A few years ago I went to a coworker’s Friendsgiving celebration and discovered something magical: broccoli cheese casserole.
He said his family always made it as a side dish for Thanksgiving, and he had been eating it for holidays for decades.
I had, of course, heard of broccoli cheese casserole before, but not as a Thanksgiving side dish staple. If you think about it, it checks all the boxes: unhealthy side dish, cheesy, tasty, carb-based.
The broccoli cheese casserole my coworker grew up on also included rice and Ritz crackers, but I think a lot of people who make it tend to make it with just cheese and broccoli.
SEE RELATED: Tater Tot Topped Green Bean Casserole
This version is a little like that. There’s no rice or Ritz, but there’s a few additional ingredients that take it up a notch: French fried onions and French onion dip.
It’s like if a broccoli cheese casserole met a green bean casserole and had a baby. And it tastes just as good as it sounds!
Choosing Your Broccoli
I used frozen broccoli florets for this recipe, I just made sure to cook them in the microwave first.
If you use frozen broccoli, make sure of two things.
First, the broccoli needs to be FLORETS and not CUTS. Florets are like the little trees. Broccoli cuts tend to have more plain cut versions of the stalks.
Seconds, pre-cook the broccoli. You do not want to make this casserole with frozen broccoli mixed into it.
You can avoid all of this by using fresh broccoli, though. Cut the broccoli into florets and parboil for just a few minutes, to make it slightly tender going into the oven.
SEE RELATED: Classic Broccoli Salad
French Onion Dip Choices
I’m very particular about my French dip. I like it to be extra onion-y but I don’t like big pieces of onion in it.
There are two French onion dips that are my favorites: Daisy’s and Heluva Good Dip.
I’ve only tried Heluva Good Dip in this recipe and it came out perfect. It’s savory, tangy, and slightly sweet from the onions.
SEE RELATED: French Onion Potatoes
The dip also pairs perfectly with the French fried onions in this recipe. All together, it makes one heluva good side dish for Thanksgiving.
Enjoy!
French Onion Broccoli Cheese Casserole
A savory, cheesy and delectable broccoli cheese casserole with French onion dip and French fried onions.
Ingredients
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small 9×9″ baking dish.
- Cook broccoli in microwave according to package instructions. Once cooked, pour into a large bowl.
- Add soup, dip, garlic powder, 1 cup of the cheese and half the French fried onions. Stir until well combined.
- Spread broccoli mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from onion, top with remaining half a cup cheese and French fried onions. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.
