Broccoli casserole was another classic side dish that was always at our festive meals. Over the years I’ve tweaked the recipe to add in some kale for a touch of bitterness and lemon to brighten up the creamy side. The result is a cheesy, savoury, buttery nostalgic dish, perfect with any holiday main.
This recipe will feed a 6-8 people as a side - if I am having a larger crowd I double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.
Broccoli (& Kale) Casserole
2 heads of broccoli, steamed and chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 a head of kale, diced
2 cups of old cheddar, grated
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Lots of black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
Ritz Crackers, crushed (about ½ a box)
First, prep the broccoli - steam either stove top or in the microwave until just fork tender. It will continue to cook in the oven so do not need to fully cook through at this stage. Look for bright green colour and a fork or cake tester should pierce with little resistance. Once cool to touch, chop into bite sized pieces (2-3 cm pieces). I include the stalks as well!
Add the chopped broccoli to a large bowl, then add in mayo, cream of mushroom soup, diced white onion, and shredded kale. Once well mixed, add in grated cheese, garlic powder, black pepper and the juice of half a lemon. You can season lightly with salt but it doesn’t require much!
Pour mixture into a 8x8 casserole dish. If baking straight away, top with crushed Ritz Crackers.
Bake at 350F for 45 mins uncovered, until top is golden brown and mixture is bubbling! Serve warm.