Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole is a creamy cheesy dish that is easy to make and a crowd pleaser. Perfect for potlucks or enjoy as a side.
Broccoli Casserole is a favorite way to get everyone to happily eat their veggies without sacrificing nutrition. Check out more Casseroles like Green Bean Casserole that will make your family want seconds and you can feel good serving.
Sabrina’s Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole Recipe
This is the best broccoli recipe ever! One of the easiest ways to turn veggies into a dish that kids of all ages love is to add a big helping of cheese. A creamy, delicious sauce is a surefire way to score points too. This yummy broccoli recipe does both while still being a pretty healthy side dish. Kids will love the cheesy sauce and crunchy, salty topping. It’s a great way to get green vegetables onto their plate that reminds them of Mac and Cheese.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
- 1 yellow onion , finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- 4 cups broccoli , cut into bite sized florets
Topping:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup ritz crackers , crushed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13″ baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
- Steam broccoli until crisp but tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add to the baking dish.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter to a sauce pan on medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until just translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add in remaining butter and once melted, whisk in the flour until blended.
- Whisk the egg and milk until well combined, then gradually add the milk mixture to the onion mixture.
- Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
- Pour the cheesy sauce over the broccoli in the baking dish.
Topping:
- Add butter to a large skillet on medium heat.
- When melted add ritz crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir to coat well and cook until crispy and just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown.
- Add to the top of the casserole and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Nutrition
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Sabrina Tips
The key to Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole is that creamy Parmesan garlic sauce. To get it the right thickness and full of flavor, you want to go slowly and don’t rush it. It seems like a lot of little steps, but they go really quickly and are so important to getting a thick sauce that holds together.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
Baked Parmesan Broccoli Casserole is also known as Broccoli Au Gratin. It has a rich béchamel sauce made with garlic and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, topped with a crispy Italian breadcrumb topping. This cheesy broccoli casserole recipe looks super fancy but it’s actually made in about 40 minutes!
Ingredients
- Broccoli: Broccoli florets will give your casserole the perfect texture of tender, green vegetables. Use a bag of washed and chopped fresh broccoli to make this recipe even easier. If you use frozen broccoli, make sure to thaw and drain it well before adding to the casserole dish.
- Béchamel Sauce: The Parmesan garlic sauce in this classic side dish is made by first sauteeing onions and garlic in butter, then cooking flour in the butter mixture before slowly adding milk. This will become thick and creamy while you stir and cook it, then you’ll melt in the Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to season.
- Crunchy Topping: The crunchy bread crumb topping is made by toasting seasoned bread crumbs in butter, and will continue to become golden brown and delicious as the casserole bakes. It is the perfect crunchy balance to the other rich creamy flavors of the dish.
Can this be made ahead of time?
It makes a yummy potluck dish especially since it can be made the night before. Just pop it in the oven about 30 minutes before you are leaving and it will be ready to go when you are. Casserole can be made in advance and stored for up to 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. To make ahead, prepare the casserole up until the breadcrumbs (leave off). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil to store. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking. Top with breadcrumb mixture before baking and add 5-10 minutes to cook time
What to Pair With
This easy, delicious recipe for Casserole is perfect for busy weeknights served with a garlicky Pork Loin Roast. It also makes a great holiday side dish! Serve it right alongside all your favorite holiday recipes like Baked Ham, Mashed Potatoes, and Baked Mac and Cheese.
How to Store
- Serve: Casserole can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before you need refrigerate it.
- Store: Cover cooled casserole with foil or plastic wrap tightly, and refrigerate for up to days.
- Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven.
Instant Pot Method
- Place broccoli florets and ½ cup of water in the Instant Pot.
- Cover and seal, and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure, drain broccoli, and place in casserole dish.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté and cook cheese sauce according to the recipe instructions.
- Pour cheese sauce over broccoli in dish immediately.
- Melt remaining butter and stir into breadcrumbs until well combined. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over broccoli.
- Broil for 4-5 minutes, until breadcrumbs are toasted and browned.
Frequent Questions
Absolutely! If you love the flavor of Roasted Broccoli, toss the broccoli florets in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a baking sheet at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Then prepare the rest of the recipe, but reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes so the broccoli isn’t too soft.
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli in place of the fresh broccoli florets in this recipe. Frozen broccoli has already been blanched before being packaged, so you don’t need to take the extra step to steam it. Just make sure to thaw and drain the broccoli well before preparing the rest of the dish. You may even want to heat it briefly in the microwave so that there’s no need to increase the baking time in the oven.
It’s easy to make your own seasoned bread crumbs in a pinch. Simply toast 2 slices of any bread you have on hand until well-browned, and let cool. Tear into pieces and add to a food processor or mini blender. Pulse until the bread crumbs are even in texture, then add a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper.
Variations
- Veggies: Many different veggies would taste great in this casserole like cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, mushrooms or Brussels sprouts. Try a mix of half broccoli and half another veggie, or swap out the broccoli altogether.
- Cheese: Try other cheeses like Swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Gouda cheese. Be sure to grate the cheese yourself. Packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that will make the sauce less creamy and smooth.
- Topping: Instead of Italian breadcrumbs, you can use crushed cornflakes, ground crackers, Panko breadcrumbs, or potato chips.
- Spices: For subtle seasonal flavors, add a teaspoon or two of additional seasonings like nutmeg or rubbed sage to the Parmesan garlic sauce with the salt and pepper. Italian seasoning would taste wonderful with the sauce, too. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes, paprika or cayenne for a subtle kick.
- Low Carb: Easily make this into a Keto friendly dish by substituting ground pork rinds or almond meal (not almond flour) for the crunchy breadcrumb topping.
- Meat: To make this casserole into a perfect holiday brunch side, add cooked and chopped bacon, ham, or sausage to the broccoli before adding the creamy cheese sauce. The combination of salty meat, cheesy sauce, crunchy topping, and tender broccoli is delicious next to a plate of eggs and fresh fruit.
Related Recipes
More Veggie Casserole Recipes
Photos used in previous version of this post
“How to make broccoli casserole “ instructions do not match the actual recipe instructions. In actual instructions , there is no mention of tempering egg to add. It lists to mix egg with other ingredients. It also has adding broccoli to casserole differently. There are other things confusing like to add ingredients to a bowl only to need to transfer to a pot to simmer. I think this recipe sounds wonderful and I have such success with your recipes. Thank you for clarification.
I double checked the blog post instructions for the bechamel sauce. They are correct and match the photos. The photo with the milk being poured into the onions looks like a bowl but it is actually the onion pan (it’s just shown from a different angle)
I will go in and adjust the recipe card. I don’t think you’ll need to temper the egg since it’s just one, so I’m going to adjust the recipe/blog to have them whisk the egg into the milk then pour that mixture with the onion-flour mixture. Thanks for asking Jennie.
I used this as a side dish for Thanksgiving replacing my traditional broccoli casserole (it makes too much). This was a perfect swap and was a delicious side dish. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Jenn and thank you for the five star review!