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A Broccoli Cheese Casserole that offers itself as a side dish or a full out meal. It’s easy, comforting, and a total cinch to throw together!
Table of Contents
- Broccoli and Cheese: An Actual Match Made in Heaven.
- What Separates This Broccoli Cheese Casserole From the Rest?
- The Ingredient List Is Incredibly Approachable.
- How to Make a Killer Broccoli Cheese Casserole.
- Equipment You’ll Need:
- Recipe Tips + Tricks.
- Other Delicious Broccoli Recipes You’ll Love:
- Have you made this recipe?
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe
Broccoli and Cheese: An Actual Match Made in Heaven.
Here’s something we all learned as children and have taken with us into adulthood—broccoli and cheese were meant to be. It works in soups, it works in broccoli cheddar Instant Pot mac and cheese, and it’s a total hit as a side dish, like this air fryer broccoli. The idea of combining the two in a casserole isn’t new, but everyone’s got their own way of doing it and I really wanted to bring my family’s version here to share with you. Maybe I’m biased, but it’s a keeper!
What Separates This Broccoli Cheese Casserole From the Rest?
Most broccoli casseroles I’ve encountered include cream cheese, mustard, paprika, onions, and the recipes call for the broccoli to be combined with the other ingredients before being poured into a casserole dish. A lot of these casseroles are also more melty and might require a spoon. My recipe uses chopped steamed broccoli as the base and it yields a sturdy portion that can stand and be eaten with a fork. It’s not at all a soupy concoction, which isn’t to say that the other casseroles aren’t absolutely bomb (I’m sure they’re amazing), but this one is just different! And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
The Ingredient List Is Incredibly Approachable.
Like most casseroles, this one calls for simple and accessible ingredients you can find in any old grocery store. We use frozen steamable broccoli florets to keep things quick and simple, though you could use fresh broccoli and steam the florets on the stovetop. Truth is, frozen produce offers similar nutrition to fresh produce, and when there is a deficit, it’s generally very small and nothing to stress about. Another thing worth mentioning, this recipe calls for Minute Rice—reason being that regular rice won’t cook quickly enough during the bake time of this recipe; pre-cooked rice will go mushy.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Frozen steamable broccoli florets
- Minute Rice
- Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Egg
- Mayonnaise
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Milk
- Italian bread crumbs
- Butter
- Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
- Sea salt
How to Make a Killer Broccoli Cheese Casserole.
A casserole is supposed to be easy, and this one is no different in that regard—it’s basically America’s original one-pot dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Steam the broccoli as per the package’s directions, or, if steaming fresh broccoli, do so over the stovetop and set it aside when done. Steaming broccoli on the stove should only take about 8-10 minutes.
- While the broccoli is steaming, prepare your rice mixture by combining the rice, cream of mushrooms soup, egg, mayo, grated cheese, milk, and a pinch of sea salt. With a large spoon or spatula, fold the ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Roughly chop the broccoli on a cutting board and transfer the broccoli florets to the bottom of a medium-sized casserole or baking dish, completely covering the bottom to form a base.
- Pour the rice mixture over the broccoli and spread it out evenly over the broccoli using a spatula.
- Dump the Italian bread crumbs into a small bowl. Add the Herbes de Provence and drizzle the melted butter into it. Using a fork, mix the melted butter into the bread crumbs until they darken to a golden color and become crumbly.
- Shake the crumbly bread crumbs evenly over the casserole to create a crumb topping. Gently press down on the crumb mixture with the spatula to secure.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. The breadcrumb topping should have a nice golden-baked hue.
- When done, remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting in to serve.
Equipment You’ll Need:
Recipe Tips + Tricks.
- Other soups you can use in this dish, rather than cream of mushroom, include cream of chicken, cream of celery, cream of broccoli, or cheddar soup for an extra oomph of cheesiness.
- You can easily double this recipe if feeding a larger crowd, or if you simply want to bulk it up a bit.
- Use panko or finely crushed soda crackers instead of Italian breadcrumbs.
- Using a mix of broccoli and cauliflower is a delicious option for this casserole!
- I like to use medium-sharp cheddar in this recipe, but you could also use mozzarella or a blend of cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan.
Other Delicious Broccoli Recipes You’ll Love:
- Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
- Broccoli Cheddar Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Spicy Sesame Chicken with Broccoli
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
Have you made this recipe?
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 oz steamed broccoli florets (about 3-4 cups)
- 1 10 oz can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 cup Minute Rice
- 1 cup grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 TBSP milk (or a generous splash, doesn't have to be exact)
- 1 TBSP mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP butter, melted
- 1 TBSP Herbes de provence
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Steam the broccoli in the microwave as per the package's directions instructions. (See notes for steaming fresh broccoli.)
- While the broccoli is steaming, start making your rice mixture. Combine the rice, cream of mushrooms soup, egg, mayonnaise, grated cheese, milk, and a pinch of sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Fold/mix the ingredients with a large spoon or spatula until well combined.
- When the broccoli is done steaming, let it cool enough to be handled. Transfer it to a cutting board and roughly chop the broccoli into bite-sized bits; transfer the broccoli florets to the bottom of your casserole or baking dish to cover the bottom and form a base.
- Carefully pour the rice and cheese mixture over the broccoli and, using a spatula, evenly spread it out over the broccoli.
- Transfer the Italian bread crumbs to a small bowl and mix in the Herbes de Provence. Pour the melted butter into it and, using a fork, mix the melted butter into the bread crumbs until they're golden and crumbly.
- Distribute the crumbly bread crumbs over the casserole evenly to create a crumb topping. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on top, then gently press down on the crumbs with the spatula.
- Pop the casserole into the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. When done, the breadcrumb topping should have a nice golden-baked hue. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting in to serve.
I love this! I’m totally making as a side to bring for family Christmas dinner!
It’s always been a hit in our family! Hope it is with yours, too :)