Simple Broccoli Au Gratin Casserole

Creamy broccoli au gratin is the best vegetable side dish for the holidays. A cheesy broccoli casserole recipe baked in the oven like our Old Fashioned Carrot Casserole but with these green veggie florets, parmesan and white cheddar cheese!

Broccoli Au Gratin Recipe

If you have only made boring, plain Steamed Broccoli in Oven with just some butter you are in for a real treat tonight!! During Easter and Christmas time (and the weekends) we are ditching the calories and making our sides beyond delicious right?? That means cheesy, all the way y’all. 😉

You may have had and made Potatoes Au Gratin without Cream before but this time we are swapping russets for vegetables instead! A great twist on a traditional side dish you may have made for years but just want something new. This will likely become a new favorite for your guests.

Ingredients

• If you love to eat broccoli you’ll love this, cut into small florets
• Butter or dairy free plant based sticks
• All purpose flour will thicken the sauce
• Milk or almond milk
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder and onion powder
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese or white cheddar
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 1 c Panko breadcrumbs for top, opt

Variations

Now if you are in need for lactose free ingredients like our Dairy Free Au Gratin Potatoes that isn’t a problem. You can find a plant based butter product from Country Crock at the store and Daiya has great cheeses that are vegan in nature.

Want to use a different veggie to make this same type of dish? Try our Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole version that is incredible.

I probably wouldn’t make this any other way other than in the oven because of the overall texture. With taters I have done it this way as well as Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes with Ham but this veggie is so delicate that it will become mushy very fast low and slow.

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

If you need to know How to Bake Frozen Broccoli you would want to follow these directions first. Make the sauce in your pan and drizzle over the top, then serve like that. If you add right out of the freezer it will release water when defrosting which will create a weird watery consistency so fresh is recommended when baking in a casserole.

Same thing goes with Pressure Cooker Broccoli recipe. Even if you used fresh for this I don’t think it “bakes” the same as it is steamed and adds too much moisture into the dish. Just drizzle the au gratin sauce over the top when tender instead.

How to Make Au Gratin Broccoli

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9” x13” pan and set aside. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, place a small amount of water and the broccoli and steam for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
• Drain the water and spread the broccoli on the bottom of the baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
• Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth.
• Cook for about 1-2 minutes before slowly whisking in the milk.
• Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to make sure to fully incorporate all the flour. Continue to whisk while cooking the white sauce until it starts to bubble and thicken.
• Turn off the heat and add the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Whisk to keep the sauce smooth. Use a spatula to stir in the cheddar cheese and ½ c of the parmesan.
• Pour creamy cheese sauce over the fresh broccoli florets in the baking dish and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.

While it’s baking, in a small frying pan melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly until they are lightly browned. Transfer them to a bowl once browned to prevent over cooking.

How can you make au gratin better?

After baking for 20 minutes, pull the dish out and sprinkle the top evenly with the breadcrumbs, and then with the remaining ¼ c of finely shredded parmesan cheese and return to the oven to bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and you have tender broccoli bites.

If you wanted to add some heat drizzled over the top when done you could make the sauce from our Asian Broccoli recipe and offer that on the side or spoon it on top of each serving. Enjoy, store leftovers once cooled in a dish covered with plastic wrap.