Broccoli Cheese Casserole is the Best Holiday Side Dish
Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a favorite among our family no matter what the occasion. We never have any left over and everyone asks for it the next time we are invited over for dinner.
I chose this dinner side as a holiday dish because it is perfect for larger dinners because it can easily be adjusted and everyone loves it. Even people that don't normally eat broccoli.
The best way to cook this casserole is in the oven, but it can also be made in a crock pot. My wife prefers making it in the oven because it comes out perfect every time.
Enjoy Broccoli Cheese Casserole for your next dinner side.
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
The following recipe for Broccoli Cheese Casserole was perfected by my wife Holli. We are certainly making this one for Thanksgiving and we hope you do too.
This recipe easily serves six adults, but the standard serving size is never enough with this great flavorful dish. This can almost be a meal by itself, but is great served with steak, chicken, pork, or any other meat.
Ingredients
Three (3) 12.6 oz Bags of Frozen Birds Eye Baby Broccoli Florets
One (1) 10 oz Can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
One (1) Cup of Real Mayonnaise
Two (2) Large Eggs
One (1) Sweet Vidalia Onion, Chopped
Six (6) Whole Slices of Bacon
Two (2) Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper for Taste
Preparing the Broccoli Casserole
To prepare your Broccoli Cheese Casserole, place bacon in a pan and fry until crispy. Do not discard the bacon grease.
Remove the bacon and add the chopped onions to the pan. Saute the onions until they are just starting to caramelize.
Remove from heat and strain excess juices from the onions. Place the onions in a large bowl.
Empty three bags of frozen broccoli florets into the colander and rinse with warm water. Once all of the florets are thawed, squeeze as much of the water out of them as you can. Be sure to wash your hands before doing this step. I grab a handful of florets and squeeze until no more water drips out from my hand. Place the broccoli in the same bowl as the onions.
Once all of the broccoli is squeezed, add the mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup, eggs, and half of the cheddar cheese to the large bowl and thoroughly mix. Pour contents into a medium (10 inch) baking dish.
Once the mixture settles in the baking dish, add the other half of the cheddar cheese to the top. Add the six slices of fried bacon over the top of the casserole or crumple the six slices of bacon and sprinkle over the top of the cheddar cheese.
Cooking the Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heat is reached, place the uncovered casserole in the center of the oven. Bake for one (1) hour at 425. The casserole should be bubbling along the sides and crispy on top when done.
Cover with foil until ready to serve.
This broccoli casserole is fun to make and very rewarding for the cook. If you are looking for compliments, this is the side dish to cook for the holidays. Encourage everyone to at least try this dish. They will be pleasantly surprised at how good it is, even for a funny green vegetable.
Be sure to let Holli know what you thought of her broccoli casserole recipe. Also let us know if you tried other ingredients with it to make it even better so we can add some alternatives to this great dish.