Broccoli cheese casserole is one of those side dishes that gets gobbled up every time. It’s so creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Even your picky eaters will devour this broccoli.
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Would you believe that my parents never made me eat broccoli as a kid?
I honestly don’t think I ever even tasted broccoli until I was a teenager.
Which, hey, I’m not complaining. Broccoli was scary and green looking and I was super picky. My parents picked their battles and broccoli was not one of them.
But now? I LOVE broccoli. It’s probably my favorite veggie and I often eat it steamed with just a sprinkling of salt. No butter, no cheese, just good ol’ broccoli.
Sometimes, though, you’ve got to get a little fancy with your vegetables, whether that’s for Thanksgiving dinner or just a weeknight and a craving hits, and that’s where this easy broccoli cheese casserole comes into play.
Y’all are going to love the decadent cheese sauce that coast the tender broccoli in this low carb broccoli casserole recipe is!
🍗 Variations:
Make it a Meal – Add cooked, shredded chicken or sliced and seared smoked sausage right into this dish to make it a meal.
Add Veggies – Swap half of the broccoli for cauliflower and proceed as directed!
Get Cheesy – Swap the cheddar for a different cheese of your choice, such as gruyere, colby jack, or mozzarella!
Crunchy Topping – Traditional broccoli casserole often has Ritz crackers or other cracker crumbs over the top. Instead, try crumbling up some pork rinds and sprinkle them over the top to add a little crunch!
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 20 ounces fresh broccoli florets
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the broccoli to a large microwave safe bowl along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Let sit, covered, for 2 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and mix well to combine.
- Stir the cream cheese mixture into the steamed broccoli until well combined.
- Transfer broccoli to an 8×8 baking dish and sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
👩🍳 Ingredient Notes:
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Fresh Broccoli – You’ll note that I’m a fan of the fresh broccoli over the frozen! It just tastes better, but I do understand the convenience of the frozen kind. If that’s what you’ve got, it should work. I’ve just never made it myself in this recipe.
Cheese – This broccoli and cheese casserole is loaded up with rich cream cheese, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, and some grated Parmesan cheese! That’s going to add tons of creamy, decadent cheesy flavor to this casserole.
Mayo – It’s going to add even more creamy flavor to this keto casserole.
Seasoning – You don’t need many seasonings for this casserole. The rich, cheesy flavors with the broccoli pretty much do most of the work but we do like to mix in some garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper!
Broccoli and cheese is a classic recipe that just about everyone can enjoy, including the kids!
It’s an easy casserole recipe that you can put together in no time.
With all that rich, creamy cheese nobody will even notice that this is a keto version of broccoli casserole.
How To Make Broccoli Casserole:
Broccoli – We’re starting with fresh broccoli for this recipe, because I personally think it has the best taste and texture. I do usually buy pre-cut broccoli florets in the produce section, but a head of broccoli works just as well. Chop the broccoli into small florets.
Steam – You’ll start out by steaming the broccoli lightly, either in a stove top steamer or in the microwave. For this recipe, I nearly always opt for the microwave, just because it’s easy. Pop your broccoli into a large bowl with two tablespoons of water, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave for 2 minutes.
Cheese – You’ll mix together cream cheese, grated cheddar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Mix – Scoop that mixture right on top of your hot and steamy broccoli and start stirring. The mixture should melt right into the broccoli pretty quickly as you stir.
Bake – Transfer this to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake it up and you’ll have this decadent broccoli and cheese casserole that the whole family will love! This easy broccoli casserole is ready to go in just about 20 minutes. Serve alongside our stuffed chicken breast along with our keto coleslaw.
If you love this keto broccoli casserole recipe, be sure to try my broccoli salad or cauliflower potato salad!
❔ FAQs:
You can keep this low carb casserole stored in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight or well sealed container.
This casserole should freeze well for up to few months. Keep it in a freezer safe container or wrapped in some foil and plastic.
I’ve never tried it in this recipe and would definitely recommend using fresh broccoli, but I think it would work fine with frozen.
Keto Broccoli Casserole for a Crowd:
This recipe is perfect for a family dinner and the leftovers will reheat well the next day.
If you’re serving a crowd or want to make this for a larger gathering, we recommend doubling the recipe!
Double all of the ingredients and bake for the same length of time in a 9×13 baking dish.
🥘 More Keto Casserole Recipes:
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Meatball Casserole
- Cheeseburger Casserole
- Spinach Casserole
- Keto Taco Casserole
- Big Mac Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Donna Ramsey says
This is so yummy So easy.
Julie says
My family loves this as a side dish, and they love it when I add rotisserie chicken and we have it as a main dish! It is delicious both ways, and very versitile!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks, Julie!
Marilyn D Cox says
You are truly a life saver! I loved this!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Xu says
This is soooo good! And soooo easy!!
I used fresh garlic instead of powder since I ran out. Also added crushed up cashews and spinach.
Karly Campbell says
Sounds delicious!
Colleen says
My husband and son LOVE this! Thank you so much for paving the way for me making this! I felt no need to change the recipe like some others reviews here. My son says it’s the best he has ever had.
Karly Campbell says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Colleen!
Karen says
How many carbs per serving?
Karly Campbell says
The nutrition info is at the bottom of the recipe card.
Ben says
What is the service size in weight or volume? A serving size of “1” doesn’t tell you much…
Karly Campbell says
We didn’t measure by weight or volume, we just divide into 6 equal servings.
Jody says
Can I use frozen broccoli in this recipe?
Karly Campbell says
It should work fine, though we’ve only made this with fresh.
Erin Lundgren says
I use frozen all the time and just slightly defrost is before hand. This is the best broccoli recipe 😛
Tina Hickey says
Yummy
Jennifer Burton says
Great recipe! Exactly what I was looking for! I did half the cream cheese based on some comments and to compensate I was a bit generous with the cheddar. So delicious. I will definitely make again regularly.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Jennifer!
Kim Platzer says
Oh Yeah…. I have made it twice…. first time exactly and the second time went with less cream cheese and several different types of cheese to add, like havarti and swiss along with the cheddar and parm…. next time I am going to add chicken….. thank you
Rachel says
Full disclosure…big broccoli fan. Made this a few months ago following the recipe with the addition of sautéed mushrooms and shallots. As written, found the cream cheese too much and the texture a bit gummy as others mentioned. So took another try, post-thanksgiving. This time I only had manchego (leftover from the thanksgiving cheeseboard) which I think helped since it’s a bit less oily than cheddar. Cut the cream cheese way down, added a bit of Dijon mustard for some sharpness and dash of nutmeg which is typical for a cheese sauce. Added the cheese mixture into the warm sauté pan with the cooked shallots, mushrooms and thyme. Which helped loosen it up. Then folded in the broccoli and a good helping of leftover shredded thanksgiving turkey. Dropped into the casserole pan and everything was perfectly coated. The turkey and broccoli where the main stars and the cheese was there, not overwhelming and held it all together on the plate. The original recipe is a great start to all kinds of interpretations.
Jessica says
So basically you made a completely different recipe. Cool
Jessica says
That’s unnecessary.
Colleen says
You rewrote the recipe COMPLETELY so why even bother commenting on the original. Find your own blog and post YOUR new recipe. This recipe worked well for me with NO changes.
Stacey S. says
I made this before and I’m making again tonight! Its yum!
Gloria says
Would this casserole freeze well? Perhaps even before cooking? Trying to make ahead for family dinner.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Gloria! I’m honestly not sure how well this one would freeze. I think it’d probably be fine, if you like frozen broccoli. We’re not fans here – fresh is always our go to. But if you don’t mind it, it’d probably work okay.
Daniela says
Don’t use cream cheese if you are going to freeze, otherwise the cream cheese will separate. Maybe if you make a roux cream sauce it won’t separate, but it’s a gamble.
Patty S says
We will be traveling for Thanksgiving. Could I make this wonderful sounding dish in advance? And how would I do that?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Patty! We personally don’t super love reheated broccoli – it tends to get a bit mushy. However, you definitely CAN make this ahead, if that doesn’t concern you. I wouldn’t make it more than a day in advance.
Sandie says
This was a perfect low carb side to go with the ribs my husband smoked today. I followed the recipe exactly and I don’t think anything needs to be changed on it.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Sandie! 🙂
Ryan Deweese says
Is it ok I’m thinking of adding chicken or hamburger meat to it.
Karly Campbell says
Yep, just make sure it’s cooked first.