Aunt Betty’s Comfort Kitchen · Vegetables

Broccoli Casserole

A layered, no-fuss broccoli bake bound in cream-of-chicken soup, with sliced water chestnuts for crunch and a buttery crumb top. Everything goes in raw — no pre-cooking.

10 min prep 30 min bake

Spoon cost

Time ●●○○○ Anytime

Servingsamounts scale to match

Units

Ingredients

Thaw and dry the broccoli first. Frozen broccoli carries a lot of water, and a soup-bound casserole has nowhere for it to go — thaw it and pat it dry, or the dish turns watery. The water chestnuts are what keep it from going soft, so don't skip them.

Method

Cook's notes

Water chestnuts make it. They stay crisp through the bake and keep the casserole from turning into one soft texture — worth keeping a can on hand.

Drain well at every step: dry broccoli, drained water chestnuts. That's the difference between creamy and soupy.

A holiday-plate regular — it sits happily next to the turkey and stuffing.

Sharp cheddar gives the most flavor, but any melting cheese works.

Crushed Ritz or cracker crumbs make an even richer topping than bread crumbs.

Fresh broccoli? Steam or blanch it about 3 minutes and drain well before layering.

Easier, if you like

It's already the shortcut — frozen broccoli, canned soup, pre-shredded cheese, and a stir. Nothing here needs a knife.
Steam-in-bag broccoli (frozen aisle) skips the thawing and draining — microwave the bag, tip it into a colander, press out the water, and go.

Vegetarian and gluten-free with a soup swap

Vegetarian: use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in place of cream of chicken.

Gluten-free: use a gluten-free condensed soup and gluten-free crumbs (crushed GF crackers or cornflakes).