Award-winning Broccoli Cheese Casserole (just 15 mins prep)
- Updated on Jun 25, 2020
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First things first – let’s be honest. This broccoli cheese casserole hasn’t actually won any real awards – yet. But that’s because we haven’t entered it into any competitions.
If it had entered a competition, I’m pretty sure it would have won. I have to grab your attention somehow, right? This is a casserole that needs to be seen (and eaten).
That grilled cheese, those coated and roasted veggies. AMAZING!
There are a lot of casseroles out there, many involving cheese and broccoli (and other ingredients besides). That means a lot of competition to be even spotted by your gazing eyes – and yet here you are.
And now that I do have your attention, I want you to stay – or at least jump right down to the recipe and start making this gorgeous thing.
Raise your eyes slightly and you’ll see a little button at the top that says exactly that: ‘jump to recipe’. Click that and you’re on your way.
If your eyes are still drifting over these next words then clearly you want to know more about this casserole – probably just how awesome it is, and exactly how to make it.
Tips on cooking a broccoli cheese casserole
First up – use the biggest mixing bowl you have! As you can see in our video for the broccoli cheese casserole, even this one wasn’t big enough.
The bigger the mixing bowl, the easier it is to ensure pieces of veg are covered in the nice, creamy sauce. And that’s exactly what you want – the veg will taste better and cook more evenly.
To peel or not to peel – that is the question. Unless I’m making mash, I’ll leave the skin on the potatoes. There are a few extra vitamins and nutrients in and next to the skin that are worth grabbing whenever possible.
The exception to this rule is if the skin is really blemished and/or horrible. If it is, give it a peel.
And finally – I’ve noticed a difference in cooking this casserole in different ovens. I’ve found the best temperature so far to be about 200°C/390°F.
When you go to add the extra cheese near the end (as explained in the instructions) – check the broccoli.
If it’s starting to look a little dark then cut the temperature to 180°C/360°C and you should be grand.
And finally – enjoy! This is a simple casserole (a meal cooked in an oven bowl) that just needs a little prepping – after that the oven does the rest of the work for you. So kick back and relax.
Ingredients
- 1.75 lbs potatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 16 oz broccoli florets (frozen also works)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 7 oz low fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp thyme, dried
- 6 oz cheddar cheese (grated) (mature when available)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- 1 tbsp mustard
Instructions
- Grab a casserole form. Set the oven to 390°F/200°C.
- Peel the potatoes, if they are already a little older. If they’re fine, wash them and cut them into dice-sized cubes.1.75 lbs potatoes
- Cut the bell pepper into similar sized cubes.1 red bell pepper
- Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets.16 oz broccoli florets
- Put all veg into the casserole form. Add olive oil, salt and give it a good toss.1 tbsp olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
- Now add the cottage cheese, vegetable broth, thyme and half the cheddar to the form and mix well. If using nutritional yeast and mustard, add that now too.7 oz low fat cottage cheese, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 tsp thyme, dried, 6 oz cheddar cheese
- Off it goes into the oven for at least 45 minutes. Depending on the potatoes it can take longer.
- Roughly, after 35 minutes add the rest of the cheese. Can be turned down to 180/360 if broccoli is burning.
- Pierce a potato cube with a fork to see if it is tender. If yes, the casserole is ready.
- Finish off with a few cracks of pepper. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Incredibly tasty Low-Carb Spinach and Cheese Pie
- The nutritious powerhouse Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Beautiful and delicious Irish Bombay Potatoes
- The healthiest Hungarian-Style Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Best ever Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna
- Full of health benefits Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Amazingly easy Melted Feta and Veggie Bake
- Mega-delicious Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers in Mediterranean Tomato Sauce
Nutrition
Comments
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12 comments
I see nutritional yeast in the ingredients but then not added to the sauce in the instructions. Is it an imperative ingredient? Could this be why some people say theirs came out soupy, if it was left out? I can’t wait to make this though, sounds delicious!
Hi Kristy! Well spotted, thank you. Yes, mixing it in is great for consistency (and taste). I’ll add it back to the instructions now. Enjoy the casserole!
Beyond delicious! And not watery at all.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Glad you liked it Alison!!
I made this for my family and it was delicious. However, I think I made the potato chunks too large, and I had to remove the broccoli and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes. Still, it was totally worth it for the taste and I will be making it again, with smaller potato pieces! Oh, and I used sour cream in the recipe. Love you guys! You may turn me vegetarian, ha ha!
Turned out soupy as well, despite following the recipe. I even turned up the heat to 220. Perhaps I should use minimal amount of broth next time. Also, potatoes were not cooked through even after 55 minutes in the oven…
Oh dear! It sounds like the potatoes must have been a little large – dice-sized should definitely be cooked in 55 mins. Mine has never turned out soupy before but yes it sounds like using slightly less broth would solve it 🙂
I made this tonight using the recipe exactly. My husband and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely make it again. Very tasty!
Just the thing for a cold evening like today! I didn’t have any creme fraiche so used yogurt instead – it was delicious. I followed your advice and used a HUGE bowl to mix but somehow it was too small……crazy! Thanks for a great recipe, my meat eating other half thought it was ace!
Haha yes, the bowl is more important than you’d think. Really glad you enjoyed it so much, I bet the yogurt was a great sub!
Made this tonight and really enjoyed it, however, it was really liquidy. I took the leftovers and blended most up but left a few chunks, added a bit more veggie broth and it made a delicious soup!! I look forward to eating it up!
Hey Kirsten! Oh, good to know! I haven’t had a liquidy one yet, I wonder if it’s related to the heat and length of time in oven. I will check again. It sounds like you made the best of it anyway, kudos on the soup! 😀