This Broccoli Cheddar Casserole is a comforting way to get a big serving of broccoli on the table! My take on this classic dish is made with a homemade cheese sauce instead of canned soup, buttery crackers, and fresh or frozen broccoli.
This is my spin on a classic casserole! It's a cheesy, veggie-packed broccoli cheddar casserole that's a comforting addition to Thanksgiving or winter dinners.
If you've tried my recipes before, you know that I love making a homemade roux or cheese sauce instead of using canned cream soup. It's no different with this Broccoli Cheddar Casserole, which has a simple but very delicious sauce made from scratch.
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Recipe highlights
- Easy cheese sauce: Don't be intimidated by the homemade cheese sauce! It's very easy to make and unlocks the door to a lot of other delicious casseroles.
- Fresh or frozen broccoli: You can use any type of broccoli here. Instead of boiling the broccoli, I like to steam it in a steamer basket so that it's fork-tender but not mushy.
- Buttery cracker topping: Is it a casserole if it doesn't have some kind of topping? This broccoli cheese casserole uses smashed up Ritz, or whatever butter cracker you prefer, to make a crunchy topping.
Ingredients
- Broccoli: The recipe is written for fresh broccoli, but see below for how to use frozen broccoli instead. The casserole uses two pounds of florets, so about 3 pounds of crowns (AKA the broccoli with the thick stem included).
- Onion: Sweet yellow onion is the base of the cream sauce. Standard white onion or 2 shallots also work here.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but the casserole can be made a little lighter by using 2%. This is combined with flour and butter to make a bechamel sauce.
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is my preference. I recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as well because of anti-caking ingredients included in the processing.
- Crackers: Whole wheat Ritz are my go-to. Feel free to get creative here. I've seen other renditions of broccoli casserole that use cheese crackers!
Step-by-step instructions
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient and instruction list.
- Start by slicing the broccoli crowns into florets. Place the two pounds of broccoli florets into a steamer basket over an inch of simmering water. Steam until fork-tender, about 5 minutes for small florets and up to 10 minutes for larger florets. See notes if you don't have a steamer basket.
- While the broccoli steams, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add the onions and salt. Sauté until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, sautéing until aromatic.
- Sprinkle with flour, toasting for about a minute, or until lightly golden. Whisk in ½ cup of the milk to form a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk. Sprinkle in the poultry seasoning. When the sauce starts bubbling consistently, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer over medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before stirring in half of the cheddar cheese.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the broccoli, then season with salt and pepper, and optional Cajun seasoning. Top with the cream sauce, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the crushed crackers across the top of the casserole.
- Cover tightly with foil, then bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crackers are golden.
Variations
- Frozen broccoli: Cook the frozen broccoli in the microwave according to package instructions instead of steaming it.
- Vegan: Check out my vegan cream of mushroom soup for an easy cream sauce alternative, or just use oat milk or soy milk in place of cow's milk. Replace the cheese with your favorite vegan cheddar shreds. Back to Nature makes a good vegan cracker (I tested it on my vegan squash casserole.)
- Gluten-free option: Use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend in place of flour, or use just one tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot starch, first whisked with milk before adding to the sauce.
- Boiled broccoli: If you don't have a large enough steamer basket, the broccoli can be boiled instead. I recommend boiling for just 2 minutes, until the broccoli is fork tender but still vivid green.
Storage notes
- The casserole is best within 3-4 days. Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight storage container.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave. To reheat the entire casserole, cover with foil and bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes.
- I have not tried freezing this casserole but will update the post if I do. I'd love to hear from you below if you have success with freezing this recipe.
More comforting casseroles
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Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
This cheesy broccoli casserole is made with a homemade cream sauce and topped with buttery crackers.
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet
- steamer basket or large sieve
Ingredients
- 2 pounds broccoli florets ~2 very large broccoli crowns, see note #1
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese equal to 1 ½ cup grated
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt; more as needed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk see note #3
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste`
- 2 cups (1 ½ ounces) Ritz crackers crushed; see note #4
Instructions
- Place the broccoli florets into a steamer basket over an inch of simmering water. Cover with a lid and steam until fork tender, about 5 minutes for small florets and up to 10 minutes for larger florets. See notes if you don't have a steamer basket.
- While the broccoli steams, grate the block of cheddar cheese using the large holes on a box grater. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add the onions and salt. Sauté until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, sautéing until aromatic.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Sprinkle the onions with flour, toasting for about a minute, or until lightly golden. Whisk in ½ cup of the milk to form a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk. Sprinkle in the poultry seasoning and black pepper.
- When the sauce starts bubbling consistently, reduce heat to a gentle simmer over medium low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before stirring in half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with the cream sauce, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the crushed crackers.
- Cover tightly with foil, then bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crackers are golden. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Broccoli: Three pounds of broccoli crowns is 2 very large broccoli crowns or roughly 3 pounds. If buying pre-chopped broccoli, buy 2 pounds.
- Steamed broccoli: Frozen broccoli also works here, just cook it according to package instructions. If you don't have a steamer basket, use a large sieve fitted over a pot of simmering water and cover it tightly with that pot's lid. Alternatively, boil the broccoli in well-salted water until fork-tender, about 2 minutes.
- Milk: 2% also works for a slightly lighter sauce. Unsweetened, unflavored soy or oat milk are good non-dairy options.
- Crackers: I use two "fresh stacks" (this is the smaller size sleeve) of Ritz whole wheat crackers. Any type of butter cracker works. I crush them with my hands, but another method is to place them in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Nutrition calculations are an estimation and will vary based on ingredients used. I calculated these using 2 "fresh stacks" of whole wheat Ritz crackers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 13gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 476mgPotassium: 593mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1201IUVitamin C: 104mgCalcium: 350mgIron: 2mg
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