This Broccoli Cheese Casserole is so creamy and it's topped with a buttery Ritz cracker topping to add texture and flavor. It's so easy to make and it's one of our family favorites for holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ready to eat in an hour.
I love casseroles, especially for Thanksgiving and this Broccoli Cheddar Casserole is a must make! We're skipping the canned soup and baking the broccoli in a homemade Cheddar Cheese sauce. This is a holiday side dish that guests will beg you to make every year!
For more Holiday Casseroles, try this Sausage Croissant Casserole, Green Bean Casserole with Cream Cheese, French Onion Potato Bake, and Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Big on flavor. Smooth creamy cheese sauce meets tender broccoli with a buttery cracker topping.
- Easy to Make. No complicated techniques here!
- Quick. Ready in an hour, with only 10 minutes of prep time.
- A Holiday Favorite. Friends and Family will love this side dish recipe and ask for it on every holiday.
For more easy broccoli recipes, try this Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake, Broccoli Crunch Salad, Chicken Broccoli Lasagna, and Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Soup.
Ingredients:
Cheese: Use a block of Cheddar and shred it yourself. Bagged, pre-shredded cheeses won't melt well because of the anti-caking agents.
Crackers: Ritz crackers are the best cracker to use for this recipe. I don't recommend other varieties.
Whole Milk: A full fat milk is necessary for this recipe, so that it doesn't get watery.
*Find the full recipe ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- White cheddar can be substituted with regular Cheddar Cheese. Monterey Jack cheese also works well in this recipe.
- If you don't want to get the bagged florets, get a broccoli stalk that weighs about 1 lb and cut the florets off.
- If you don't have an 8 x 11 casserole dish, use an 8 x 8 instead.
Pair this Broccoli Casserole with my Traeger Spiral Ham, Roasted Turkey Drumsticks, Smoked Turkey Breast or Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin with Pork Gravy.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Casserole:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a large dutch oven or pot on the stovetop over medium low heat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and toss in the flour. Stir continuously for about two minutes. Pour in the whole milk, cream cheese, and salt and pepper. Continue to stir, breaking up the cream cheese as it warms up. Note: If the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Once the milk is hot and steaming and the cream cheese is pretty broken up, add in the cheddar cheese. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until melted.
Step 2: Pour in the broccoli florets and onion and stir to combine, coating all the broccoli in the cheese sauce.
Step 3: Pour the broccoli and sauce into a 8x11 casserole dish. Set aside to make the cracker topping.
Step 4: Crush up the ritz crackers by hitting them with a kitchen mallet a few times or just crunch with your hands. I like all different sized pieces. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Mix in the cracker crumbs and stir to combine. Pour the buttery ritz crackers all over the top of the casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
Step 5: Once the casserole comes out of the oven, tent with foil and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing into. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Warm the milk up slowly in the roux. You want it hot and steamy, but not boiling rapidly.
- Make sure to shred the cheese from a block and avoid using the bagged cheese or it won't melt properly to create the cheese sauce.
Planning more side dishes for the holidays? Try these popular Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Jalapeno Creamed Corn, Baked Sweet Potato Slices, and Cranberry Sauce with fresh Oranges.
More Holiday Recipes to Try:
If you tried this Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ritz Cracker Topping
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Broccoli Cheese Casserole is so creamy and it's topped with a buttery Ritz cracker topping to add texture and flavor. It's so easy to make and it's one of our family favorites for holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ready to eat in under an hour.
Ingredients
Broccoli Casserole:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 and ¾ cups whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, washed and dried
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced fine
Ritz cracker topping:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 long sleeve of ritz crackers or (2) ½ sleeves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a large dutch oven or pot on the stovetop over medium low heat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and toss in the flour. Stir continuously for about two minutes. Pour in the whole milk, cream cheese, and salt and pepper. Continue to stir, breaking up the cream cheese as it warms up. Note: If the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Once the milk is hot and steaming and the cream cheese is pretty broken up, add in the cheddar cheese. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until melted.
- Pour in the broccoli florets and onion and stir to combine, coating all the broccoli in the cheese sauce.
- Pour the broccoli and sauce into a 8x11 casserole dish. Set aside to make the cracker topping.
- Crush up the ritz crackers by hitting them with a kitchen mallet a few times or just crunch with your hands. I like all different sized pieces. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Mix in the cracker crumbs and stir to combine. Pour the buttery ritz crackers all over the top of the casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
- Once the casserole comes out of the oven, tent with foil and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing into. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Warm the milk up slowly in the roux. You want it hot and steamy, but not boiling rapidly.
- Make sure to shred the cheese from a block and avoid using the bagged cheese or it won't melt properly to create the cheese sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooling Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop/bake
- Cuisine: American
Jenny says
Thank you for the recipe. Just like my Grandma used to make.
Tara Smithson says
Yay! Thanks so much for making it Jenny 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo~Tara
Payton says
The best casserole! So creamy and I love the cracker topping.
Tara Smithson says
Thanks Payton. The cracker topping is so buttery and good!