Better Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli casserole made better with roasted broccoli, cheddar cheese, creamy quinoa and toasted bread crumbs. This healthy broccoli casserole is delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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Did you know that cheddar cheese isn’t actually orange? It’s really white, and they add orange coloring to make it orange. We’ve been duped all along. I know.
I opted for cheddar without coloring, so this broccoli cheddar casserole may not look like the kind you grew up eating. It’s also more redeeming than typical Midwestern broccoli cheddar casseroles, while still being gloriously cheesy and creamy.
You won’t find mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup, or annoying Béchamel sauce to make in this healthy broccoli casserole recipe. You don’t need it!
Casseroles aren’t my typical fare, but they do hit the spot on cold, gray winter days. Plus, they make for great leftovers. Hooray for meals that keep on giving!
Watch How to Make Broccoli Casserole
The Best Broccoli Casserole
- My broccoli cheddar version here features tons of caramelized roasted broccoli for extra flavor, plus some milk and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Nutritious quinoa magically blends into creamy oblivion while it’s in the oven.
- Top all of that with some garlicky breadcrumbs and you have one amazing dish that makes for great leftovers.
You can be fancy and call it a “grah-tahnnnn” in your best French accent, or announce it as a “hot dish” in your finest Minnesotan. Either way, it’s a stellar broccoli casserole.
Please let me know how this broccoli casserole recipe turns out for you in the comments! I always love to hear from you.
Craving more lightened-up comfort foods? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Real Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti Squash “Pizza” Bowls
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
For even more hearty dinner recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook!
Better Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli casserole made better with roasted fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, creamy quinoa and irresistible, garlicky whole grain bread crumbs. This healthy casserole is easy to make and tastes amazing! Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup quinoa (any color), rinsed under running water in a mesh sieve for a minute and drained
- 16 ounces broccoli florets, either pre-packaged or sliced from 2 large bunches of broccoli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice
- 8 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup low-fat milk (cow’s milk tastes best but unsweetened plain almond milk works, too)
- ½ tablespoon butter or 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 slice whole wheat bread (substitute gluten-free bread for a gluten-free casserole)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- To cook the quinoa: Bring the vegetable broth or water to boil in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized pot. Add the quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 17 to 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cover and set aside to steam for 10 minutes.
- To roast the broccoli: Slice any large broccoli florets in half to make bite-sized pieces. Transfer the broccoli to your prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, until lightly coated on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and arrange in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and starting to caramelize on the edges.
- To make the breadcrumbs: Tear your piece of bread into bite-sized pieces and toss them into a food processor or blender. Process until the bread has broken into small crumbs. In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, stirring often. Add the bread crumbs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly browned and crisp. Set aside to cool. (If you cooked your bread crumbs in a cast iron skillet, transfer them to a bowl to prevent them from burning.)
- Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pot of quinoa, and stir to combine. Set aside ¾ cup of the cheese for later, then add the rest of the cheese to the pot. Pour in the milk and stir until the cheese and milk are evenly incorporated in the quinoa.
- Pour the cheesy quinoa into a 9-inch square baking dish and top with the roasted broccoli. Stir until the broccoli is evenly mixed in with the quinoa. Sprinkle the surface of the casserole with the reserved ¾ cup cheese, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until the top is golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my creamy roasted Brussels sprout and quinoa gratin, which was originally adapted from The High-Protein Vegetarian Cookbook by Katie Parker of Veggie and the Beast.
Storage suggestions: Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Yum! This is so delicious. I used two slices of wheat bread but otherwise followed the recipe. Loved it and will definitely make it again. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Laura!
I’ve made this so many times and it’s one of my favorite winter quinoa recipes
Great to hear, Diana!
Can the broccoli and cheese casserole be made ahead of time and frozen?
I believe others have tried it and didn’t mind the results.
Fabulous! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Laurie!
Good evening! I wanted to make this but had only 1/2 the required amount of broccoli. I made up the difference with mushrooms and onions, cooking all the vegetables on a sheet pan as described. It was terrific. I’d never before considered making a veg casserole with quinoa. This recipe far exceeded my expectations, and seems to be suitable for anything that you might have in the vegetable drawer.
I made this for lunch today for my husband and myself. It is absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making it again.
We’ve been making this excellent recipe for years now! For those asking about freezing, I always make a double batch, one for dinner and one to freeze. Because everything is cooked, it’s easy to make the dish, but don’t bake it, instead just wrap it well and pop it in the freezer. I usually let it thaw in the fridge the night before, and then it’s ready to go in the oven with foil on top until the last 15 minutes or so.
Hey Christine, thank you for the helpful tip about the freezing! I am guessing you just wait to add the bread crumbs till when you go to bake?
I’ve made this so many times now and it’s always a hit! Reheats well. I’ve started to use frozen broccoli florets to save some time. They roast up perfectly! So good
Great to hear, Eliza!
I fixed this for dinner last night exactly as written. Served with pork chops and stewed apples. Delicious!
Thank you for your review, Melissa!
I’ve been making this dish on and off for several years as its the best recipe I’ve found for quinoa. I use kale instead of brocoli. Being British I’m totally thrown by “cups”, and tend avoid American recipes as a rule… so the quantities are guesswork to done extent but its still proven delicious. I add a stock cube while I cook the quinoa for extra flavour. I’m also going to try sweet potato slices under the gratin this time. Thankyou for your website.
I made this last night and much like all the other recipes it was a hit with the family. My 4 year old even asked for seconds and she rarely eats so much as half her dinner. My husband was (as always) surprised that he can enjoy and feel full from the vegetarian meals. The lentil soup is the other favorite with my toddlers and I cannot recommend every recipe I’ve tried and especially this one enough. Thank you for helping my family enjoy nourishing meals. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Olga! Thank you for your comment.
I (and family) absolutely love this recipe! We have made it so many times, it usually makes a feature at least once a month!
I do make some slight changes – I roast cauliflower and zucchini too and add them in with the broccoli. We just like some additional veggies added, but it’s delish!
Loved this recipe. I didn’t have fresh broccoli but used chopped frozen instead. I roasted it instead of cooking it and it got really good. Next time I’ll try roasting fresh broccoli.
Can I use farro? I don’t have quinoa.
Sure, or you can try rice.