Broccoli Casserole From Scratch
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis delicious broccoli casserole is filled with fresh broccoli and a homemade cream sauce, then topped with a buttery, cheesy breadcrumb topping. I've been making this recipe for over 10 years and it's always the hit of our Thanksgiving dinner! This recipe is a great make ahead side dish, and I've included make ahead directions in the notes below.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 272kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 cup finely chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup milk whole or 2% preferred
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt* full fat or 2%
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese divided
- 1 ¼ cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs homemade* or store-bought, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 3 quart baking dish (or 9x13-inch baking dish) with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and boil for 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain. Place broccoli in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the bowl with the broccoli.
- In the same saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and half and half. Bring to a low simmer and continue to whisk constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt.
- Pour the sauce into the bowl with the broccoli, mushrooms and onion. Add the egg, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, and ½ cup of the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir into the remaining ¾ cup breadcrumbs. Stir in the remaining ½ cup cheddar. Sprinkle breadcrumb topping over the casserole.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until topping is lightly browned and casserole is hot. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Greek Yogurt: You can substitute the plain Greek yogurt with mayonnaise or sour cream, if desired.
- To make homemade breadcrumbs: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a food processor, process 4 slices whole-wheat bread until you have fine crumbs. Lay crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the preheated oven until dry and very lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Stir after 10 minutes to help crumbs brown evenly. Unused breadcrumbs can be stored in the freezer.
- Topping: The bread crumbs can be substituted with crushed Ritz crackers, if desired.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole one day ahead, refrigerate, and bake it the next day. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven to take the chill off. Then add 15-20 minutes to the bake time since the casserole will be cold from the refrigerator.
- Make Ahead Option #2: My family usually assembles and bakes this casserole the day before Thanksgiving, and then we reheat it right before Thanksgiving dinner. To Reheat: Bake, covered with foil, in a 350° F oven until hot, about 40-45 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes to crisp the topping.
- Oven space tip: My family bakes this broccoli casserole (and our other side dishes) after the turkey comes out of the oven on Thanksgiving. The turkey rests for 45 minutes while the side dishes bake.
- Double recipe: If you want to double this recipe, bake it in two separate baking dishes. A double recipe will not fit in a single 9×13-inch dish.
- Recipe slightly modified 6/22/24 to call for sautéing the onions with the mushrooms.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/10 recipe | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 363mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g
