Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Allow me to introduce you to the ultimate side dish, Broccoli Cheese Casserole! Topped with a homemade cheesy cream of chicken soup and buttery ritz crackers, you can't go wrong with this incredible, easy to make side dish!
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli florets
Buttery Cracker Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 30 buttery crackers, like Ritz (crushed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Shred the 8 ounce block of Cabot cheddar cheese, this should produce about 2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Measure out 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, then set the rest aside.
- Add the 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat, once melted, add the garlic and saute 1 minute.
- Add the salt, pepper, paprika and cornstarch, stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet, stir to combine everything, then simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and add the half-and-half.
- Simmer on the stove for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese, reserving ¼ cup for topping the casserole
- Add the broccoli florets to a large oven-safe baking dish. I used a 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish.
- Cover with the creamy, cheesy sauce from the skillet.
- Toss until the broccoli florets are coated in the sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, crushed crackers and reserved ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle the cracker topping evenly over the casserole.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Vegetarian Option - to make this recipe vegetarian, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Low Carb Option - omit the buttery cracker topping. Simply top the casserole with the reserved 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. This will reduce the carbs per serving from 19, down to 12 and the net carbs down to 9 per serving.
- Gluten Free Option - use the low carb option above, or replace the buttery crackers with a gluten free cracker or gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 335kcal (17%)Carbohydrates 19g (6%)Protein 12g (24%)Fat 25g (38%)Saturated Fat 14g (70%)Cholesterol 64mg (21%)Sodium 725mg (30%)Potassium 462mg (13%)Fiber 3g (12%)Sugar 3g (3%)Vitamin A 1424mg (28%)Vitamin C 104mg (126%)Calcium 312mg (31%)Iron 2mg (11%)
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