Homemade Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe

As a child of the ’80s, the look of a bright orange block of Velveeta is forever seared in my memory. And for good reason—every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner, my mother would use it to make her famous broccoli cheese casserole. As a child, I loved it. After all, my memories of eating it were closely tied to some of my favorite days of the year.

As I got older, wiser, and suspicious of the neon orange block of “cheese,” I started to think of ways to modernize this classic casserole. I wanted to incorporate a flavorful aged cheddar and also improve the texture of the broccoli. 

As with most family traditions, change is never easy, but over the years these subtle tweaks have made all the difference. The casserole is still classic, nostalgic, and delicious but slightly elevated. On the buffet spread, it is still highly recognizable, but you just don’t need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the cheese anymore. 

Broccoli Tips

Last Thanksgiving, my Mother called me from the grocery store flabbergasted by the price of broccoli. Her biggest complaint was that most of what you were paying for was stem. When I suggested we add the stem to the casserole rather than just florets, she was skeptical but willing to give it a try. 

When cooked properly, the stem is one of my favorite parts of the vegetable. Once you trim off any nubs on the stem, use a sturdy vegetable peeler to remove the darker green outer layer, which can be tough. Once that is removed, simply slice into coins. 

My mother used to steam the florets until tender. My issue with this is they always seemed overcooked since she wasn’t shocking them in cold water. Ice baths can be annoying, especially when you are preparing a holiday meal, so I use a little shortcut. 

I like to blanch the broccoli in a big pot of salted water, then once it’s bright green and slightly tender I transfer it to a colander. Once drained, I toss in a few ice cubes, then run it under cold running water for a few seconds to stop the cooking. 

Use Real Cheese for the Best Casserole

Last but certainly not least is the cheese sauce. This needed an upgrade in a major way! I like to use aged cheddar for extra umami flavor but use whatever cheddar you prefer. I use the cheese two ways; in a simple mornay sauce as well as on top of the casserole to keep things extra cheesy. 

Casserole Your Veggies