Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Bake is a side dish of lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets layered with a creamy sauce of butter, onion, garlic, broth and cream cheese, plenty of melted Monterey Jack, and a buttery breadcrumb top. It bakes at 375°F until the cheese bubbles and the crumbs turn golden. It serves 8 and takes about 40 minutes.
How to make it: Steam the florets for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the broccoli turns bright green. Make a quick sauce: soften onion and garlic in butter, whisk in flour and broth until thick, then melt in cream cheese and seasonings. Layer the vegetables, sauce and cheese twice in a casserole dish, top with buttered breadcrumbs and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and 165°F in the center.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two vegetables, one dish: broccoli and cauliflower baked together in a cheesy sauce.
- A creamy, flavorful sauce: cream cheese, broth, onion and garlic, not just cheese.
- A crunchy top: buttered seasoned breadcrumbs bake up golden.
- Feeds a crowd: 8 servings, ready for a weeknight or a holiday table.
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli and cauliflower: 1 large head of broccoli and 1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets with the thick stalks cut off.
Butter: 6 tablespoons for the sauce and 1 tablespoon, melted, for the breadcrumb topping.
Onion and garlic: half a medium onion, diced, and 2 cloves of garlic, minced, flavor the sauce.
Flour and broth: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth make the base of the sauce. Because of the broth, this side isn’t vegetarian.
Cream cheese: 4 ounces at room temperature, so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
Seasonings: a little salt and seasoned salt, ground black pepper, and paprika, with extra paprika for sprinkling between the layers.
Cheese and crumbs: 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack and 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli, broken into small florets
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 6 tablespoons butter, for the sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted, for the topping
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
How to Make Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Bake
1. Prep the vegetables. Heat the oven to 375°F. Break the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, cutting off the thick stalks as you go.
2. Steam the florets. Steam the florets for 3 to 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Take them off the heat and set them aside.
3. Start the sauce. In a large skillet, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Thicken the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the top, whisk to combine and cook for 45 seconds more. Pour in the broth, whisking constantly, then cook until the sauce thickens.
5. Melt in the cream cheese. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream cheese, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and paprika. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then keep it warm.
6. Mix the topping. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
7. Layer the dish. Layer half the broccoli and cauliflower in a casserole dish. Pour on half of the cream sauce, then sprinkle on half the cheese and a little paprika. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, sauce and cheese, and finish with the breadcrumbs.
8. Bake until bubbly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the center reaches 165°F. Serve warm.
Do You Need to Cook the Broccoli and Cauliflower First?
A short precook is best. Steaming the florets for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the broccoli turns bright green, gives them a head start so they’re tender by the time the cheese melts and the top browns. Boiling works too: 3 to 5 minutes in a few inches of simmering water, until a fork slides in easily, then drain well.
Don’t overdo it. Florets cooked too long before baking turn mushy in the oven. You can bake raw florets instead, but then the dish needs a longer covered bake to soften them.
Once the vegetables are par-cooked, the oven’s job is to melt the cheese, bubble the sauce and brown the crumbs. Check the center with a food thermometer; casseroles should reach 165°F.
Common Mistakes
- Overcooking the florets: keep the precook short so they don’t go mushy.
- Leaving water in the pot: if you boil instead of steam, drain the florets well.
- Adding cold cream cheese: room-temperature cream cheese melts into a smooth sauce.
- Skipping the taste test: season the sauce before it goes on the vegetables.
- Judging by the bubbles alone: use a thermometer for 165°F in the center.
What Seasoning Goes with Broccoli and Cauliflower?
Garlic and onion are the base here, with paprika, black pepper and two kinds of salt. Other good choices are garlic powder, a little mustard, a pinch of oregano, or cayenne for heat.
Variations
- Quicker cream cheese version: skip the roux; stir softened cream cheese with garlic powder, salt, pepper and a little shredded cheese, fold in the steamed florets and bake until bubbling.
- A little heat: sprinkle a seeded, minced jalapeño over the top or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Panko topping: use panko mixed with a little olive oil in place of the buttered breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan: sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top before baking.
- Crispier top: broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end, watching closely.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: It can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, but cream sauces don’t freeze well and may separate. Thaw it in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
This cheesy side goes with almost any main. For a holiday table, serve it with slow cooker turkey breast or 5-ingredient slow cooker ham steaks. On a weeknight, pair it with Parmesan meatloaf, smothered baked pork chops or a slow cooker whole roast chicken.
For more broccoli and cheese, try broccoli cheddar stuffed chicken breasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to cook the broccoli and cauliflower before baking?
A short steam of 3 to 4 minutes helps them turn out tender. Don’t cook them longer or they’ll get mushy in the oven.
What is the best seasoning for broccoli and cauliflower?
Garlic and onion with paprika, pepper and seasoned salt work well here; garlic powder, mustard or a little cayenne are good too.
How do I bake broccoli and cauliflower cheese?
Layer steamed florets with the cream cheese sauce and Monterey Jack, top with buttered breadcrumbs and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly.
What are common mistakes when baking cauliflower?
Overcooking it before it goes in the oven, not draining it well and judging doneness by looks instead of a thermometer.
Is this side vegetarian?
No, the sauce is made with chicken broth.
Final Notes
Steam the florets briefly, make the sauce smooth and let the oven do the rest. If you try it with a jalapeño on top, tell me in the comments how much heat you liked.
Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Bake
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Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli broken into small florets, thick stalks cut off
- 1 head cauliflower broken into small florets, thick stalks cut off
- 6 tablespoons butter for the sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter melted, for the topping
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika plus more for sprinkling
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese grated, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Break the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, cutting off the thick stalks as you go.
- Steam the florets for 3 to 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Take them off the heat and set them aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top, whisk to combine and cook for 45 seconds more. Pour in the broth, whisking constantly, then cook until the sauce thickens.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cream cheese, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and paprika. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then keep it warm.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Layer half the broccoli and cauliflower in a casserole dish. Pour on half of the cream sauce, then sprinkle on half the cheese and a little paprika. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, sauce and cheese, and finish with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the center reaches 165°F. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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