Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli casserole is a great way to entice anyone to eat their veggies! This cheesy side dish is a great addition to any holiday menu.

It’s never too early to start planning for the holidays, right?

Right??

Well, I don’t think it is. Maybe it’s just because I cook and bake for a living, but I love thinking ahead to what I’m going to make for holiday dinners.

As someone with picky eaters in her family, I know the challenge of making a vegetable side that everyone will eat. Or even just try a few bites of.

So you can’t blame me for trying to trick them into eating broccoli by putting it into a cheesy casserole, ok? 

Between the creamy, cheesy base and the crunchy cheese crackers on top, this is one dish that even the pickiest eaters will want to eat.

WHAT IS BROCCOLI CASSEROLE?

Here in the midwest, we love a good casserole. We’re probably best known for our main dish casseroles (like chicken spaghetti or cheeseburger tater tot casserole), but we love a side-dish casserole, too.

It’s hardly a holiday without Jiffy corn casserole or hash brown casserole, after all! 

Broccoli casserole is another side dish casserole to add to your repertoire. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to get some veggies on the table but knows that their family won’t touch air fryer green beans or honey glazed carrots.

This dish is packed full of cheesy goodness right alongside fresh broccoli. It’s got a creamy base, cheddar cheese, some french-fried onions for flavor and texture, and a cheese cracker topping.

I know this isn’t exactly a “healthy” recipe, but it sure is delicious and when it comes to celebrating the holidays, that’s good enough for me.

HOW TO MAKE MY BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

This broccoli casserole is easy to throw together, making it a great option when you’ve got a lot of cooking to do for the holidays or a family gathering. Let’s talk through it!

Ingredients you’ll need

To make this recipe, you will need:

• 1 pound fresh broccoli, cut into small florets 
• 1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 container French’s Crispy Fried Onions
• 1 cup cheese crackers, lightly crushed

If your grocery store doesn’t have a produce scale, a pound of broccoli is about 1 large or 2 small heads. Make sure you cut it into bite-sized florets so the casserole is easy to eat.

For instructions on using frozen broccoli instead of fresh, scroll down to the FAQs section.

I like to use one can of condensed broccoli cheese soup to add even more cheesy broccoli flavor to this casserole. But you could substitute a second can of cream of mushroom or a can of cream of chicken (if you don’t need the casserole to be vegetarian). 

If you don’t have sour cream on hand, plain greek yogurt will work just fine.

I like to channel the old-school green bean casserole recipes and add some crispy fried onions to the mix. They add a lot of flavor and give some good texture to the casserole. You can use any brand you like; I just happen to like the French’s brand.

You could use any kind of buttery cracker you like for the topping of this broccoli casserole, but I decided to use cheese crackers. I mean, why not??

Making this recipe

Even though the broccoli will cook some in the oven, we want to blanch it before making the casserole so it gets fully cooked through.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the broccoli and boil it for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set the blanched broccoli aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the soups, eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded cheese and fried onions, along with the blanched broccoli. 

Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Top with the crushed cheese crackers and bake for about 45 minutes.

The broccoli casserole is ready when the edges are bubbly and the top is golden.

FAQS

Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?

Yes! If you’d like to use frozen broccoli, simply let a pound of frozen broccoli thaw completely and add it right to the condensed soup mixture.

You do NOT need to blanch the frozen broccoli before adding it to the casserole, so using frozen will save you a step.

If you use frozen broccoli, I do still recommend looking through the florets and cutting any large ones into smaller pieces.

Can I make this broccoli casserole ahead of time?

Yes! If you want to prep some things ahead of time for the holidays, you can assemble the broccoli casserole up to adding the crackers on top.

Cover the casserole, leaving off the crackers, and refrigerate for up to a day. When ready to bake, add the crackers and bake as usual, adding an extra 5 minutes or so if needed.

Are there any substitutions I can make in this recipe?

Of course!

• You can substitute cream of mushroom soup for cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup if the broccoli casserole does not need to be vegetarian.
• Substitute the broccoli cheese soup for a second can of cream of mushroom soup or a can of cream of celery or cream of chicken soup.
• Feel free to use a homemade condensed cream soup substitute if you prefer.
• You can use plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
• Crushed Ritz crackers or a similar butter cracker would work just fine in place of the cheese crackers for the topping.