Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Helene Dsouza

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (1)Helene Dsouza

Quick and easy broccoli casserole recipe. Serve as a holiday side dish or an all year round vegetarian dinner meal.

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

5 servings

4.7 from 36 votes

VIDEO RECIPE

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (2)

You are going to love this broccoli casserole if you are looking for a flavorful vegetable loaded casserole.

I show you in my recipe video and in the process shots further below how to make my broccoli cheese casserole from scratch.

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (3)

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (4)

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with Spices and Herbs

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I was inspired by my zucchini casserole and broccoli cheese soup when I came up with this broccoli casserole recipe.

Brace yourself and eat guilt-free!

Jump to:
  • 🧅 Ingredients
  • 🔪 How to make it?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 🍴 Serving
  • 🥣 Variations
  • 🍱 Freezing
  • 💭 FAQs
  • 👁️ More Vegetable Casserole Recipes
  • 💬 Comments

🧅 Ingredients

  • Broccoli — fresh and cut into florets
  • Salt Water — to blanch broccoli (briefly cook).
  • Eggs
  • Table Cream
  • Black Pepper ground and Salt
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Dijon Mustard — optional, but adds a nice flavor to the casserole dish.
  • Shredded Cheese — simple Mozzarella will do, but for more flavor, I recommend Swiss Raclette, Emmental, or Gruyère cheese.
  • Olive Oil — if you can spare a dime, get a cold pressed olive oil. All those other labels for extra virgin olive oil are super misleading. The cold-pressed olive oil label is your best option.
Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (5)

🔪 How to make it?

To make our own easy and healthier broccoli casserole, you will need a casserole dish and a pan to blanch the broccoli. Here is a quick overview to help you get going.

Step 1

Keep a pot with salt water to boil.

Place your clean broccoli floret chunks into the cooking water and keep a timer to 3 minutes to blanch the vegetables.

When done, take the broccoli through cold running water as this will retain the green color too.

Get rid of excess water and keep your broccoli aside.

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (6)

Step 2

Add to a mixing bowl the eggs, cream, black pepper, Italian seasoning, cheese, and Dijon mustard.

Combine all the ingredients.

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (7)
Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (8)

Step 3

Place broccoli florets into your baking dish.

Pour the egg-cream mixture over the broccoli in the dish and spread out as well as possible.

Drizzle some olive oil over the dish and bake in the oven.

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (9)
Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (10)

📖 Recipe

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (11)

Easy Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Quick and easy broccoli casserole recipe. Serve as a holiday side dish or an all year round vegetarian dinner meal.

4.73 from 36 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 387.43kcal

Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

To blanch broccoli

  • 21.2 ounces Broccoli cleaned + cut into florets, *See Notes
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • Water to blanch Broccoli

For the casserole dish

US - Metric

Instructions

  • Keep a pot with water and salt to boil, and place your clean broccoli pieces into the water so that they are submerged completely. Place the timer to 3 minutes to blanch your broccoli and then take out to leave in cold running water or a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

    21.2 ounces Broccoli, 1 Teaspoon Salt, Water

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.

  • In a mixing bowl combine the egg, cream, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, mustard paste and cheese to a well-combined sauce.

    2 Eggs, 1¼ cup Table Cream, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground, 1 Teaspoon Salt, 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning, 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard, 1 cup Shredded Cheese

  • Place cooled broccoli pieces into a large casserole dish. Spread out so that they fit into the whole dish and that they are on a level.

  • Pour the cream sauce mixture all over the broccoli in the casserole dish.

  • Sprinkle olive oil over the dish.

    1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  • Bake the cheesy broccoli egg casserole at 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius for about 30 minutes or until it has a golden crust, it's cooked through and done.

Notes

  1. Use fresh or frozen broccoli. Fresh broccoli needs sot be blanched. Frozen broccoli needs to be thawed, but I don't blanch frozen broccoli. You can skip step 1, blanching, if you use frozen broccoli. Frozen broccoli is usually blanched before it is frozen to retain the vital vegetable enzymes.
  2. You can substitute Italian seasoning with your favorite dried herb or herb blend such as oregano, Herb de Provence, Spaghetti Seasoning (yep that does the trick too) or even a Mediterranean multipurpose herb blend such as Zaatar.
  3. The addition of Dijon Mustard is optional. It adds some interesting flavors and compliments the broccoli. Besides, mustard is an emulsifier, and it will help bind your sauce for the perfect bake.
  4. You can use a good melting cheese that has flavor and that you enjoy. I like to use cheddar, raclette, Emmental, Gruyère, and occasionally some Parmesan. You can also mix two or three cheeses.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 387.43Calories from Fat 295

% Daily Value*

Fat 32.82g50%

Saturated Fat 18.17g91%

Cholesterol 164.59mg55%

Sodium 1357.66mg57%

Potassium 486.35mg14%

Carbohydrates 11.56g4%

Fiber 3.7g15%

Sugar 2.42g3%

Protein 14.75g30%

Vitamin A 1908.56IU38%

Vitamin C 107.58mg130%

Calcium 342.8mg34%

Iron 1.78mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

🍴 Serving

The easy broccoli casserole recipe makes a lovely side dish with roasted turkey or chicken.

That means you can serve this vegetable casserole dish for Thanksgiving, or on other holidays such as Easter, with other amazing side dish meals.

OR you can simply enjoy your casserole as a stand-alone vegetarian dish.

I even make it in the summer when I'm craving a lighter vegetable loaded meal.

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (12)

🥣 Variations

You can elevate your broccoli dish to turn it into a wholesome dinner meal.

Here is how:

  • with leftover rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving ham — Just add the meat shredded or cut into pieces over the broccoli before pouring the egg-cream mix over the uncooked dish.
  • with bacon — fried bacon chopped into small pieces
  • with zucchini or other squash
  • with rice — a layer of cooked leftover rice over the broccoli
  • with a different seasoning instead of Italian seasoning — you can use only oregano, Herb de Provence or my I like it also with spaghetti seasoning.
Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (13)

🍱 Freezing

Prepare the dish as per recipe instructions in a foil-lined casserole dish.

Place into your freezer and allow your casserole to freeze completely.

When hard frozen, take it out (it's easier because we lined it with foil) and wrap the dish completely in foil.

Take your casserole dish back to the freezer, where it can be stored for up to 4 months (I don't recommend any longer).

To thaw your broccoli cheese casserole, place it frozen into the fridge for about 24 hours before you intend to bake it.

Make sure your casserole is properly thawed or else it might turn out soggy after the baking process.

💭 FAQs

How long does it last in the fridge?

A baked cheesy casserole with broccoli is good for about 3–5 days in the fridge.

What cheese can you use in this easy broccoli cheese casserole?

I like to use cheddar, Emmental, or Raclette cheese. You can use hard mozzarella cheese and other cheese such as Gruyère too.

Can I double the recipe to make a larger batch?

You can make two casserole dishes to serve a larger crowd.

👁️ More Vegetable Casserole Recipes

  • Non-Traditional Green Bean Casserole
  • Potato Egg Casserole
Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (14)

Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (15)

Global Food Recipes

with Spices and Herbs

Free E-Book available for a limited time. Grab yours now and get instantly inspired!

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Healthy Broccoli Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is broccoli casserole made of? ›

The ingredients? Broccoli of course, then bacon, flour, milk, cream, eggs, cheddar cheese, a little Dijon, salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. The tricks to this broccoli cheese casserole are to: Pre-cook the broccoli florets a bit so they cook up tender in the casserole.

How many calories are in a homemade broccoli casserole? ›

Broccoli casserole with rice contains 242 calories per 228 g serving. This serving contains 8 g of fat, 9.4 g of protein and 34 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 2.8 g sugar and 4.3 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate.

Is it better to use fresh or frozen broccoli in a casserole? ›

Fresh vegetables contain less water

Frozen vegetables release moisture as they cook and when they're used in a casserole that moisture has nowhere to go but into your dish. If you want your casserole to have the best texture, it's best to use fresh vegetables.

How many calories in a broccoli rice and cheese casserole? ›

½ cup of broccoli, rice & cheese casserole contains 150 Calories, 17 grams of carbs, 7 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat. This is a good source of calcium (12% of your Daily Value).

What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

What are 5 components of a casserole? ›

So what's inside? Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese.

Is baked broccoli still nutritious? ›

Yes! Baked broccoli is super healthy and full of fiber, vitamin C, and even protein.

Why is my broccoli casserole watery? ›

You might not realise it, but those perfectly ripe, bursting-with-moisture-veggies that you're tossing into your casserole are most likely the culprits when it comes to a watery bake, which is why it's important to heed the recipe when it comes to prepping your vegetables and cooling your finished product.

Can you use fresh broccoli instead of frozen? ›

It's just different applications - for casseroles and soups frozen is fine, but if you want to have roast broccoli or steamed broccoli then fresh is the way to go.

Is it healthier to boil or bake broccoli? ›

In conclusion, the current study clearly shows that nutrient and health-promoting compounds in broccoli are significantly affected by domestic cooking. All cooking treatments, except steaming, caused great losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Only boiling and stir-frying/boiling caused the loss of total carotenoids.

Can dogs eat broccoli? ›

Yes, dogs can eat broccoli. Dogs can eat the vegetable both cooked and raw, as long as there are no seasonings or oils added. However, this vegetable should always be given in very small quantities, especially because the florets contain isothiocyanates, which can cause gastric irritation in dogs.

How many calories are in 1 cup of broccoli casserole? ›

There are 287 calories in 1 cup of Broccoli Casserole (Broccoli, Rice, Cheese and Mushroom Sauce).

Does broccoli casserole have carbs? ›

Broccoli Casserole (broccoli, Rice, Cheese, And Mushroom Sauce) (1 cup) contains 32.2g total carbs, 29.4g net carbs, 13.2g fat, 10.9g protein, and 287 calories.

How many calories are in homemade broccoli and cheese? ›

Broccoli With Cheese Sauce (1 cup) contains 16g total carbs, 11.2g net carbs, 15.4g fat, 12.2g protein, and 242 calories.

What are casserole dishes made of? ›

“A casserole dish and a baking dish are the same thing, an oven-safe piece of cookware, usually made of ceramic, porcelain, or glass,” says Anthony Contrino, Emmy-awarded culinary producer and food stylist. "They can come in various shapes, with the most common being rectangular, oval, or square.

What makes a casserole a casserole? ›

The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder.

What are the 4 parts of a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

What is the difference between a dish and a casserole? ›

Definition: Casserole is the name of the dish used to cook with, whereas hot dish is the meal itself. Ingredients: Casseroles can contain any ingredients under the sun practically, where hot dishes have set ingredients they have to have.

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