Broccoli cauliflower cheese casserole is one of my favourite comfort foods in the cooler months.
The combination of vegetables all snuggled up in a cheese white sauce is so delicious and easy to do.
Perfect as a side dish with meat or poultry and delicious as a meal on its own.
Best of all it's a great way of tempting kids to eat their veggies and some grown ups too!
Bon Appétit!
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Why you will love this dish
- great way of getting people to eat their veggies - who can resist cheese?
- once you have made the sauce there are so many ways to use it in your meals
Cauliflower cheese bake is a dish I grew up with. I have never been a fan of plain boiled vegetables, but the addition of this creamy cheesy sauce used to win me over every time!
I still make the original dish and serve it with roast chicken or pork normally, but I do like to add broccoli too. It compliments the flavour of the cauliflower and you need to have something green on your plate of course too.
What are the ingredients?
I've used a small head of broccoli and cauliflower but you could easily use more or less of one or the other. It's really delicious with just broccoli or cauliflower if you prefer.
For the cheese sauce you will need butter, all purpose flour, milk and cheddar cheese. For extra flavouring I've used nutmeg, pepper and freshly snipped chives.
How to make broccoli cauliflower cheese casserole
Break the broccoli and cauliflower into florets of an even size. You can even trim and use the stalks as well rather than throwing them away. However, in my house, my dogs see the stalks as their treats so they always have them!
Boil or steam for about 5-10 minutes until just tender then leave to drain while you make the sauce. The cauliflower may take slightly longer than the broccoli.
When the sauce is made arrange the florets in a casserole dish.
How to make a cheese white sauce
In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat until foaming.
Tip in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
It should appear as a smooth paste.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add half of the milk, stirring to combine.
Return the pan to the heat and stir in the remaining milk. Stir constantly and bring to the boil. The sauce will thicken at this point.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, stirring for a further couple of minutes.
Stir in most of the cheese, then turn off the heat and stir until the cheese has completely melted.
At this point stir in two thirds of the chives, black pepper and nutmeg and check the taste. Add salt if necessary.
Pour the sauce over the florets and top with the remaining cheese and chives.
I like to put this in the oven at 200C/180 FAN/400F/Gas6 for about 10 minutes or under a hot grill if you like the cheese crispy.
Serve this broccoli and cauliflower cheese bake with baked chicken thighs, grilled pork chops or your favourite roast!
Recipe FAQs
This white sauce has many uses.
It's used plain as the topping for a lasagne.
Add parsley and use for sauce for ham, fish or chicken.
Add your favourite cheeses and mix with cooked macaroni for mac and cheese.
A béchamel sauce is one of the French mother sauces and is basically the same as a white sauce.
Often, the milk is heated first and infused with a bay leaf and peppercorns for extra flavour.
When cheese is added, as in this broccoli cheese casserole, the béchamel sauce becomes a mornay sauce.
You can prepare this dish for baking in advance and cook for 30-40 minutes in the oven.
However, sometimes cooking the sauce this way with the vegetables can cause the sauce to split and become runny.
I prefer to prepare the sauce and vegetables and keep separate in the fridge.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in the oven and in the meantime reheat the sauce until smooth. Remove the foil and drain any liquid then pour over the sauce and heat until piping hot.
Although you can reheat this dish if you have prepared and cooked it the same day, the sauce texture is not as good.
Top tips
- when you are boiling the vegetables be sure to let them drain properly or else water will leech into the sauce
- if you are worried about any lumps developing in the sauce, remove from the heat immediately and beat the sauce vigorously with a wooden spoon or even a balloon whisk
- don't be tempted to add salt to the sauce before the cheese as cheddar is naturally quite salty
More recipes using a white sauce to try
📋 Recipe
Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
Equipment
- saucepan
- wooden spoon
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 350 g broccoli florets
- 350 g cauliflower florets
- 50 g butter
- 50 g flour
- 500 ml milk
- 130 g cheddar grated
- 3 tablespoon chives fresh and chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg grated
Instructions
- Break the broccoli and cauliflower into florets and boil or steam for about 5-10 minutes. Leave to drain then arrange the florets in a casserole dish.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan until foaming then tip in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add half of the milk, stirring to combine.
- Return the pan to the heat and stir in the remaining milk. Stir constantly and bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook stirring for a further couple of minutes.
- Stir in most of the cheese then turn off the heat and stir until the cheese has completely melted.
- Stir in two thirds of the chives black pepper and nutmeg and check the seasoning.
- Pour the sauce over the florets and top with the remaining cheese and chives.
- Bake in the oven at 200C/180 FAN/400F/Gas6 for about 10 minutes or under a hot grill if you like the cheese crispy.
Notes
- when you are boiling the vegetables be sure to let them drain properly or else water will leech into the sauce
- if you are worried about any lumps developing in the sauce, remove from the heat immediately and beat the sauce vigorously with a wooden spoon or even a balloon whisk
- don't be tempted to add salt to the sauce before the cheese as cheddar is naturally quite salty
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
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- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
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- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Amanda
Hi Caroline. This is not a dish you can freeze once assembled unfortunately. You can precook and open freeze the cauliflower and broccoli and also freeze the sauce separately. Defrost both overnight in the fridge then throughly drain the vegetables. Heat the sauce in a saucepan and whisk well, as it wil have likely separated. Then pour over the vegetables and grill for best results. These vegetables are really high in water and if you reheat a thawed casserole it will just be really watery. Hope this helps, Amanda
PuddiCat
Is it freezable? I’m guessing when fully constructed, freeze then & on day wanting to consume, defrost at room temperature then bake?
Chef Mimi
Yum. I don’t think you can go wrong with these wonderful ingredients!
Jesse
The creamy white sauce makes this SO yummy! Love it!
Rachna
I love the combination of broccoli and cauliflower. With that cheesy sauce, it's a winner recipe.
Elizabeth
I usually just have broc and cauliflower plain, so this recipe was a real treat! So creamy and comforting!
Michelle
This is proper comfort food! We love this as a side dish but to be honest, I would happily have this on its own for lunch, it's that good!
Claudia Lamascolo
what a delicious side dish after making broccoli and cauliflower this way I doubt I will ever want it any other way!
Jess
My kids literally go crazy when I make this. They love it! Such a good and easy side dish that is a total crowd-pleaser.
Dannii
This is one of my favourite side dishes. Perfect with a roast dinner.
Laura
This is a great side dish. So easy to make and it goes with everything.
Adrianne
Cheese and veggies, yes please! After the holidays, I need all of the vegetables I can get, yum, thanks!
Helen
This is one of my favourite ways to serve these veggies and your version looks terrific! Love the addition of chives to the sauce.