance
To make this broccoli casserole in advance, boil the broccoli for 4 minutes, transfer it to a baking dish, and then top it with the cheese mixture. Once it cools down to room temperature, cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, just remove the foil, stir the casserole ingredients, and bake until hot and bubbly.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this broccoli cheese with non-creamy sides and mains for the perfect balance of flavors. For sides, I pair it with my Cobb salad, chorizo rice bean soup, or these air-fried crispy smashed potatoes.
As a main, I serve this side dish with my garlic butter oven baked tilapia, juicy air fryer pork chops, or cajun chicken pasta with zoodles.
How to Store Leftovers
- Once fully cooled, store broccoli cheese casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also keep it in the baking dish covered with plastic wrap to reduce clean-up.
- To reheat the casserole, sprinkle it with 1-2 teaspoons of milk and then microwave it for up to a minute or until warm. If you’d like to heat it on the stove, just add it to a pan over medium-low heat for 6-7 minutes.
Easy Casserole Recipes
- Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Quinoa Casserole
- Taco Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds broccoli florets
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, cut in cubes
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black 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
- Prep the broccoli: It’s important to cook the fresh broccoli before adding it to the casserole to ensure it’s adequately softened. You can steam or blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes, as per the instructions in this recipe.
- Cheese choices: Cheddar cheese is a popular choice because of its strong flavor, but feel free to experiment with different types like Gouda, mozzarella, or even a blend of several kinds of cheese.
- Add crunch: For an added texture, sprinkle some bread crumbs or fried onions on top before baking.
- Extra flavor: While Italian seasoning and garlic are a great start, you can also add other flavors like Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, or a splash of hot sauce for some heat.
- Add turkey. Shredded cooked turkey is a great way to add protein to the casserole.
- Use chicken. Leftover rotisserie chicken blends well with the cheesy casserole.
- Add more veggies. Adding your favorite veggies like cauliflower or yellow corn into the mix will add more nutrition, flavor, and texture to the casserole.
- To Make Ahead. Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a baking dish and add the cheese mixture. Wait for it to cool down to room temperature, then cover it with foil and set it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready, remove the cover, stir everything together, and bake until the 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.
I made this today!! It’s so good!!!! Thanks!!!
Can I freeze this before baking?
How much chicken would you add to this recipe? Thanks.
I’d say about 2 to 3 cups chopped, or shredded, and already cooked chicken.
Delicious! Reminds me of the broccoli and cheese side dish at Outback. So yummy!
Thank YOU! 🙂
Do you have to put cream cheese
Hi!
Yes, you do. I wouldn’t try to make this recipe without it since the cream cheese is the main ingredient in this particular cheese-sauce.
I made this tonight. I boiled as the recipe calls for, I premixed the cheeses so I could just stir in the broccoli. The broccoli completely came apart. I dumped a big glob of green stuff into a baking dish. It ended up kind of a paste. I’m sure it’s my fault, but it’s a no from me.
Another recipe calls for cooking the cream cheese with heavy cream and butter. I sauteed a small shallot and the garlic in butter first before adding the cream cheese, heavy cream and sour cream. This gets the clumps down when you cook it. Then add the cheddar cheese and parmesan into the pot to melt. I added mustard powder, paprika, italian seasoning, red chili flakes, salt and pepper. Then I poured over steamed broccoli, threw in some riced cauliflower too. It’s a thicker sauce but I loosened up with more heavy cream and sour cream. Sprinkled parm over top and voila! Very tasty!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Cheese mixture was too thick. I added heavy cream, more sour cream, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, extra cheddar. Baked for 50 mins.
the sauce was much too thick. I put it in my mixer to try to get everything combined but it was still way to thick. When I mixed it with the broccoli I had to incorporate it with my hands, trying to combine it but it was big clumps and never really was a sauce. Now I’m trying how to fix it before dinner guests arrive. Not sure what I did wrong. Wondering if the cubes of cream cheese should have stayed cubes and not tried to mash it all together.
I am so sorry it didn’t work out. 🙁 I can only assume that maybe the cream cheese wasn’t soft enough? The cream cheese has to be at room temperature, softened, for the sauce to work properly. Adding some liquid, like milk, or more sour cream, will help.
The taste is great but the dish itself was not what I expected. I waited 45 minutes for it to become bubbly, even put the temperature up to 400F, but it did not look at all like the dish on the picture. Still super tasty though
I’d love to dig right into this casserole! What a great dish to have on the table!
This sounds delish and just what I’m looking for. But I haven’t made it yet. I’m wondering about the “sauce” …. seems like it will be too thick to stir into the cooked broccoli. Doesn’t seem like there will be enough liquid to stir. Do you melt the cream cheese 1st? For those that have tried it, please let me know. Thanks.
I’m making it now and I agree it seems thick, even after I melted it in the microwave. Debating whether to add cream. The hot broccoli does make it easier to stir. Also, the picture looks like the cheddar was added to the top, instead of mixed in. I’ll let you know how it goes
I tried this recipe as instructed but the picture does look like the broccoli is placed in the dish the cheese on top and the sauce spread out in different places. I’ll try it that was next time.
Had this for dinner tonight. The full recipe seemed a bit much so I halved it. I shouldn’t have, lol This was very very good. I added some precooked chunked up chicken to the mix, a little bit of red bell pepper and a couple of slices of cooked chopped up bacon.
That sounds awesome. My daughter loved this, she does not eat meat. I expected leftovers, there wasn’t much:)