Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Servings: people

Calories: 320kcal

This easy broccoli cheese casserole is creamy, crunchy, and cheesy. It's the most delicious side dish, no matter the occasion!

Ensure the broccoli is fully thawed before beginning. To quickly thaw broccoli, microwave it at 50% power until no longer frozen but cool to the touch.
32 ounces frozen broccoli
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika together.
1 large egg, 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground paprika
Add in the broccoli and cheddar cheese, and stir gently until the broccoli is well coated in the sauce.
2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Transfer to your prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
Top with the crushed crackers and drizzle with butter.
1½ cups crushed Ritz crackers, ¼ cup unsalted butter
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crackers are golden and the casserole is warmed through.

You can swap in 3-4 stalks of fresh broccoli for each 16-ounce bag of frozen.
You can replace up to half of the broccoli with cauliflower.
In place of the cream of chicken soup, you can use cream of celery or cream of mushroom.
In place of the mayonnaise, you can use sour cream.
Feel free to use sharp cheddar, gruyere, fontina, or Havarti instead of regular cheddar.
In place of the Ritz crackers, you can use any other cracker or Panko or regular breadcrumbs.
Feel free to add a cup of chopped cooked chicken or 2 cups of cooked rice to this casserole.
Make sure to fully defrost the broccoli before using it!
Drain any excess water from the thawed broccoli before adding it to the casserole to avoid a watery casserole.
If your casserole is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.

Storage: Store broccoli cheese casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.