Paula Deen Cheesy Broccoli Bake wraps fresh broccoli in a melted processed cheese and mushroom soup sauce, then tops it with grated cheddar. It takes 50 minutes and feeds 8. Bring it to your next church supper or holiday table. In the South, broccoli earns its spot when it comes out of the oven covered in cheese.
The cheese sauce decides everything. Paula melts processed cheese into cream of mushroom soup over low heat, and that low heat matters. Go too fast and the cheese turns grainy and breaks. Keep it slow, stir it steady, and you get a smooth sauce that coats every floret instead of pooling at the bottom of the dish.
Steam the broccoli just until it turns bright green. It bakes for another 20 minutes, so oversteaming turns it to mush in the oven. You can sauté the vegetables and make the sauce ahead of time. Assemble and bake right before serving.
Paula Deen Cheesy Broccoli Bake
Course: Side DishCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes40
minutes315
kcalSteamed fresh broccoli tossed with sautéed mushrooms, celery, and onion, coated in a melted processed cheese and cream of mushroom soup sauce, then baked until bubbly and finished with grated cheddar.
Ingredients
1/2 lb softened processed cheese
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 lbs trimmed and cut up fresh broccoli
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Steam and sauté: Steam broccoli for 10 minutes. In the meantime, sauté celery, mushrooms, and onion in butter for 10 minutes; drain.
- Combine: Combine broccoli, sauté mixture and water chestnuts. Heat soup and softened cheese product in saucepan over low heat until cheese melts. Pour over broccoli mixture. Add garlic salt and pepper and combine.
- Bake: Place in greased casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle top with grated cheddar cheese the last 5 minutes of baking.
FAQs
Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?
You can, but thaw it first and squeeze out as much water as possible. Extra moisture thins the cheese sauce and makes the bottom of the dish watery. Fresh broccoli holds its shape better after baking.
How long does this keep in the fridge?
It stores well for 3 to 4 days in a covered container. Reheat it in the oven at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. The microwave works but the cheddar topping loses its crispness.
Can I assemble this ahead of time and bake it later?
Put the whole dish together, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add about 10 extra minutes of bake time since it goes in cold. Save the cheddar topping for the last 5 minutes, same as the original recipe says.
What can I use instead of processed cheese?
Cream cheese mixed with a splash of milk gets you close to the same texture. Sharp cheddar melts fine but makes the sauce less creamy. The processed cheese is what holds it all together, so any swap changes the consistency.
Why add the cheddar only in the last 5 minutes?
Cheddar burns fast under direct heat. Put it on too early and the top gets hard and oily instead of melted and golden. Five minutes is just enough time to melt it and get a light brown edge.
