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
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. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat in the oven or microwave 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.
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.
Dear Kate and Cookie,
We found your site by accident yesterday, while searching for ‘healthy’ banana bread recipes. We baked yours, exactly to the recipe (save that we added chopped dried apricots along with pecans…) and it’s delicious and beautifully attractive too! I signed up for your emails and now saw the broccoli,cheddar and quinoa gratin, which I will try. Your website and meals are inspirational, professionally presented and the photos of little Cookie are gorgeous. I will recommend your site to my friends. It’s brilliant! All my gratitude, Catherine
Hi Catherine, thank you so much for your kind note. Delighted that you found my blog and enjoyed the banana bread! I hope you enjoy all of the others just as much. :)
Looks delicious! I love healthy meals.
Trying to eat healthier this year and love the look of a lot of your recipes. Going to try to do one a week :-) Can only rate it as it looks but it looks 5 out of 5
I hope you enjoy the recipes, Rose! You are in the right place. :)
This looks soooo good! Coming to my dinner table soon. BTW, your recipes are so approachable and no weird stuff. Lovin’ that!
Thank you, Kathryn! Hope you love this one. :)
Can’t wait to try this one! As a former Minnesotan, your “hot dish” comment cracked me up.
I’m glad! :)
I totally grew up with the Midwestern version of broccoli and cheddar casserole. Can’t wait to try this healthier option!
i have everything to make this right now! yay!
Hope you love it!
Awesome! I love this! When I was younger, I learnt a similar recipe from my friends mother who used to make a broccoli tofu gratin in mushroom with breadcrumbs and cheddar on top and serve with couscous or quinoa on the side! Will definitely try your version. PS- if you’re ever in England, go to Cheddar Gorge- home of the cheddar and some amazing samples to try and buy nom nom nom!
Now I want to go back to England and eat cheese! Hope you love my version. :)
Thank you for the perfect dinner on a cold, grey Monday after a hard day at work! Cheesy, garlicky, broccoli goodness :-) I have to confess I also stirred a little ricotta through mine because yay cheese ;-)
Yay cheese! Thanks, Jane! Glad you enjoyed it. You made it so quickly after I posted it! I’m impressed. :)
Oooh, ricotta. That sounds good!
This is SUCH a great idea, Kate! I recently learned the color thing about cheddar cheese, too, and was horrified that I was eating dyed cheese all along! The more you know. ;) And I’m pinning this because I know it’ll make a delicious, comforting meal for us one night this winter, even though, like you, casseroles aren’t our normal fare! Nice work!
Isn’t that funny? I guess they are usually dyed with annatto, which is natural, but I prefer my foods in their original color. :)
This looks delicious! I am always looking for new ways to use quinoa!
Kari
You somehow read my mind, Kate… I was just thinking about the broccoli casserole my aunt made decades ago but I definitely wanted to make a healthier version. Then voíla! Here it is! The addition of quinoa is brilliant and I can’t wait to make and taste this, both of which will be happening this week :-)
Many thanks for another great recipe and source of inspiration, and another darling picture of Cookie!
Marcia, it’s always so nice to hear from you. Hope you love my version!
Oh my God, this little puppy gnawing on a broccoli!! That is adorable.
Good yellow cheddars from Wisconsin and Vermont (and I’m sure other places) are actually “dyed” with extract from the annatto seed – so it’s an all-natural color :) Lovely recipe – pinned!
That’s good to know!
Mmm, this sounds like the perfect wintery, cheesy comfort food. Anything with roasted broccoli is a-ok in my book!
This dish sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to make it. Also I need to tell you how adorable Cookie looks gnawing on that broccoli stalk!!
Thank you, Joan! She really loves cruciferous veggies. Cracks me up.
I think I’ve made this recipe before! Its delicious…but I was totally distracted by the cuteness of Cookie!
She says hi!
SO much love for quinoa casseroles – and the whole broccoli + cheese thing is always a winning combination. Love this recipe!
Just made this for dinner and it is amazing!
Yay, thanks Leisha!
Cold winter days sometimes require casseroles, the cheesier the better. This looks like a brilliant compromise between my inner child and my outer adult.
Exactly!! Well said. :)
This looks like a big hot dish ;) of comforting yums!
This sounds delicious! Coming from a Midwesterner it’s nice to see a broccoli casserole that isn’t crazy unhealthy! :)
This looks like a perfect Sunday dinner! Have to give it a shot soon.
Hi, Kate. As always this looks like a great recipe!
I discovered something recently that might be obvious to everyone else, but maybe not so I thought I’d share. When I need vegetable broth for any recipe now, I just take 4 c of water, add in a handful of carrots, a couple of stalks of celery (including leaves), a half an onion and a clove of garlic and give it a spin on the whole juice setting of my Blendtec.
I realize this isn’t broth that’s been cooked for hours, but it smells great and is full of real, measurable (organic) vegetables. It’s very low sodium and you can always add salt if you need to. Plus it’s a great way to use up these veggies (and any others) that are a bit past their prime.
Susan
Hi Susan! You know, I never thought to try that. Really great idea! I’ll have to try it soon. Thank you for sharing.
Kate, this is exactly my kind of comfort food! I make a very lazy version of this dish with leftover quinoa and broccoli that gets a spin in the microwave with a sprinkle of cheese on top. Next time, I’m going to take a few more moments and make this gorgeous rendition. Hope you are feeling warmer breezes soon!
Thanks for bringing the casserole back in style that I truly want to make!
This has me very confused because cheddar is only white in the UK :-)
We have cheeses like Red Leicester and Double Gloucester which are cheddar like and they are orange.
This looks delicious, the addition of the quinoa is very interesting, I will have to try this.
It’s really hard to go wrong with the broccoli + quinoa + cheesy flavor combination. Looks awesome, Kate!
I love finding recipes that I already have all the ingredients for! Broccoli and cheddar are a favorite combo, thanks!
I made this last night but without breadcrumbs (I have no bread in the house) and loved it! It was easy to prepare and very yummy! Brought leftovers for lunch today. Will definitely make again. Thanks for all your great recipes!
I just made this without breadcrumbs too, but because I’m the odd woman out who doesn’t care for them in my casseroles. We happened to have red quinoa in our pantry, and the colors look great! Thanks for the recipe, Kate!
Broccoli, cheddar and quinoa is always a winning combination – this gratin sounds right up my street!
I love Broccoli Rice, and this is a great “healthier” version, thanks and keep ’em coming.
Hi Kate,
I’ve read your website for a while, and made loads of recipes and they always turn out great. Genuinely one of my favourite food blogs!
I’d love to make this one, but quinoa just doesn’t make me feel good. Is there a substitution that you’d recommend?
Thanks!
I’m making this now. Waiting on the quinoa to soak up remaining liquid. Hope it turns out as good as yours looks!
Love your recipies and your dog is absolutely adorable.
Thanks for the recipe. I had all ingredients on hand and it was easy to pull together. It tasted great and my toddler approved!
This looks and sounds amazing, yum!
Kate, Thank you for another winning recipe. The warming, cheesy, broccoli goodness is perfect while I wait for spring in western WA. I made extra quinoa which will go under my fried egg tomorrow morning, and the rest of the dish will be leftovers that I actually look forward to enjoying at the office all week. (note: I used pasteurized goat’s milk and it came out AMAZING). Thanks again!
such a healthy and mouth watering recipe, thank you for sharing
Made this recipe last night but with brussels and cauliflower (similar to your older recipe). It was SO delicious! Will likely go into the rotation here. Nutritious comfort food, ftw!
Hi Kate,
What can we substitute for cheese if we have to avoid cheese from our diet. do you suggest any substitutes?
This was SO GOOD! The whole family loved it! The only thing I’d do differently is probably double the bread crumbs and broccoli. Yummm. Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight and was delighted with the recipe. It’s a keeper for sure. I broke the cardinal rule and did not read through the whole recipe before starting. I thought the 3/4 t salt went on the broccoli prior to roasting (since it was listed under the broccoli) and later realized it went in the quiona. But nothing was ruined. I toss my vegetables for roasting with the oil in a bowl, just seems easier. And I also used a pot large enough to mix in the broccoli in the quiona pot instead of stirring it in the casserole, where I inevitably make a big, fat mess. I’m also not afraid to double the bread crumbs. Thank you, Kate for sharing your exquisite talents! My dogs love lettuce cores.
Do you think it would be good with heavy cream instead of low fat milk or would that make it too rich?
Love your blog by the way! Your GF chocolate chip cookies have been my name for a few years now. Hubby goes crazy over them (as do I)!
Absolutely loved it! Made it out of pure boredom looking for something healthy to cook and no regrets! Can’t wait to try some more of your delicious recipes :)
I just made this for lunch Kate, and my 17 year old son had two plates full. So amazing. Ive been recipe hunting/testing over the last year due to our family now being on a specialised diet. I’m happy to tell you that your blog continually provides amazingly tasty options for us. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Tanis
Toronto, ON
This was so good! My family loved it. I wish I added more broccoli though. Will definitely make again. It’s a keeper!
Ohhhh yes! That felt really indulgent and was a big hit in this house.
Oops. My rating didn’t go through. 5!
This looks delicious! I just bought some broccoli with no specific plan and this looks like the perfect thing to make. I just need to pick up some (white) cheddar :)
I made this and my co-worker and I downed this for lunch today! It was SO GOOD!! Will definitely make this again and again!