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
Scale
Broccoli Casserole:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 and 3/4 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, washed and dried
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine
Ritz cracker topping:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 long sleeve of ritz crackers or (2) 1/2 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