This Southern Broccoli Casserole is wonderfully creamy and cheesy and has a buttery cracker crumb topping. The perfect side dish for any meal.
Southerners have a love affair with casseroles. Whether it’s a family meal, church function, pot luck, funeral, or holiday, there is often a casserole to be had. Green Bean Casserole tends to get all the fame and glory, but truth be known, it’s Southern Broccoli Casserole that gets all the raves at our house.
Unfortunately, aside from the fact that this casserole is based on a vegetable, and a green one at that, there is absolutely nothing healthy about it. Therefore, I only serve it on special occasions or try and pair it with something light. You see, we southerners delight in taking perfectly fresh, healthy vegetables straight from the garden and cooking them with butter, mayo, cream, and cheese. And we’re unapologetic about it. Try some and you’ll see why. Southern Broccoli Casserole is loaded with creamy, buttery goodness which mainly comes from a hefty dose of mayo and a half stick of butter. Don’t skimp on the mayo, it really makes this casserole. Just promise yourself you’ll run 5 miles tomorrow. It will be worth it.
It’s also full of cheesy goodness (broccoli’s best friend) and a buttery Ritz cracker topping. There’s also one ingredient in this casserole that’s a little out of vogue- a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Southerners have a tradition of cooking with canned soups, and while we’re appreciative of trends towards cooking with fresh, unprocessed ingredients, sometimes we just need our condensed cream soups for our casseroles. Old habits do die hard after all.
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Watch our short How To Make Southern Broccoli Casserole Video Below
Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped, fresh broccoli florets
- 1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 full sleeve Ritz crackers, finely crushed
Instructions
- Place broccoli in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam for approximately 5 minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, soup, mayonnaise, butter, eggs, onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of cheese and mix again.
- Place mixture in a medium buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese and crackers on top.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Originally published Sept 10, 2013.
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You hit a home run on this one. This is the perfect, quintessential broccoli and cheddar casserole recipe. Texture and flavor are excellent. Doesn’t need any modifications. I recommend Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar. It’s very intense.
Delicious recipe for Broccoli Casserole!
I loved this recipe; I added shredded chicken to make it into a meal; I normally dont use canned soup; but it’s absolutely perfect here; and the recipe itself is great! My family loved it!!
Can you make this ahead. If yes how many days early to be safe.
Can you use cream of celery or chicken if you’re out of mushroom?
Yes.
Delish
This is very good! i made it yesterday for my family for Thanksgiving ! i added in bits of turkey. i love spicy and onion but i think for my tastes next time i’ll add less onion! thank you for such a great recipe !
Make this every year never any leftovers, started making two pans of it. Always a hit.
Can I use frozen brocoli instead of fresh no offense.
I’ve made this dozens of times and always use frozen Broccoli.
I boil it lightly before adding. I also add a lot more cheese and ditch the Ritz and use crushed Mesquite BBQ Potato Chips on top!! YUMMY
Yes. Thaw it first.
Do I need to cover this while in oven or no?
NO
Have made this recipe for years. A great side dish.
I made this and added shredded chicken to it! Absolutely delicious 😋❤️ Will definitely be making this again!
Thank you for sharing. It ‘s really good
Made this casserole and it was delicious. Will make it again for thanksgiving dinner.
A buddy in South Carolina used to serve this a lot, so I tried your recipe… FANTASTIC! Any kids who think they hate broccoli will LOVE this!