Broccoli Cheese Casserole is one of the best side dishes ever created. It’s a comforting, cheesy, and easily made with broccoli, cheese sauce, and buttery Panko topping. This side is perfect for holiday dinners and any time of the year.
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a wonderful holiday dinner side dish. You know everyone will love it because it’s basically broccoli smothered in cheese and topped with buttery bread crumb topping. This side dish is really good any time of the year, not just during the holidays.
I like to mix together different cheese flavors but always make sure to add some sharp tasting cheeses. Since cheese can add a lot of flavor to a simple vegetable like broccoli, I recommend using sharp of extra sharp cheddar cheese and combine it with an Italian cheese mix.
If you want to add some spicy flavors, feel free to use pepper jack cheese instead of Italian cheese mix. (To add even more spice, you can use red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.)
There are usually two options for topping: Ritz crackers or bread crumbs. Instead of crackers, I like to use buttery Panko crumb topping with grated Parmesan cheese mixed in. It doesn’t overpower the broccoli like Ritz but it adds a nice buttery crunch.
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole
First step, and highly recommended one, is to blanch the broccoli. Blanching broccoli will start cooking it and make sure that less liquid is released into the cheese sauce when broccoli casserole is cooking in the oven. (If you choose to skip this step, you casserole will be more watery from extra broccoli juices.)
After broccoli is blanched, drain the water off immediately and set it aside.
In a small sauce pot, sauté diced onion in butter and when onion is transparent, add garlic. Add garlic and sauté until it’s fragrant and sprinkle in flour.
Stir in flour until paste starts to form and slowly pour in milk, while constantly stirring. Keep stirring slowly until the mixture is smooth and stir in Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and cheeses.
Combine blanched broccoli with cheese sauce and spread it in a greased casserole dish.
To make the topping, combine Panko crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese together and mix it well with melted butter. Spread Panko topping evenly over the broccoli mixture and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.
How To Make It Gluten Free?
You will be happy to find out that this comforting broccoli cheese casserole can easily be made gluten free.
First, substitute flour in the cheese sauce for gluten free 1:1 all-purpose flour. (You may need to use 1 extra tablespoon of gluten free flour. I’ve noticed that some types of gluten free flour require adding a little extra to get sauce thicker.)
For the topping, use gluten free Panko bread crumbs instead of regular Panko. Many gluten free bread crumbs, like 4C brand, actually closely resemble Panko.
Make Ahead Tips
Much like with Cauliflower Casserole and Green Beans Casserole, you can do the blanching step ahead of time. Blanch the broccoli ahead of time and store it in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator for a day or two. When ready, follow the recipe to make the casserole.
Another way to make broccoli cheese casserole ahead of time is to prepare most of it and store it instead of baking. So prepare the casserole up to the step of adding the topping, spread the casserole in the baking dish you plan to use. Do NOT add the Panko topping yet. Make sure the casserole mixture is cooled, cover it, and refrigerate until the next day.
When ready to bake, take the casserole out and prepare the topping. Spread the topping over the casserole and bake as directed in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Broccoli casserole is a wonderful side dish to serve at traditional holiday dinners because it compliments turkey, chicken, and ham very well. It’s great served along other traditional holiday side dishes as well.
Every other time of the year, I like to serve this casserole with chicken. Whether it’s rotisserie chicken, baked chicken, or simple pan-seared chicken, this comforting side will make a special dinner.
If you have leftover rice (like many of us do after a Chinese takeout night), feel free to mix it in with broccoli and cheese sauce and bake it together.
For a simple and easy casserole dinner, add rotisserie chicken meat and cooked rice into the broccoli and cheese mixture, and bake it all together. Super simple and amazingly delicious!
More Side Dish Recipes To Try
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 lbs broccoli
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour*
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz shredded Italian cheese mix
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Topping:
- 1 cup Panko *
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° Lightly grease a 9×9 casserole dish (or 9×13 casserole dish)
- In a large pot, bring water to boil and blanch broccoli florets for about 2-3 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and add diced onion. Cook until onion is transparent. Add pressed garlic and saute just until garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over onions, stir, and cook until paste is formed. SLOWLY, start pouring in milk, whisking constantly. Keep slowly whisking until sauce thickens.
- Stir in Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Gradually add your cheeses, while stirring slowly, until all melted and smooth.
- Take off heat and stir in broccoli florets. Mix it well and transfer into the casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, combine Panko and grated Parmesan. Mix and pour melted butter over it. Mix well and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April 2014.
Shelbey says
Delicious! I used a bag of frozen broccoli (next time I will use two bags) thawed, and skipped the blanching part! It was awesome! Love the Dijon flavor.
LyubaB says
I am glad you liked it, Shelbey!
Franny says
I must say this is a super good recipe– I made it tonight and was pleased with it–
I liked the fact that the sauce was thick— you can taste it feel it and enjoy it–
LyubaB says
I am so happy you liked it, Franny!
Mickey says
Made this for Christmas dinner. I had no problem with parboiling my broccoli. It was good. The cheese sauce was real thick. I added more milk to it. Not sure if it was supposed to be so thick.
LyubaB says
Hi Mickey,
It is a casserole so it is thicker than just broccoli with cheese on top. I am glad you still liked it.
Shelby says
I would like to make this dish ahead of time for Christmas tomorrow how would I go about doing this??
ShelleyC says
I made this with a broccoli/cauliflower mix and I added ham. I followed the recipe otherwise. It was so good! 🙂
LyubaB says
Yum! That sounds good! I am glad you liked it, Shelly!
Evie says
What is Italian Cheese?
Mickey says
I am guessing mozzarella and parmesan????
Lisa Schroder says
The recipe for the sauce is delicious. Do NOT parboil the broccoli. I did and it was a wet mess. Make recipe leave out parboil.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
This looks so delicious! I have a little bit of broccoli still in the garden, so I think I will make this one tomorrow night. I’m always looking for a new, fun side dish, but I might add some chicken and try serving this over rice for a main meal. Hmmmm, options. Thanks, again, for the recipe!
lyuba says
Awesome! I hope you got a chance to make it! Thank you, Heather 🙂