This Creamy Vegetable Casserole is a comforting meal with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots baked in a creamy cheese sauce. Topped with a sprinkle of crunchy breadcrumbs and baked to a golden, bubbly, saucy perfection, it will become your next go-to casserole!
Indulge in the simple pleasure of this veggie casserole, a versatile dish that’s perfect as a side or a vegetarian main course. With the combination of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots baked in a luscious Italian cheese sauce and a touch of herbs and classic spices, it’s a pleasure to both make and eat. Topped with crispy breadcrumbs and baked until bubbling, this casserole isn’t just a way to eat your veggies – it’s a way to truly enjoy them. Whether you’re catering to picky eaters or simply craving something comforting and flavorful, this casserole has you covered.
Why You’ll Love This Vegetable Casserole
- Creamy and Comforting: With its cheese sauce and variety of vegetables, it’s one cozy dish.
- Easy to Make: The recipe is simple and requires no special skills or tools.
- Versatile: It can be served as a main dish for vegetarians or as a tasty side to accompany meat or fish.
- Customizable: You can add or substitute vegetables, adjust seasonings, or even change up the cheese.
Ingredients
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets: You’ll need a pound of each.
- Baby Carrots: I use baby carrots, but you can use whole carrots cut into 1-2 inch sections.
- Butter: For the cheese sauce.
- Garlic: Minced or pressed.
- Cornstarch: Just a couple of tablespoons to thicken the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: You can use half-and-half or milk, but the sauce won’t be as thick and rich.
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
- Chili Powder and Nutmeg: To flavor the cheese sauce.
- Italian Blend Cheese: You can also use other cheeses like cheddar, Gruyere, or a different blend.
- Panko: For the crunchy topping. Feel free to substitute pork-rind Panko.
How To Make A Vegetable Casserole
- Pre-Cook the Vegetables: Boil all the vegetables in a large pot for 8 minutes.
- Make the Cream Sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the garlic, and whisk in cornstarch; add cream, and boil until thickened.
- Add Cheese and Seasonings: Remove from the heat, stir in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chili powder, nutmeg, and cheese until melted.
- Assemble the Casserole: Layer cheese sauce, veggies, and more sauce in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper as you go. Top with Panko crumbs.
- Bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes until bubbly, then rest for 10 minutes to set.
Make Ahead Method
To make the casserole ahead, I suggest pre-cooking the veggies and sauce and storing them separately in the fridge for up to 2 days before using. Assemble and bake the casserole the day you want to serve it.
Recipe Tips
- Choose Fresh Vegetables: Selecting fresh and crisp vegetables will enhance the flavors of the casserole.
- Don’t Overcook the Vegetables: Boiling the vegetables until just fork-tender will keep them from getting mushy in the final bake.
- Season to Taste: Adjust seasonings like salt, pepper, or herbs to suit your taste preferences.
- Shredded Cheese: Experiment with different types of cheese to find your perfect flavor combination.
- Allow to Rest: Letting the casserole rest for a few minutes after baking will allow it to set, making serving easier.
Serving Suggestions
- Seafood: I love serving broccoli dishes with my Maryland-Style Crab Cakes as a perfect appetizer or light entree, or try it with this Glazed Salmon.
- Chicken: We love this Baked Lemon Chicken, and my Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken is a total win!
- A Colorful Salad: This Mediterranean Cobb Salad is a fresh and crunchy addition.
Storing Leftovers
- To refrigerate, store leftovers in airtight containers, and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, place the desired portion of leftover casserole in an ovenproof dish and bake at 350˚F until heated through.
More Broccoli Casserole Recipes
More Casseroles To Try
- Cheesy Broccoli, Sausage, and Cauliflower Casserole
- Butternut Squash and Rice Casserole
- Crockpot Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Creamy Vegetable Casserole
Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are lightly coated in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, and baked to bubbly deliciousness.
Servings : 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- 1 pound cauliflower florets
- ½ pound baby carrots
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup shredded Italian blend cheese
- 1 cup pork rind panko crumbs, for topping (you can also use regular panko crumbs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Boil a large pot of water over high heat.
- Add all vegetables to the boiling water and bring water back to a boil; cover, lower heat to a steady simmer, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until veggies are fork-tender.
- In the meantime, melt butter in a 10-inch skillet; add garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Whisk in cornstarch until blended; cook for 1 minute.
- Add heavy cream; bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened.
- Remove from heat; stir in italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chili powder, ground nutmeg, and cheese; whisk until cheese is melted.
- Spread ½-cup of the cheese sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Drain the vegetables, then transfer to the baking dish; season with salt and pepper and stir.
- Add remaining cheese sauce; stir to coat all the vegetables.
- Sprinkle top with pork rinds panko crumbs.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
- Serve.
Notes
- Choose Fresh Vegetables: Selecting fresh and crisp vegetables will enhance the flavors of the casserole.
- Don’t Overcook the Vegetables: Boiling the vegetables until just fork-tender will keep them from getting mushy in the final bake.
- Shredded Cheese: Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese to find your perfect flavor combination.
- Low Carb: Note for those making the low-carb variety – if you make the sauce without cornstarch, it will not store and reheat very well.
- Low-Calorie: For those following low-calorie diets, you can use Fat-Free Half & Half instead of the heavy cream and Fat-Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese instead of the Italian Blend Cheese.
- Allow to Rest: Letting the casserole rest for a few minutes after baking will allow it to set, making serving easier.
- Season to Taste: Adjust seasonings like salt, pepper, or herbs to suit your taste preferences.
Nutrition
Calories: 350 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 30 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g | Cholesterol: 98 mg | Sodium: 204 mg | Potassium: 470 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 5293 IU | Vitamin C: 79 mg | Calcium: 117 mg | Iron: 1 mg
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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