Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is a dump-and-bake recipe using frozen broccoli, a simple cream sauce, lots of cheese, and Cheez-It crackers. It’s irresistibly delicious and the ultimate comfort food side dish for holidays or any occasion.

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What You’ll Love about Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole:

I fell in love with broccoli cheese casserole many years ago when my sister-in-law made her mom’s version for our family Easter dinner. It had the best rich cheesy flavor that made it almost impossible to stop eating.

While this Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is not the exact same as what my sister-in-law shared it comes awfully close. The ingredients are simple yet result in a fantastic cheesy broccoli experience. As if this casserole isn’t cheesy enough with two cups of cheese, the buttery Cheez-It topping is a must and incredibly delicious!

This recipe is basically a dump and bake side dish so there isn’t a lot of effort or prep work to do before hand. It’s so easy you could probably assign one of your kiddos to assemble it. You could even make this a day in advance to make your holiday preparations even easier!

A Classic Holiday Side Dish:

Broccoli casserole is a wonderful side dish for any occasion or your next holiday gathering. Since broccoli is technically a spring veggie you might want to consider serving this at your Easter table!

Ingredients:

• Cream of celery soup– or use cream of chicken or mushroom
• Mayo
• Egg
• Milk
• Worcestershire sauce
• Ground mustard (optional)
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• Broccoli (frozen and thawed)
• Cheddar cheese
• Cheez-It crackers
• Butter

Can I use Fresh broccoli?

Fresh broccoli can be used in place of frozen broccoli but keep in mind the texture is going to be slightly different. You’ll also need to pre-cook the broccoli before hand otherwise it will still be undercooked after the baking time. I think frozen broccoli is the best for this recipe and I’m not even a frozen vegetable eater. It’s not only easier but it has a softer overall texture that bakes and blends perfectly with all the other ingredients.

How to make Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease casserole dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2. In a large bowl combine cream of celery soup, mayo, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Fold in thawed broccoli pieces and part of the cheese. Spread out smooth in prepared casserole dish and top with more cheese.

Step 3. In a bowl combine crushed Cheez-It crackers with butter and sprinkle over the top of the broccoli mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Recipe Tips:

• Broccoli– You’ll want to make sure all your broccoli pieces are roughly the same size so you may need to cut down some of the pieces. I recommend giving all the thawed broccoli a good chop so there isn’t any large pieces. It’s also important to make sure the broccoli is fully thawed and any excess moisture is removed to ensure the creamy sauce is nice and thick and not soupy.
• Baking– If the top is getting too browned before the inside is cooked, place a piece of foil over the top of the casserole dish to prevent the top from over-cooking.
• Make ahead– Prepare the casserole per recipe instructions leaving off the cracker crumb topping. Cover tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator up to one day in advance. When ready to bake, let set out at room temperature for 30-minutes. Add the crumb topping and bake according to directions in the recipe instructions.

Other Side Dish Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Harvest Potatoes
• Baked Corn Casserole
• Macaroni Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
• Pasta Salad w/ Homemade Italian Dressing

Let’s eat!

Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is a dump and bake recipe using frozen broccoli, a simple cream sauce, lots of cheese, and Cheez-It crackers. It's irresistibly delicious and the ultimate comfort food side dish for any occasion.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 261 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 (10) oz can cream of celery, chicken, or mushroom soup
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard optional
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper we like a lot of pepper
• 24 ounces frozen, thawed broccoli florets cut into bit size pieces see notes for fresh broccoli
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed Cheez-It crackers
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

 

Heat oven to 350℉ and grease 2 Qt baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

• In a large bowl combine cream of celery soup, mayo, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Fold in thawed broccoli pieces and half of the cheese. Spread out smooth in prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
• In a small bowl combine crushed Cheez-It crackers with melted butter and evenly sprinkle over the top of the cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the inside hot and bubbly.

Notes

Tips:

 

• Broccoli– You’ll want to make sure all your broccoli pieces are roughly the same size so you may need to cut down some of the pieces. I recommend giving all the thawed broccoli a good chop so there isn’t any large pieces. It’s also important to make sure the broccoli is fully thawed and any excess moisture is removed to ensure the creamy sauce is nice and thick and not soupy. 
• NOTE: If using fresh broccoli, make sure to blanch the florets in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to soften the broccoli. Drain and pat dry.
• Baking– If the top is getting too browned before the inside is cooked, place a piece of foil over the top of the casserole dish to prevent the top from over-cooking.
• Make ahead– Prepare the casserole per recipe instructions leaving off the cracker crumb topping. Cover tightly with foil and place in the refrigerator up to one day in advance. When ready to bake, let set out at room temperature for 30-minutes. Add the crumb topping and bake according to directions in the recipe instructions.

 

This recipe could feed 6-8 people if there are other sides to choose from.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	261
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18.2g	23%
Saturated Fat 9.1g	46%
Cholesterol 88mg	29%
Sodium 3057mg	133%
Total Carbohydrate 13.5g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1.8g	6%
Total Sugars 3.5g
Protein 11.7g
Vitamin D 10mcg	48%
Calcium 265mg	20%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 259mg	6%

Keyword Broccoli, Casseroles, Cheddar cheese, Cheez-it crackers, Cream of celery soup, Easy Easter side dish, Holiday side dish, mayo

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