Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Jul 22, 2019, Updated Feb 12, 2026
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Loaded with Italian seasoning and garlic, this cheesy broccoli casserole will be a hot, bubbly weeknight favorite for the whole family. 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.
Why We Love This Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- A weeknight favorite: This easy broccoli cheese casserole comes together fast and hits the table bubbling and golden. Even picky eaters can’t resist the creamy broccoli and cheese combo.
- Made with a homemade cheese sauce: Instead of canned soup, this recipe uses a rich, from-scratch cream cheese sauce for better flavor and texture.
- Perfect for using up leftovers: It’s a great way to use leftover cheese, and you can even stir in chopped air fryer rotisserie chicken to make it heartier.
- Ready in about 30 minutes: With its creamy center and golden top, this cheesy broccoli is a simple and quick dinner or side dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Broccoli florets – I use about 1.5 to 2 pounds of bite-sized broccoli florets. 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.
- Cream cheese – Take the cream cheese out of the fridge before you start working with it. It needs to be at room temperature and cut into cubes for the cheese to blend in smoothly.
- Heavy cream – This will help make the sauce creamier. Regular milk or half-and-half will also work.
- 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 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.
Make It 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.
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.
- Add chicken or turkey. Leftover rotisserie chicken is an easy variation of this dish. Grilled or shredded roast turkey is a great addition to this easy dish.
- Use more veggies. Adding your favorite veggies, like cauliflower or yellow corn, to the mix can make this casserole extra 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.
Serving Suggestions
- Main dishes: Serve broccoli and cheese alongside garlic butter oven baked tilapia, air fryer pork chops, or Cajun chicken pasta.
- Soup and salad: Pair it with Cobb salad or chorizo rice bean soup for a lighter contrast.
- Potatoes: Add air fryer crispy smashed potatoes if you want something extra on the side.
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe
This cheesy broccoli casserole, full of Italian spices, cheese, and garlic, will be a dinner winner any night of the week – even your picky little eaters will be asking for seconds.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds broccoli florets
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, cut in cubes
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 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
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 2.5 quart to 3 quart baking dish with butter and set aside.
- Cook the broccoli. 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 the broccoli to the baking dish; set aside.
- Make the cheese sauce. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the cream cheese with the heavy cream first. Whisk until smooth, then add the sour cream and stir in the cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Combine and bake. Add the cheese mixture to the broccoli and stir until thoroughly combined. Bake in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes, or until bubbly, set, and lightly browned on top.
- Finish and serve. Remove the broccoli cheese from the oven and let it stand 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and serve.
Video
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
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1699IU | Vitamin C: 102mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 1mg
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.
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How to Store Leftovers
- Fridge. Once fully cooled, store the leftovers 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, then microwave for up to 1 minute, or until warm. If you’d like to heat it on the stove, add it to a pan over medium-low heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Can you make this without using cream chees
I made this recipe following suggestions from other commenters… I microwaved the cream cheese, added a few tablespoons more of sour cream, added 2 tbsp of heavy cream, left out the cheddar (added in later),… then once all the ingredients (minus cheddar) were mixed, I microwaved again for about 15-20 seconds. I put the broccoli in a bowl and added the cream cheese mixture. I lightly tossed it all together. Its going to look like there isn’t enough sauce– there is! Just wait. Once I pour the broccoli and sour cream mix into the buttered casserole/pan, I sprinkled the cheddar on top. Baked for the time listed. I stirred 1/2 way through cooking. I think I added the rest of the bag of cheddar on top. It was delicious. I would definitely make again.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Added shredded rotisserie chicken and rice cauliflower. Fantastic!!! I wanted more of a meal.
I added pasta shells and tuna and made it into a casserole. Didn’t have cream cheese but I had 8oz mascarpone so I used that instead. Turned out really, really yummy! Thanks for posting the recipe.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can the leftovers be frozen?
I have not made either of the recipes . I was so mad at all the ads and wine ads and it took forever to even get to the recipes.
At the very top of the page you can click “Jump to Recipe” and it takes you straight to it.
Very good. I added chicken and it needed a little more moisture and flavor. So next time I’ll add add additional sour cream and cheddar cheese.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi! 👋
Yeah, that would be OK. Cook it for about 2.5, maybe 3 hours, on HIGH.
i’ve made this several times. i added the chicken and used the entire sour cream. it is excellent, it’s my new favorite! my husband loves it too.
i have celiac disease, i’m so grateful that many of your recipes are gluten free.
thanks 😊
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I wish i had read the comments first. The sauce was waaaaaaay too thick, and i did use room temperature cream cheese. The flavor was very, very good, but next time I’ll use less cream cheese, less sour cream, add milk or cream and heat and stir the sauce until it’s a workable consistency, then pour it over the broccoli in the pan. I’ll then sprinkle more grated cheddar on top.
I had a ton of frozen broccoli so I used that instead. I used about 30 oz. I used all the same proportions for the cheeses and spices. I didn’t have any minced garlic so I used about 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. I baked and cut up about 5 slices of turkey bacon and put that in with the broccoli. I didn’t worry so much about mixing the broccoli into the cheese mixture. I sort of just scooped and pressed the cheese mixture into the broccoli. I had some Parmesan cheese leftover and I didn’t want to put it back in the fridge so I sprinkled it on top. It didn’t look exactly like the picture but it came out great. My 2 year old loved it. Luckily she is a fan of garlic and cheese. Will definitely make again!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was SO good. I recommend microwaving the cheese mixture to make it creamier before adding it to the broccoli. I also put the broiler on for a minute to toast the cheese.
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Thanks Julia for microwave recommendation! I followed the recipe directions exactly and I thought that perhaps a step in the directions was omitted in error! I could not mix the cheese mixture with the broccoli but had to placed on top.
OMG amazing!! I just spoon cheese mixture in clumps, halfway thru I mix (hella easier) and one more time before serving with the water that the broccoli gives off since steamed only 4 min. KETOfabulous