Healthy Side Dishes- Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- 16 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
- 16 ounces frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and drained
- ½ cup garlic herb bread crumbs, (other bread crumbs such as plain, Italian seasoned, or panko may be substituted)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all -purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, (whole or 2% recommended)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated; divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (use full fat cream cheese sold in a block; no lite or fat-free or whipped products)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
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- Preheat oven to 350F, spray the baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Make sure the broccoli and cauliflower florets are fully thawed (see the FAQs in the blog post for how to do this quickly if you didn’t plan ahead), and drain them well; set aside momentarily. Tip – You want to make sure that they’re fully thawed and drained well because if not, the excess moisture will cause your casserole to turn out soupy.
- To a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and use a fork to toss, fluff, and combine to coat; set your breadcrumb topping mixture aside.
- To a medium to large saucepan (enough to later on fit all the frozen vegetables), add the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, all the flour, and over medium high heat, whisk the mixture continuously for 1 minute to create a roux. Tip – The roux is important so that later on, the cream sauce sets up and your casserole isn’t runny so don’t shortcut this step. Not to mention, you need the raw flour taste to be cooked off.
- Slowly add the milk to the roux, whisking constantly, and keep whisking to incorporate it. Keep control of the heat output of your stove, and bring the mixture just to the point of boiling, but not actually boiling, just simmering. Tip – You don’t want to boil milk because the structure of the dairy proteins changes, which isn’t ideal. So just keep it to a simmer, and not a full out boil.
- To the simmering mixture, add the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, all the cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and continue whisking until the cheese and cream cheese have melted and the mixture is silky smooth.
- Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and toss to combine and coat evenly with the cream sauce before transferring to the prepared baking dish.
- Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the top and bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden browned and lightly crispy. Tip – Since all ovens vary, start checking at about 25 minutes, and see how it looks. Also, rotate the pan once midway through baking to ensure even browning. Serve warm.
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight for up to 4-5 days in the fridge, noting that the topping will not remain crispy. Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired. I am not a fan of freezing recipes with cream sauces because they don’t always survive the freezing/thawing process well, not to mention the veggies will be very mushy and the topping very soggy.
Make-Ahead: Assemble the casserole to the point of getting it into the casserole dish, but before adding the breadcrumb topping and baking it off (through step 7 above). At this point, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Set it on the counter for at least 30 minutes before you bake it – do NOT bake a cold casserole, it must come up to room temp. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top when it’s at room temp, and then bake as directed.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 439mg, Potassium: 451mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 833IU, Vitamin C: 78mg, Calcium: 183mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
