My easy baked broccoli and cheese recipe is the side dish to make when want all the flavor without the effort. Fresh broccoli gets roasted until tender-crisp, then topped with melty cheddar cheese and toasty breadcrumbs for crunch. One pan, minimal effort, and big on taste.
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Easy Peasy Baked Broccoli and Cheese Recipe
Fresh broccoli tossed with toasted breadcrumbs, garlic, and gooey, melted cheese makes this on of my easiest side dish ideas effortless enough for a weeknight dinner, but also a shining star among a holiday spread.
While the taste makes cheesy baked broccoli a winner, an added bonus is how fast and easy it is to throw together. Everything is tossed together in one pan and on the table in less than 20 minutes.
You can adapt roasted broccoli and cheese to what you have on hand and preferred tastes. Love garlic? Throw in more or sprinkle on some garlic powder. Have parmesan on hand? Swap it out for the cheddar.
If you’d like to make broccoli with cheese without the breadcrumbs, that’s an option too. Leave them off or sprinkle with another toasty, crunchy alternative, like crushed pork rinds or cracker crumbs.
Baked broccoli with cheese is what our family makes on repeat, right up there with golden roasted zucchini or simple grilled red potato packets. It’s what I make when I don’t want to cook!
Make Breadcrumbs Fast
If you don’t have bread crumbs on hand, no worries. Do you have regular or gluten-free bread slices? Then you can still make this.
First, toast two bread slices until very dry, but not burnt. You can use leftover bread heels, stale bread, or even homemade bread failures in a freezer bag. Cool and then place in a food processor, or even a blender, until crumbled. That’s it!
Want to make this in an air fryer? You can be enjoying cheesy broccoli even faster. Make sure everything lays in a single layer to get that roasted veggie flair. Air fry at 400℉ for about 7-10 minutes, adding the cheese the last minute.
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20 Minute Baked Broccoli and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli, washed, patted dry, and cut into spears
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF. Spread 1 tablespoon olive oil on baking sheet.1 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the broccoli, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Drizzle with additional tablespoon of olive oil and toss to combine.2 pounds fresh broccoli, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Spread broccoli in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove from oven and use a spatula to bring broccoli together to the middle of the pan. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Return to oven for 5 minutes and serve immediately.¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup breadcrumbs
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Can you use frozen broccoli?
Hi Christina,
No I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Sorry 🙁
Best,
Melissa