Thanksgiving looks a little different than it did in my childhood. I’m the one hosting now—setting the table, wrangling the casseroles, and making sure the sweet tea is just right. It’s a role I’ve grown into with pride, and Broccoli Casserole has earned its permanent spot on my holiday menu.
I didn’t grow up loving it, but somewhere in my teenage years, I realized that cheesy broccoli topped with buttery Ritz crackers is hard to resist. Now it’s one of those dishes that gets requested year after year. It travels well, reheats beautifully, and brings just the right kind of comfort to a crowded table full of stories.
There are many broccoli casserole recipes out there, but this one is my go-to. I’ve seen in it in many of the vintage “church” cookbooks that I collect. I’ve updated the ingredients list to reflect that you can no longer buy those BirdsEye boxes of frozen chopped broccoli!
Broccoli Casserole
You’ll need:
4 to 5 cups of chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained well. (If using bags, that’s roughly two 12 oz bags.)*
8 oz Velveeta Cheese product
1 stick of butter
24 Ritz crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan with a spray of cooking spray.
Cook broccoli and drain it well. I cook mine in the microwave in a glass measuring bowl, then drain as much water from it as I can. This is key as watery broccoli will make your casserole runny. Spread broccoli evenly in your pan.
Then melt the Velveeta and half the butter together. I usually do this on the stove top, putting the butter in first then adding the cheese once the butter has started melting. This year though, the burners were all taken so I just melted the cheese and butter in the microwave using the same glass bowl that I heated the broccoli in.
Add the melted cheese and butter to the broccoli and stir gently to mix it up. Then melt the remaining butter and mix it with your crushed Ritz crackers. Spread this on top of your cheesy broccoli.
Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly.
This casserole travels well which makes it great for potlucks. It also reheats well and it is an awesome leftover. If there is any left over, that is!
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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From the heart and from the holler,
Minda