Cheesy Baked Broccoli
Oven baked broccoli in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce is an easy make-ahead casserole recipe and perfect side dish idea!
Servings: 6
Calories: 253.77kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup Romano cheese freshly grated
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- 8 Ritz crackers crushed
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes and set aside.
Prepare the Sauce
- Finely grate the Parmesan and Romano cheeses and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour until well-combined.
- Slowly stir in the milk and half and half.
- Increase to medium-high heat, whisking as you do so.
- Once it begins to lightly bubble, decrease heat to low.
- Slowly sprinkle in the Parmesan and Romano cheese, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat. The sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
Prepare the Broccoli Bake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the steamed broccoli and warm Parmesan sauce in a large bowl. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir until well-combined.
- Add to a lightly greased 1.5 quart baking dish.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
- Combine melted butter and crushed Ritz crackers.
- Add to casserole dish and bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until the cracker topping turns a golden brown.
- Let it sit 5 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Skip the Steaming
If you prefer not to steam the broccoli first, you can bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes prior to adding the topping.
Using Frozen Broccoli
16 oz. frozen broccoli florets may also be used. Thaw it first and pat it dry. No need to steam it.
Make-Ahead Method
You can assemble this in a baking dish (minus the cracker topping), and wait on baking for up to 2 days. Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking.
If you prefer not to steam the broccoli first, you can bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes prior to adding the topping.
Using Frozen Broccoli
16 oz. frozen broccoli florets may also be used. Thaw it first and pat it dry. No need to steam it.
Make-Ahead Method
You can assemble this in a baking dish (minus the cracker topping), and wait on baking for up to 2 days. Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 253.77kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.58g | Protein: 10.19g | Fat: 18.78g | Saturated Fat: 11.29g | Cholesterol: 52.37mg | Sodium: 385.31mg | Potassium: 299.23mg | Fiber: 1.74g | Sugar: 3.11g | Vitamin A: 903.05IU | Vitamin C: 54.79mg | Calcium: 300.63mg | Iron: 0.87mg