Broccoli Cheese Bake
Broccoli Cheese Bake, the creamiest and cheesiest Broccoli Side Dish you will ever eat. Everyone will ask for seconds. A dish you will be making over and over.
One good thing about the holidays is I can add all the creamy bake dishes I want and just say “Well it’s the holidays”. So that, my friends, is what I am saying and I am sticking to it.
Before I made the biggest decision of my life, which was to get married and move to Italy, my husband spent some time in Toronto, (actually that is where we met) getting to know my family and friends and of course enjoying my Mom’s cooking.
One of his favourite dishes was this Broccoli Casserole. I was never a big broccoli fan but done this way it is easy to become one. Needless to say this is one of many recipes that I took with me to my new country.
How to make Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Cook the broccoli florets in boiling water for about 10 minutes, drain well.
- In a medium large pot over low heat melt the butter, then whisk in the flour and salt, combine until smooth.
- Then slowly add the milk and continue to whisk until thickened and starts to boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Fold in the cheese and broccoli and gently combine, then add the eggs and combine.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for approximately 30 – 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit 5 minute before serving!
So whenever my husband would bring home a head or two of broccoli that his wonderful mother would gift us with from her garden this of course was one of the first dishes I would make.
Italians like to steam or boil the broccoli first then sauté it with some olive oil, garlic and salt. This is a delicious way also. But nothing beats baked broccoli.
I know how hard it can be sometimes to get your kids to eat vegetables, especially broccoli, but done this way my kids actually love it and look forward to a remake.
More delicious Broccoli Recipes
- Orecchietti Pasta with Broccoli
- Creamy Broccoli Potato Casserole
- Baked Broccoli Tater Tots
- Creamy Broccoli Bacon Penne Casserole
Can Broccoli Cheese Casserole be prepared ahead of time?
The casserole can be prepared the day ahead, just be sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Just remove from the fridge and bake.
How to store Broccoli Casserole?
The Broccoli Cheese Casserole should be stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped and kept in the refrigerator. Stored properly, the casserole will last for three to five days in the fridge.
How to freeze it
If cooked be sure to freeze it when it is completely cooled and cover very well, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag or container. You can also freeze it unbaked, again cover tightly, then in a freezer bag, bake it from frozen, although it will need more time to bake.
Is Broccoli good for you?
Broccoli is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants as . Including vitamin C, it is also delicious whether eaten cooked or raw.
You can never go wrong with this delicious creamy baked dish. Tender broccoli in a delicious white sauce mixed with the tanginess of swiss cheese which is then all baked to perfection.
Broccoli cheese bake is also a perfect dish to make for when I have friends or family for dinners, it also makes the perfect side dish for special holidays. I hope you enjoy it! Buon Appetito!
Broccoli Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound head of broccoli ** 1/2 kilo
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk 490 grams
- 1 3/4 cup shredded swiss cheese (or cheddar cheese) 200 grams
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325° (160° celsius)
- Lightly grease a large baking dish. (at least 10 x 7 inches / 25 x 18 centimeters)
- In boiling water cook broccoli for approximately 5-10 minutes (until al dente) drain well. (gently dry with paper towels to absorb extra moisture).
- In a large pot over low heat melt butter, whisk in flour and salt, continue whisking until smooth. Slowly add the milk and continue whisking constantly until thickened and starts to boil (let slow boil 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Fold in cheese and broccoli and combine gently until cheese starts to melt slightly, add eggs and continue to stir gently to combine.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for approximately 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- ** You can use Broccoli, Romanesco or Cauliflower
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from November 27, 2014.
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner. I used two cups of reduced fat cheddar cheese and 2% milk. I topped it with Italian panko bread crumbs and baked it for 45 minutes. A delicious side dish. It has been pinned to my Fabulous Sides Pinterest board with a photo for ” I tried it”.
Hi BA thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed and thanks for pinning it. Happy Thanksgiving.
Hi!
I just had to make this, it looks so good!
I had to put your words in Google translate and everything went well, but what I think is really weird is that when I did some on my plate when everything was ready (30 min in the oven on 160C) it was just like a cow poop. Nothing like your picture where it looks more like a quiche. Do you have any idea what went wrong? It was all soft and cow poop alike (that’s the best my English can do).
I did everything as you said 🙂
Hope you know how to help me
Love, Sterre
Hi Sterre, sorry it turned out like cow poop (good description 🙂 ), that’s because your broccoli was too watery. It needs to be drained really well, you might even dry it (gently) with paper towels, after it has been boiled. And be sure to cook the white sauce until thickened, slow boil for about 2 minutes. Hope that helps. Let me know.
I have always steamed broccoli?
Also, what do eggs do?
Hi Lori, steaming is fine, the eggs help to hold it together and give flavour.
Very good.
Thanks Jane
I have made this once before and it is delicious. Wanted to know if adding shredded chicken would mess up the recipe?? What do you think?
Hi Brad, I don’t think so, I think it would be really good actually. Let me know how it turns out.
Great recipe! My family, a very picky one, loved it! Definitely adding this to my dairy dinner roster!
Thank you!
Hi Malky, thanks so much, so glad you and your family enjoy it. 🙂
I’m making this today and I cannot wait. I’ve been looking for a good broccoli and cheese recipe for YEARS! We used to get it at school and everywhere else adds rice. I don’t like rice with my broccoli and cheese.. Thank you soo much for this recipe. I’m super excited to try it for dinner today. 🙂
Hi Chris, thanks so much I hope you enjoyed it. Yes, my husband is not a big rice lover and he loves this recipe. Have a great day.
WHERE are the ingredient amounts? How much broccoli, butter, flour, salt cheese, eggs or milk? I want to try this but I can’t find it.
Hi Debbie, the recipe card (instructions and ingredients) are at the bottom of the post. Happy New Year.
This looks delicious. I’m going to make it as a side dish this week. And I know my kids will eat it as well which is always a good thing, otherwise I have to make different food for them when we have family over which gets difficult. Thanks for a good recipe idea.
Hi Edwina, thanks so much, yes my kids love this dish too. Have a great day.
I am Keto do you know if it would work using almond or coconut flour.
Hi Margaret, I am sorry I have no idea, I have never used coconut flour and rarely almond flour, but apparently either one should work, if you try it let me know how it went. Have a great weekend.
I suspect the texture might be a bit off with almond or coconut flour – they can work well to replace flour in baking but they may not behave as expected in a roux based sauce. Personally I’m not keto but I am gluten free and I tend to use rice flour in a roux, but I realise that’s not keto either. I’d be tempted to try making the sauce a completely different way, perhaps make it in a blender with ground nuts or something, or just use cream instead of making a bechamel? Maybe google keto cheese sauce to see how other people make it – the sauce here is just a standard bechamel cheese sauce so I’m sure other people will have come up with a keto version!
Your best bet would be cornstarch or potato starch, almond or coconut flour does not have the thickening properties that the other two have. Reserve about 1/4 c. milk and whisk in the cornstarch. Heat the milk and whisk the cornstarch/milk mixture just before whisking into the hot milk mixture. Cook until the base is thickened then proceed with your recipe.
Hello, I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a long time, does this set up? Or is it runny? I cannot wait to make this. Looks delicious!!!
Hi Chris I have never found it runny, just make sure to drain the broccoli well and that the white sauce is thick. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.
This would be great for breakfast! Thank you.
Hi Vicky, hope you like it. Have a great weekend.
I made this before and loved it, but can’t remember…What size pan??
Hi Crystal, I used a 10×7 inch pan but you can go a bit bigger if you want. Hope that helps.
Amazing ! Made it today for Easter dinner and it was huge hit, gone quickly. I did make a little topping of crushed ritz crackers with melted butter and put on top the last 10-15 minutes cooking tine … yummy! Can’t wait to make again!!
Hi Carly so glad everyone liked it, and what a delicious topping! Have a great week.
Could you refrigerate mix over night and cook in the morning? I want to bring this to a work thianksgivkng potluck.
Hi Jena, I’m sure that would work, let me know how it turns out. And have a fun Thanksgiving Potluck. 🙂
This takes way longer then 30-35 min
Hi Sara, this shouldn’t take more than 30-35 minutes because the broccoli is pre-boiled. 🙂