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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published Sept 10, 2013.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Can you steam the broccoli in the microwave? I don’t have a steam basket.
Yes, you can use a microwave safe bowl and cover it loosely with plastic wrap so the steam can escape. Either put a few spoonfuls of water in the bowl or rinse the broccoli and place it in the bowl still wet. I usually microwave it for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes and check to get an idea of how much longer it needs, but most instructions will tell you about 4 minutes to microwave a pound of broccoli.
I made this and was extremely disappointed. All it tasted like was mayonnaise! I followed the recipe exactly. The mayonnaise ruined it. I couldn’t even taste the broccoli. I had to dump most of it out. Nobody liked it.
Sorry you didn’t like it Lorie. The mayonnaise definitely is front and center in this recipe and that’s probably why I like it so much.
Hi what’s the best brand of mayo to use for this? Thanks 🙂
I use Hellman’s, but Kraft or Duke’s would be fine too.
Hellman’s is best when cooking things like this casserole
What size dish do you use for this delicious sounding dish?
A 2-quart baking dish would be good. You want something a little smaller than a 9X13-inch baking dish.
I can make this the night before correct. and just add the ritz before baking? 🙂
Yes, that will be perfectly alright. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I make this a little ahead of time and then pop in microwave for heat up. Too many things in the oven for the Easter holiday and just want to know if it will be okay. I would baked it probably an hour or so before we actually eat. Then just pop in microwave for a warm up.
You can do that. The cracker topping may loose some of its crispness by reheating in the microwave, but that would be the only downside. Hope you have a Happy Easter 🙂
Very nice and easy recipe….I do something very close to it, but with whole broccoli florets, with a generous drizzle of cheese sauce that does not cover the florets completely. So , it can be served as a rich vegetable side dish…The crushed Ritz crackers is a nice addition that I will definitely add when preparing my next casserole, thank you Christin …:)
Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was a huge hit!! Delicious and was gone in no time flat. Thanks for a great recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed it Kay! It is one of our favorite casseroles.
This is what i make instead of greenbean casserole! I make it with cream of chicken soup and Velveeta and no onions though.. its soooo yummy! All four of my kids love love love it!
This is definitely a candidate for Thanksgiving dinner!!