Whether you want to make this broccoli casserole as an easy weeknight side or as the perfect side dish for a holiday gathering, such as Thanksgiving, it’s always a recipe that the whole family looks forward to. The tender broccoli paired with a creamy sauce and crispy, buttery crackers make for such a delicious bite that will please any picky eaters. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
One of the other reasons that I love making this broccoli cheese casserole for dinner and gatherings is how easy it is to prepare in advance. You can assemble the casserole and keep it in the fridge ahead of time or bake it first and reheat it later! It makes dinner time stress-free and simple. If you want another easy casserole recipe for dinner, then try my chicken casserole, tuna casserole, or chicken spaghetti recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Broccoli — I prefer fresh broccoli florets. Make sure to select broccoli with firm stems, crisp leaves, and tightly closed dark green buds.
Cream of mushroom soup — this is a classic ingredient that creates the creamy base of the casserole. If you’re not a fan of cream of mushroom, you can use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup.
Mayonnaise — mayonnaise adds a delicious creamy texture to the casserole. You can use full-fat or light mayonnaise.
Cheese — I use sharp cheddar cheese, but feel free to use your favorite cheese.
Eggs — the eggs help the casseroles set and thicken the sauce.
Onion — minced onion adds a delicious savory flavor to the casserole.
Crackers — I use Ritz crackers, but any other buttery crackers will work as a casserole topping.
Butter — the butter helps the cracker topping crisp up in the oven.
How to Make Broccoli Casserole
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender.
2. Transfer the broccoli, using a slotted spoon, to the ice water. Let stand until cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, soup, mayo, cheese, eggs, onion, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 13×9-inch casserole dish.
5. Top the mixture evenly with crushed crackers.
6. Drizzle evenly with melted butter and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is heated through. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- To help get the most water out of the broccoli, you can pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the filling. Making sure the broccoli is dry prevents the casserole from becoming watery.
- Be mindful when cooking the broccoli not to overcook it. It should still be crisp-tender as it will cook more in the casserole. You don’t want it to become mushy. Have the ice water ready so you can stop the cooking process immediately.
- Allowing the broccoli cheese casserole to cool before cutting gives it time to set up. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
- If you’re making this for a holiday gathering and want to double the recipe, use two baking dishes.
- If you prefer a broccoli casserole without Ritz crackers, you can substitute an equal amount of homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs for crushed Ritz cracker crumbs.
- Feel free to switch the cheddar cheese for your favorite melty cheese, such as mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyere, or pepper jack. All that cheesy goodness is what makes this such a delicious side dish.
- For variety, you can swap out some broccoli for cauliflower or make the dish even more filling with a cup of cooked white rice or ½ cup of diced cooked chicken or turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can! For ease, you can use pre-chopped broccoli florets. If using frozen broccoli, cook from frozen and cook for 1 to 2 additional minutes. The frozen steam-in-bag broccoli florets are a great shortcut but cut down the time to ensure the broccoli is crisp-tender.
You can assemble and bake this broccoli cheddar casserole recipe the day before, and then reheat it right before serving. Another option is to prepare the casserole a day in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and then bake the next day. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time if the casserole is cold from the fridge.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or microwave. Alternatively, you can freeze the entire casserole for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw the casserole before reheating.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this easy Broccoli Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Broccoli Casserole
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowls
- 9×13″ casserole dish
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped broccoli florets (532g)
- 1 (10.5-ounce/298g) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup mayonnaise (232g)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (114g)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ⅓ cup minced onion (50g)
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 32 buttery crackers crushed (1 3/4 cups/97g crushed)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add the broccoli, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer, using a slotted spoon, the ice water. Let stand until cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, soup, mayo, cheese, eggs, onion, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Spoon into the prepared casserole dish. Top evenly with crushed crackers, and drizzle evenly with melted butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and the casserole is heated through. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To help get the most water out of the broccoli, you can pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the filling. Making sure the broccoli is dry prevents the casserole from becoming watery.
- Be mindful when cooking the broccoli not to overcook it. It should still be crisp-tender as it will cook more in the casserole. You don’t want it to become mushy. Have the ice water ready so you can stop the cooking process immediately.
- Allowing the broccoli cheese casserole to cool before cutting gives it time to set up. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
- If you’re making this for a holiday gathering and want to double the recipe, use two baking dishes.
- If you prefer a broccoli casserole with Ritz crackers, you can substitute an equal amount of crushed Ritz crackers for homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs.
- Feel free to switch the cheddar cheese for your favorite melty cheese, such as mozzarella, Swiss, Gruyere, or pepper jack.
- For variety, you can swap out some broccoli for cauliflower or make the dish even more filling with a cup of cooked rice or ½ cup of diced cooked chicken or turkey.
