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GET IT NOWThis broccoli cauliflower casserole is a blend of two of my favorite recipes that use these veggies: cheesy broccoli cheddar casserole and creamy cauliflower casserole. Both of those have a cheese sauce made with just cream, but this time I added chicken broth and cream cheese. They give it an earthy vibe and hint of tang, without giving up the comfort food factor. Make it with me — I’m certain you’ll love it just as much as my other two!
Why You Need My Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Tender broccoli and cauliflower in a creamy, cheesy sauce – Because is there any better way to enjoy these veggies?! If you love cream of broccoli soup or broccoli cheese soup, this dish reminds me of those in casserole form — except with cauliflower thrown in, and crispy bacon for good measure.
- Super easy – My recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients and you can be enjoying it in just 30 minutes. I also love that I can prep most of it in advance to make it even faster!
- Healthy side that feels like comfort food – Many recipes add starches, but mine is naturally gluten-free. And with all that cheese and bacon, I think you can convince even your pickiest eaters to eat their veggies. Something I’m always trying to do. 😉
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for cauliflower broccoli casserole, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Broccoli And Cauliflower – Obviously the stars of this vegetable casserole! I recommend small florets for faster cooking, but larger ones work — you’d just have to boil for a couple minutes longer. You can also make this casserole with only one of these veggies, if you have just one of them.
- Aromatics – Fresh garlic and onion taste the best! If you want to save on time, substitute a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic. You could use 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and a tablespoon of onion powder instead of both if you really want to, but I’m not a fan of this swap for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese – This makes up the base of the creamy sauce in my broccoli cauliflower casserole. Leave the cream cheese out on the counter for about 30 minutes to let it get soft, or microwave it in 10-second intervals.
- Chicken Broth – Adds flavor and thins out the sauce. I use reduced sodium chicken broth, but regular also works. You could also make your own chicken broth, or use vegetable broth or even bone broth.
- Cheese – I use a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese for a rich, melty texture and flavor variety. Feel free to swap in other types of cheese, like Gruyere, Gouda, Colby, or Parmesan.
- Cooked Bacon – Make bacon in the oven (my favorite way to make bacon), air fryer bacon, or even microwave bacon. You can also omit it if you want to.
- Butter – I use unsalted. You can use salted and just add a little less salt.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Boil the florets. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, or a Dutch oven (I used this Dutch oven in blue). Add the broccoli and cauliflower, and cook uncovered until crisp-tender. Alternatively, you can steam the veggies in a steamer basket instead. Drain and run cold water over the vegetables (or shock in a bowl of ice water) to prevent further cooking. Pat dry and place in a bowl.
- Saute the aromatics. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions to the melted butter and cook until translucent. Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant.
- Make the sauce. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the chicken broth.
- Mix together. Remove from heat, and add the broccoli and cauliflower florets to the pot. Add the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Assemble the casserole. Transfer the broccoli and cauliflower mixture to a large baking dish (I use and love this one that’s pretty enough to go straight to the table). Sprinkle with more cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Top with more crumbled bacon.
- Bake until melty. Place the broccoli and cauliflower casserole in the oven, and bake until the cheeses on top melt. This doesn’t take very long!
My Recipe Tips
- You want the broccoli and cauliflower slightly undercooked at the boiling step. They will soften more when you bake the broccoli cauliflower casserole, so if you cook them to your ideal doneness in the beginning, they’ll be mushy after baking.
- If you want the cheese more browned, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end. I did do this step in these pictures, and I’d say it’s even a teeny bit darker than I’d recommend. But it was still amazing!
- Want to make it a meal? Add cooked (diced or shredded) chicken to add protein. I often use leftover baked chicken breast, but if you don’t have any, you can make my Instant Pot chicken pretty fast.
- Want it spicy? Sometimes I drizzle with buffalo sauce at the end (and my husband, who puts it on literally everything, always does). You can also combine diced baked buffalo chicken with the vegetables before baking.
Serving Ideas
Looking for some main dishes to serve alongside this creamy broccoli cauliflower cheese casserole? Here are my go-to choices:
- Chicken – You can add cooked chicken to the casserole (see my tips above), which is my fave to have a meal in one dish. For something separate, try my pan seared chicken breasts or peri peri chicken.
- Seafood – I think the creamy texture in this cheesy broccoli cauliflower casserole pairs perfectly with my garlic butter shrimp or broiled salmon.
- Steak – I like to air fry steaks or pan sear ribeyes while the casserole bakes.
- Pork – My tender pork steaks are excellent with this side dish, or get everything on the table in less than 30 minutes with my air fryer pork chops.
Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
This broccoli cauliflower casserole combines veggies, creamy sauce, cheese, and optional crispy bacon all in one pan. Easy comfort food!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (232 degrees C).
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Bring a large pot or Dutch oven of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cauliflower, and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes for small florets or 4-5 minutes for regular-sized florets, until crisp-tender. (You want them slightly undercooked, as they will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain and run cold water over the vegetables to prevent further cooking. Pat dry.
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In the same pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
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Add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the chicken broth.
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Turn off the heat, and add the broccoli and cauliflower florets to the pot. Add 1 cup each of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and 6 slices of crumbled bacon (if using). Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix again.
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Transfer the mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 3 slices crumbled bacon (if using).
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Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot. If you want the cheese more browned, broil for 2-3 minutes.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you avoid mushy vegetables, add protein to make this dish a full meal, and a spicy variation.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: You can cut and blanch the veggies in advane and refrigerate, but I prefer to assemble the entire casserole ahead of time. That way I can just pop it in the oven the day-of!
- Reheat: Place it back in the oven (this time at 350 degrees F) for 15-20 minutes, or microwave individual portions for lunch.
- Freeze: You can freeze cauliflower broccoli casserole before or after baking it. (I’ve done both ways!) Let it come to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Note on nutrition info: The optional bacon is not included. You can add it on to re-calculate the macros in my Wholesome Yum App by using the “customize recipe” feature!
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
More Cheesy Vegetable Casserole Recipes
I have a weak spot for cheesy veggie casseroles like this one, partly because I love cheese and partly because my kids like them. Try some of my family’s other favorites next:
39 Comments
Jeff
1I’ve really enjoyed this recipe. It’s a great addition to any meal (I serve it as a side dish), and no one is the wiser it is low carb. It is key to control moisture in final product, especially if tweaking the ingredients, but it is very easy to figure out.
Jessica
1I really love all the ingredients you use in the recipe, I didn’t have cream cheese, but I did use heavy whipping cream in it’s place, I liked both. I have also used frozen vegies when I don’t have time to cut up and blanch. I just made sure that vegies were drained well or it would be watery.
Laura Morland
1The recipe was great. I added chicken. It does take a while to cut up cauliflower and broccoli
Rachel
0Could frozen broccoli and cauliflower be used instead of fresh?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachel, Yes, feel free to use frozen.
Nikki
0This was a wonderful game changer for the Keto diet. The kids even enjoyed it.
Wholesome Yum D
0That’s amazing to hear, Nikki! I love when a keto recipe wins over the kids too, sounds like this one’s a keeper. Thanks for giving it a try!
Jody
0Do you think using vegetable instead of chicken broth will still produce a tasty morsel? I’m making one 9×13 for the omnivores and one for the herbivores. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jody, Absolutely, feel free to make this with vegetable broth.
Jody
0Do you have a recommended weight for the broccoli and the cauliflower to keep the ratios perfect given the other recipe amounts? “Bunch” and “head” are subjective and I need this to come out as perfectly as possible for Thanksgiving. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jody, This recipe is pretty flexible with the exact amounts, but on average it’s about 4 cups of broccoli and 4 cups of cauliflower, 8 cups total. Hope this helps.
Sherry Showalter
0I mixed in 5 broiled chicken thighs and it was great!
Wholesome Yum D
0Love that, Sherry! Mixing in broiled chicken thighs sounds like a perfect way to make it more hearty, so glad it turned out great!
Kristina
0This is an amazing recipe, although I did tweak it just a bit. It has such fantastic flavor and I really enjoy it as a leftover lunch.
I don’t eat pork so I used two diced Italian seasoned chicken breasts (~1 lb) to make it a meal instead of a side dish. Because I was adding quite a bit more product I added an additional 2 ounces of cream cheese for a total of 10 ounces. I did broil the dish for a few minutes at the end of baking, giving the cheese a lovely, browned appearance. Other than that I made it as written. The sauce was the perfect thickness and the flavor is pretty nuanced, possibly due to the Italian seasoning used on the chicken. I used bagged broccoli and cauliflower florets from Costco, which did help the preparation to go much faster than it would have otherwise.
It’s a fantastic dish that assembled fairly quickly and I will be making this often.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Kristina! Chicken breast is a great addition to this dish. I’m happy you liked it!
Dana
0This is a delicious casserole! All heads of cauliflower are different, so a measurement might be helpful. I used vegetable broth and no bacon (vegetarian) and added some red pepper flakes. Next time, I will use a thickener (agar agar, xanthan gum) for cream sauce. It warmed up nicely in the air fryer and was good for days. Thanks for your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Dana! This recipe is pretty flexible so should work with most heads of cauliflower, but I’d say it’s about 4 cups of florets on average. My sauce is usually thick enough from the cheeses, but can also thicken it further with more cream cheese or more shredded cheese next time if you prefer it thicker.
Dana Juergens
0Yummy and cheesy!! I added 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Next time I will add some thickener (xantham gum, agar agar) to the cream sauce. It is quite runny in final product. I also will probably cook longer than 10 minutes and it took me 6 minutes to brown when broiling. Yummy, thanks for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Dana! Red pepper flakes are a reat addition for a little heat. While you can add a thickener if you really want to, the sauce should be thick without any thickener (as you can see in my pictures). Was it thin from the start when you mixed it, or did it become watery after baking? If it was after baking, most likely your florets needed to pre-cook a bit longer so they don’t release much water into the casserole during baking. Hope this helps for next time!
Patti Rashid
0I used Gouda, Swiss and Cheddar along with diced ham. Also put a couple teaspoons of chicken bouillon in the water while boiling the cauliflower and broccoli, just cut out the salt. This recipe is definitely a keeper, as most of yours are!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Patti! Your variation sounds delicious.
Marla Johnson
0My family loved this! It was delicious. I used Gouda, Swiss, and sharp cheddar cheese. This recipe is a keeper.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad your family loved it, Marla! That combo of cheeses sounds great.
Jeff
0Overall I thought this was good, though must comment I wouldn’t recommend anything other than Alfredo style. Alfredo embraces the crust for what it is – chicken! I’ve tried other toppings, such as pepperoni, but honestly that just didn’t work.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jeff, Which recipe are you referring to? This broccoli cauliflower casserole doesn’t have a crust. Maybe my chicken crust pizza?
Virginia Wedemeyer
0Easy and delicious ?
Heather
0Can I replace the cream cheese with something like yogurt?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Heather, I have never tried that substitution in this recipe, so I’m not sure. Please let me know how it turns out if you do!
Lily
0Found my new comfort food with this broccoli cauliflower casserole! One pot wonders are my favorite, and this dish is not only yummy but super easy to make. Can’t wait to share the love (and the recipe) with my mommy friends – they’re going to thank me for this one!
trisha
0When broccoli becomes a comfort food, that’s winning! Made this over the weekend and the entire family gobbled it it — we will be making again for Thanksgiving. Thanks
Jess
0A delight to my taste buds! The broccoli and cauliflower were cooked to perfection, and the cheese sauce was creamy and flavorful.
Monica
0OMG! This casserole was SO delicious. The combination of flavors and all of that amazing cheese was to die for. I am adding this to our Thanksgiving menu!
Lucy
0Made this for a potluck, and it was a hit! Creamy, cheesy, and the perfect comfort food. Plus, it’s so simple to put together.
Rosa
0Not sure why I don’t eat cauliflower more often. I absolutely loved it in this casserole. At my house we are always generous with the bacon.
Valerie
0Will try new 3 day meal plan tomorrow.
Louise Hadsell
0At what point can I freeze the Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole? Before cooking or after? Or not at all? I want to bring this to my daughters home for Thanksgiving.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Louise, You could do it either way. If you’re intentionally making it ahead, I would freeze before baking.
AUDREY KENNEDY
0I haven’t made this yet but I’ll be putting it on my holiday menu! Planning on adding some macaroni noodles and pairing with baked turkey wings and asparagus.
Isabell
0Hello Maya! This looks great. I am always very happy about new keto friendly recipes. Thank you very much! Greetings, Isabell