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My Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe Is The Coziest Way To Eat Your Veggies
I took the inspiration for this broccoli cheese casserole from my popular 5-ingredient broccoli cheese soup — it’s got all the same cozy flavors but in a melty, scoopable form. I made it one day when I planned to make the soup but didn’t have quite enough broth, and it was the best happy accident because this broccoli casserole made the perfect side for our healthy dinner. Since then, I’ve made it for busy weeknights, for holidays, and everything in between. Here’s why:
- Tender broccoli in creamy cheese sauce – This sauce is thick, rich, and oh-so-cheesy. And the quick cook time leaves the broccoli perfectly tender instead of lifeless.
- Just 6 simple, natural ingredients – Plus salt and pepper. And unlike many broccoli casserole recipes, mine uses whole foods only — not a single spoonful of flour, thickeners, or that mystery canned cream-of-something soup.
- Quick and easy – My broccoli cheddar casserole can be on the table in 15 minutes flat. It’s simpler than many recipes I’ve seen that require you to boil and drain the broccoli, then mix in a separate bowl.
- Every occasion recipe – I make this easy side dish for holidays, potlucks, weeknights, meal prep… the list goes on. It’s versatile enough for a casual dinner or a special occasion.
If you’re craving something cheesy and comforting, make this broccoli cheese casserole recipe with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my broccoli casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Broccoli – Kind of a must for a broccoli and cheese casserole, right? I use and recommend fresh broccoli here. Frozen broccoli works, but turns out softer.
- Cheeses – Cream cheese and cheddar (I prefer sharp cheddar cheese, but mild is fine). Both thicken the sauce and make it cheesy. Feel free to swap the cheddar with Monterey Jack, Parmesan, mozzarella, or whatever melty cheese you love.
- Garlic – I highly recommend freshly minced! If you’re in a rush, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic, or stir 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in with the cream cheese.
- Broth – You can make your own with my easy chicken broth recipe, use your favorite brand, or swap in vegetable broth instead for a vegetarian option. Otherwise, bone broth works great for extra nutrients.
- Unsalted Butter – I use this to sauté the garlic for flavor, but olive oil works as well.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
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How To Make Broccoli And Cheese Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Sauté the garlic. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven, then toss in the garlic and let it cook until it smells amazing.
- Cook the broccoli. Pour in the chicken broth, add the broccoli, and give it a stir. Let it simmer uncovered, until the broccoli is bright green and tender.
- Melt the cheeses. Stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheese, until smooth and melty. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
- Pour everything into a baking dish. (The bigger one in this set is the perfect size!) Sprinkle more cheese on top.
- Bake your broccoli cheese casserole in the oven. It won’t take long, just until the cheese on top is melty!
My Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese takes longer to melt and can leave lumps. I set it out about half an hour before. If you forget, you can microwave it for 30 seconds to soften.
- I recommend broccoli florets on the larger side. I find that small ones get mushy more easily and break apart when stirring with the sauce.
- The timing for cooking the broccoli is important. It should be tender and bright green. If you cook it too long during the simmering step, it’ll be mushy by the end. But if you don’t let it get tender first, it’ll release extra moisture later and your broccoli casserole can turn out watery.
- Keep the heat high enough when simmering the broccoli. If it just heats without a good simmer, it’ll still soften, but you’ll have too much liquid inside.
- The ideal baking dish for this casserole isn’t full size. The one I have pictured here (it’s a 2-pack and I use the larger one for this broccoli cheese casserole recipe) is smaller than a standard 9×13. A full-sized one would leave the sauce too spread out and not coating your broccoli well, so if all you have is a big one, I recommend multiplying the recipe by 1.5X. (You can easily do that on the recipe card below by changing the number of servings from 6 to 9.)
- To save time this week, grab extra broccoli and cheddar for my other recipes. I often do this to repurpose the same ingredients without getting bored. You can use the same veggies and cheese to make my broccoli fritters or broccoli quiche!
Broccoli Cheese Casserole (15-Min Recipe)
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Make my broccoli cheese casserole recipe in 15 minutes! Tender broccoli in cheesy cheddar sauce is a perfect side for weeknights or holidays.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
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In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Add the chicken broth right away once the garlic is done, to prevent burning it. Then, stir in the broccoli florets.
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Increase heat to bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is bright green and just starting to get crisp-tender.
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Gently stir in the cubed cream cheese and 2 cups (256 grams) of the shredded cheddar cheese, until smooth. (It will take a couple minutes of stirring.) Add salt and pepper to your taste.
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Transfer the broccoli mixture to a medium casserole dish (I use the larger one from this set). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup (64 grams) of shredded cheese on top.
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Bake broccoli cheese casserole in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a smooth sauce, avoid mushy broccoli or a watery casserole, and choose the right baking dish.
- Variations: See my recipe variations here for options to add rice, proteins, or other veggies, and even another cooking method.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: My broccoli cheese casserole is perfect for meal prep because you can assemble the whole thing in advance. When ready to serve, uncover and bake for about 20 minutes, until hot.
- Reheat: You can microwave individual portions, or reheat the entire dish like I described above.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap (pressed down to prevent freezer burn) and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Recipe Variations
I kept the base of this broccoli cheese casserole easy and simple, but have also changed it up in these ways:
- Add rice – Stir in 4 cups of cooked rice (or cooked cauliflower rice) after melting the cheeses.
- Add other veggies – Sometimes I saute mushrooms, chopped onion, carrots, and/or bell peppers before adding the garlic. You can also replace some of the broccoli with cauliflower, which is similar to my broccoli cauliflower casserole.
- Add protein – Turn this broccoli casserole into a full meal with diced ham, shredded chicken (my favorite addition), ground beef, sausage, or even pulled pork. If using raw meat, cook it first before adding the garlic, or if it’s already cooked, stir it in after melting the cheeses. For a different flavor that still includes broccoli, try my chicken broccoli casserole or chicken bacon ranch casserole.
MAYA’S TIP: Make these adjustments if you have at least 2 cups of extra add-ins:
- Add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth, 2-4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1/2 to 1 cup of cheddar. This will ensure you have enough sauce.
- Use a larger casserole dish. I use this larger one when I have significant add-ins to ensure it all fits.
- Toppings – For extra richness, I love a few tablespoons of cooked bacon over this cheesy broccoli casserole. Just crumble on before baking.
- Instant Pot – I actually made this version first (years ago) and now prefer the simpler stovetop + oven method above, but I kept this option here for you. To make it, use the Instant Pot’s Saute mode to saute the garlic in butter. Add broccoli and broth, seal, and pressure cook for 0 minutes (yes, set it to 0!). Once it pressurizes (takes about 5 minutes), do a quick release and melt in the cheeses. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake as usual.
Serving Ideas
There are endless ways to enjoy this broccoli cheese casserole recipe. I usually choose depending on the occasion:
- Weeknight mains – I make crispy baked chicken thighs or chicken leg quarters most often. You can whip up my air fryer shrimp or baked salmon quickly if you’re craving seafood, or skillet pork chops or air fryer steak for more hearty options.
- Dinner for guests – If we have company, I try to make the main dish a little more interesting, but still easy. My garlic butter chicken, Crock Pot pork tenderloin, or Tuscan salmon are great options.
- Date night – For a romantic evening, serve this broccoli casserole with halibut, sirloin steak, lobster tails, garlic butter Instant Pot chicken thighs, or for something more unique, my Chilean sea bass with beurre blanc.
- Holiday centerpieces – This is one of my favorite veggie options for Thanksgiving, and it’s a great recipe for Christmas if you celebrate. For your showstopping main, you can’t go wrong with my roasted turkey (or roasted turkey breast for a smaller crowd), beef tenderloin, or prime rib roast.
95 Comments
David Morrison
0Made this for Comida today and it was awesome. I halved the broccoli and replaced the missing half with zucchini and red sweet rep pepper. Even my “broccoli hater” liked it so definitely adding it the program. Thanks for sharing it.
JD
0Didn’t turn into a casserole very watery so I turned it into broccoli cheddar soup the next day. Added more spices other than garlic like salt, pepper and a little Dijon mustard.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi JD, Sorry to hear it turned out watery. It sounds like the broccoli was undercooked, so released more water once it was mixed with the other ingredients to form the casserole. I’d cook the broccoli for a bit longer next time. Glad you were able to salvage it to make soup!
Myrna
0My husband and I both enjoyed this recipe. It reminds me of a casserole my friend’s Mom made. Very tasty and easy!!
Monta Ramirez
0This will be a welcome healthy substitute for boxed Mac and cheese.
Natalie
0Made this last night – delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Joy
0This was a quick and easy recipe, a welcome way to use the broccoli I had overbought. My husband who isn’t fond of this vegetable loved the taste. However we both felt the cheese overwhelmed the taste of the broccoli. In future I will skip the cream cheese and reduce the shredded.
Andie
0Oh my my my! I will be making this delicious recipe again and again and again! Loved it so much.
Andie
0This was so good! I love finding delicious ways to help my kiddos eat more veggies!
Teresa F
0Amazing! My husband asked me to make it again tonight 🙂
Cindy
0Delicious! I made the stove top method. The family loved it. Said it wast the best broccoli and cheese casserole version! This will be on a regular rotation in our house.
SANDY
0I must not have hit enter. Thanks so much for answering quickly.
Sandy Bender
0How do you make it for only 8 servings? I changed the number of servings, but nothing changed. I only have an 8-quart instapot. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandy, When you adjust to 8 servings on the recipe card, the amounts should update.
Donna
0Made this tonight and it was delicious…
Jenny
0Can you make this casserole in another way without using crock pot?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenny, This recipe does not use the Crock Pot. All you need is your stovetop and oven. 🙂
Jr
0I don’t have an instant pot ????
I have a slow cooker and/or stove.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jr, I updated the recipe for the stovetop and oven.
Debra Patrick
0This is absolutely a wonderful tasting casserole! So glad that you use cream cheese and not sour cream.
Danielle
0I do not have a pressure cooker, here is what I did. It turned out FANTASTIC! I steamed my broccoli in the microwave. In a pot, melt butter. Once melted add garlic until fragrant. Add chicken broth. Add in broccoli. Add cream cheese & shredded cheese. Add salt & pepper. I mixed it until just combined. Put it in a glass pan and topped with bread crumb mixture (bread crumbs, melted butter, shredded cheese) in a 350 degree oven for 10 min. SO GOOD!!!!
Mary
0I love this recipe! And my family does too! I have made this several times since finding it a few months ago. I don’t have a pressure cooker, but was easily able to modify for the stove/oven. Thank you so much for posting this yummy recipe!
Cathy Enderby
0The broccoli becomes mushy, but I really like it that way. It was super easy to make. I made this ahead of time and bake it later. It tasted great. I would recommend you steam your broccoli on the stovetop to your liking, add all the ingredients and bake in the oven.
Anne
0For those of us without a pressure cooker slow cooker, how is it made in the oven?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anne, I updated the recipe for the stovetop and oven.