Easy Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe with Ritz Crackers
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This easy broccoli casserole is pure comfort food! Great for family get-togethers, holidays, potlucks, or when you are in the mood for a delicious home-cooked dish! Every bite of this easy casserole is loaded with cheesy goodness and the perfect cracker topping!
Fresh broccoli combined with cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, Ritz crackers, and seasoned perfectly.
It’s no wonder why this flavorful, creamy, and cheesy dish is a family favorite. Serve it as a side or make it the star of any meal.
Casseroles are great to make even if you are just starting out in the kitchen. They are no-fuss and don’t require a bunch of hard instructions.
This easy broccoli cheese casserole recipe is a great way to use up those broccoli cuts!
I used to save this for special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner – but why? It’s literally a huge hit anytime that I make it and I just decided that it’s always a good time to make this Southern broccoli casserole recipe!
Be sure to try my baked ziti, hamburger casserole, and tater tot casserole too.
If you are looking for something that goes amazing with this broccoli casserole with ritz crackers, you won’t be disappointed with some baked chicken or a big, fat, juicy steak. The options are endless, really!
Table of Contents
Easy Broccoli Casserole – Tips and Tricks
- Sour cream is key! Many other recipes for broccoli cheese casserole call for mayo, but we prefer the flavor and lighter texture the sour cream gives.
- Don’t get in a hurry. You might be tempted to cook the broccoli all the way, but please don’t.
It will end up soggy and it will lose the slightly crisp bite it’s intended to have. Instead, cook it until it’s almost done for the best results. - Go for frozen. Whenever you don’t have fresh broccoli on hand, it’s fine to use frozen. Be sure to let it thaw all the way and drain off any excess water.
- Don’t thin the soup. When adding soup, you simply add the soup itself. It doesn’t need to be thinned with water or anything.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Baking Dish– A 9×9 square baking dish is the perfect size!
- Strainer for draining the cooked broccoli.
- A good quality spatula is ideal for spreading the layers into the dish.
Substitutions
It’s hard to find a great addition that make this classic broccoli casserole any more awesome than it already is.
One substitution or addition that could be made for this comforting side dish is to add a small onion. That gives this recipe a good crunch and fun flavor.
You can also change up the crunchy topping from Ritz cracker crumbs and try toasted bread crumbs or even crushed pork rinds.
And if you don’t want to top it with crushed crackers, leave them off!
FAQ – Common Recipe Questions
You can swap the cream of mushroom with cream of chicken soup or cream of celery. All of them will work great and it’s an easy way to change the flavor, so it’s just a matter of preference and what you have on hand.
No, you shouldn’t add a lid when making this easy broccoli casserole. A lid will cause it to be more liquidy and not have that nice crispy crust on top. So, while other recipes may require a lid, your best bet is to skip one for this dish.
Yes, absolutely! To double the recipe, you can use two 9×9 casserole dishes, or opt for a 9×13.
Since I make this easy broccoli casserole recipe for the holidays and it makes the perfect side dish, I love doubling this great recipe. Even picky eaters love it!
In my opinion, it’s an easy side dish and pairs with just about any main dish, so you really can’t go wrong.
It’s all about the tender broccoli. You need to be sure that no matter if you’re using frozen broccoli or fresh broccoli florets, they’re cooked all the way before serving.
Pay attention to the cooking time on the recipe card below, and it’s sure to be a crowd pleasure.
Not at all! You can gather the simple ingredients and make this on a chilly day or Sunday supper. It’s a good casserole recipe that truly is a crowd pleaser.
It does work great for Christmas dinner because it has flavors that the entire family will love and enjoy – and I also think that it’s great for Thanksgiving as well because it pairs really well with roast turkey and cooked chicken breast.
I might be biased a bit, but I like to say that this is the best broccoli casserole recipe, ever. The crunchy crackers on the top of the casserole paired with the creamy cheese sauce and broccoli bits inside in the prepared baking dish make this one of the best recipes to put on the dinner table, any time that you want. It really is the perfect delicious side dish.
You’ll need to cover the cooled leftovers and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when you are ready to serve.
Or you can place it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave or bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until it’s hot.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Easy Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe with Ritz Crackers
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli florets, heaping cups
- 10.6 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook the broccoli just until it turns a bright green in color – you can boil or steam the broccoli, but it should take just a few minutes – you do not want the broccoli cooking all the way through. Drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze all excess water from the broccoli with a dishtowel.
- Stir together soup, sour cream, egg, cream, herbs and spices, and 2 cups of the cheese.
- Mix in broccoli.
- Spread the mixture into a buttered 9×9 square baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top.
- Layer the crushed crackers over the cheese.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the crackers, covering as much area as you can.
- Bake the casserole for approximately 30-35 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and golden brown across the top – you may need to cover the casserole with aluminum foil after the first 20 minutes so that it does not brown too much.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2021, updated and republished December 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
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Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
This is easy to put together and we all loved it! I'll be making this to accompany my Thanksgiving dinner but will more than double the recipe. Thank you!
I'm so happy you loved it! Enjoy your Thanksgiving and let us know how it goes to double the recipe.
Your casserole recipes are to die for, and this one is no exception. This got my kids to eat more broccoli!
Everything done the same, with one exception, the topping. I melt the butter and add in the ritz crackers, smashed but not finely crushed, coating well. then add that across the top. extra yummy. tastes amazing and we don’t realize we are eating our veggies!
Hi Diane,
We are so happy you enjoyed it! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
I was looking for something to replace Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving. This sounded great, so I tried it out on the family. Mr. Picky Eater had 3 helpings! Everyone raved about it and said it was so much better than another green bean casserole! Guess what I’m fixing for Christmas dinner? Thanks for the recipe! Love your cooking!
Can you use frozen broccoli florets or does the broccoli have to be fresh? Thank you
What can you use instead of ritz crackers? And can I use frozen broccoli? Thank You looks SO DELICIOUS ๐ I am ๐คค right nowโฆ Thanks for the recipe.
What brand of cheddar cheese was shredded for broccoli cheese casserole with Ritz crackers? If don’t like Velveeta, can I use shredded bag Kraft?
Hi Donna!
You can use whatever cheese you enjoy! I hope this helps!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Can this be prepared a day ahead of serving?
Hi Maureen!
Yes it should be good, it just needs to be reheated in the oven. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This was so easy to make! One of the best broccoli dishes I have had. My husband loved it as well!
Hi Shannon!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This was PERFECT my husband not a picky eater at all he eats what ever I put on table, never a compliment about anything …but not this time and I quote “dang honey that is amazing”๐
Hi Shannon!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn