Christmas is almost here, and along with present-opening, stocking-stuffing, and entire days spent in footie pajamas comes hours and hours of baking and cooking to shower friends and family with a whole lot of holiday lovin’. There is nothing I love more than baking up gifts for everyone I love, and then sharing a wonderful meal with my family on Christmas. I LOVE living in the kitchen around the holidays. Even when my “home sweet home” is 75 degrees and sunny in Southern California, all-day-every-day cooking and baking is an absolute must.
I’m not going to lie. The Honeybaked ham is always the star of our Christmas meal. (It’s a HAM. Covered in SUGAR. Need I say more?) But since the sides & desserts are always my favorite things to cook anyways, that is perfectly fine with me. This year, I’m bringing back some of my favorite warm and homey side dishes, the kind that only feel right eating at the holidays. One of my absolute favorites, and a holiday staple of the past few years, is Brad’s mom Kathy’s cheesy broccoli casserole. She’s a fantastic cook and always makes the best food, and this casserole is absolutely no exception. It’s exactly what you want in a holiday vegetable dish, packed with cheesy goodness and a buttery Ritz cracker topping that I could eat with a spoon (not saying I’ve ever done anything like that…). I’ve changed it up slightly from the original recipe, mostly just because I’m not a Velveeta fan (crazy, I know), but don’t worry – there’s still a whole stick of butter, a sleeve of Ritz crackers, and a cheddar cheese sauce to distract you from the fact that you’re eating, you know, vegetables.
Nothing makes me happier than continuing family traditions, and I am so doubly happy that I get to continue Brad’s side as well as my own! After all, that’s what the holidays are all about – mixing, matching, loving, and eating. I’ve published both Kathy’s original version and my ever-so-slightly modified version below, so you can choose for yourself based on Velveeta preference. I assure you both are fantastic and would be the perfect creamy-cheesy-crunchy addition to your Christmas table.
- Florets from 2 large heads of broccoli (you could also use two 10 oz. boxes of frozen chopped broccoli)
- ½ lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 2 sticks of butter, 1 cubed
- ¼ lb. Ritz crackers, crushed (1 stack from a box)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Steam fresh broccoli for just a few minutes – it should still be very crisp. Meanwhile, melt one stick of butter and add to a bowl with the Ritz crackers; mix to combine.
- Spread ½ of the cracker mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then add the broccoli, then dot with the Velveeta and butter cubes and top with the remaining cracker mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melty. Enjoy!
- Don't overcook the broccoli in the first step - remember, you have to bake it too!
- Florets from 2 large heads of broccoli (you could also use two 10 oz. boxes of frozen chopped broccoli)
- 1 ½ cups fat-free milk
- 2 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup fat-free cream cheese, softened slightly
- 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
- 1 stick of butter
- ¼ lb. Ritz crackers, crushed (1 stack from a box)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Steam fresh broccoli for just a few minutes – it should still be very crisp. Meanwhile, melt the butter and add to a bowl with the Ritz crackers; mix to combine.
- Make the cheese sauce by combining the milk, flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the cheddar cheese and cream cheese; stir to combine. Finally, add the mayonnaise and mix well.
- Spread ½ of the cracker mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then add the broccoli. Pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and finish by sprinkling the remaining cracker mixture over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melty. Enjoy!
- Cheese sauce adapted from Cooking Light: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-broccoli-casserole-10000001206186/.
- Don't overcook the broccoli in the first step - remember, you have to bake it too!
