Ritz Cracker Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Broccoli reaches its highest form in this Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ritz Crackers. A holiday classic, this recipe boasts roasted broccoli in a homemade cheese sauce, topped with an irresponsible amount of crisp, buttery Ritz crackers.

Add it to your Thanksgiving menu or Easter dinner, and watch it disappear!

Ritz Cracker Broccoli Casserole: Vegetable Comfort Food

A few months into my son’s first year of Kindergarten, he came home raving about broccoli. Broccoli! Apparently, he had some in a school lunch and loved it.

I, of course, was thrilled. My son likes broccoli! Hooray!

I asked him how the broccoli was prepared, hoping I could replicate it at home. His Kindergarten-level descriptors weren’t particularly helpful, so I just set about making broccoli in every form I could think of.

I steamed it. I made the best roasted broccoli and cauliflower of your life. I made a cheesy broccoli Ritz casserole. I even made broccoli cheddar soup.

None of them were THE BROCCOLI.

After prodding him a bit more for a description of the elusive AMAZING broccoli, we finally cracked the code.

Dear friends, it was raw broccoli. My son had fallen head over heels with plain ol’ crunchy raw broccoli.

Welp, there are certainly worse things to love. And while this broccoli adventure didn’t lead to me discovering my son’s new favorite veggie side dish, it did lead me to this incredible Ritz Cracker Broccoli Cheese Casserole. So, I’m calling it a definite win.

I love broccoli in all its forms, but there’s something special about broccoli smothered in cheese and buttery Ritz crackers. I think you’ll agree!

Here’s Why You’ll Love Broccoli Ritz Casserole Too

• It’s roasted! Most broccoli cheese casseroles are made with steamed broccoli. I do enjoy them that way, but I found I prefer to roast the broccoli first. It has a deeper flavor that stands up well to the homemade cheese sauce.
• No soup, no velveeta– A lot of broccoli casseroles call for canned cream of mushroom soup and/or Velveeta. There’s nothing wrong with these recipes, but the homemade cheese sauce makes it so much better!
• The buttery Ritz topping– Listen, Ritz crackers will forever and always be my comfort food. They’re the perfect base for a quick appetizer, my go-to topping for chili, and make the best sweet and salty chocolate dipped Ritz cookies. Here, they blanket broccoli cheese casserole with their irresistible crisp, buttery crunch, and be assured the ratio of crackers to broccoli in this recipe is PERFECT (and by perfect, I mean, there’s a lot of crispy crackers!)
• Make ahead friendly and great for gatherings– This casserole can be made in advance and it’s perfect for holidays and family gatherings.

What’s In Broccoli Cheese Casserole?

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make the casserole!

• Broccoli– You’ll need 1 pound of broccoli florets, which is about 3-4 heads. You can buy the broccoli already cut into florets to save some time.
• Butter and Flour– These are the base ingredients for the roux, which is how we’ll make our thick and creamy cheese sauce.
• Milk– Whole milk is ideal here, but 2% will also work fine.
• Salt and seasonings– A little garlic powder, pepper, and a hint of cayenne make the cheese sauce sing.
• Cheddar cheese– I use a medium cheddar, but you could experiment with colby jack or Monterey Jack cheese as well. Whatever cheese you pick, I always recommend shredding it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it that makes it more difficult to melt.
• Ritz crackers + Butter– Finish the casserole with crumbled Ritz crackers drenched in salted butter.

Tips for Making a Roux Based Cheese Sauce

The cheese sauce for broccoli casserole is made with a roux. A roux is simply a mixture of cooked butter and flour used as a thickener for soups, stews, and cheesy sauces. We use it in many of our favorite recipes including Creamy Mac and Cheese, Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, and Cheesy Potatoes.

A roux is easy to make but there are a few things to keep in mind to make it foolproof.

1. Prep your ingredients. Get the butter, flour, milk, and seasonings ready before you begin.
2. Warm your liquids. In this case, you’ll want to warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds so it’s warm but not hot. This allows it to more easily incorporate into the butter and flour mixture.
3. Add liquids slowly. The milk will bubble a lot and the roux will look thick, pasty, and clumpy. And that brings me to my third tip:
4. Just keep whisking! You don’t want to leave a roux alone on the stove. Continually whisk the liquids into the flour while slowly drizzling. It will smooth out and become a creamy sauce that’s ready for lots of melted cheese!

FAQS

Can I halve this recipe?

Instead of halving, I recommend making the full batch then dividing it between two 8 inch pans. Bake one now, and freeze the other one for a busy weeknight!

Does fresh broccoli need to be cooked before using in casserole?

Yes, raw broccoli won’t have enough time to cook properly if it’s placed directly in a casserole.

Can I steam or blanch the broccoli instead of roasting it?

Absolutely. If you prefer, you can blanch the broccoli by placing it in salted, boiling water for 3 minutes, then draining and putting it in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again, then  proceed with the rest of the recipe as usual. You can also steam the broccoli.

What goes with broccoli cheese casserole?

This casserole is a great side dish for chicken, pork or steak! We love it with a store bought rotisserie chicken, Italian dressing chicken, and Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.

It’s also a nice compliment to Crispy Air Fryer Pork Chops, Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin, and Cast Iron Ribeye.

Broccoli Casserole is right at home on your holiday menus, alongside favorites like Easy Oven Roasted Turkey, Roasted Prime Rib, and Orange Glazed Ham.