This classic broccoli casserole, baked in the oven with a crunchy, buttery topping of crushed ritz crackers, is a mainstay at our Thanksgiving table. Our kids were raised on it. Our daughter Alli has made it her own personal Thanksgiving challenge to prepare each year, and our twin boys always hope there’ll be plenty for leftover feasting days beyond the day of thanks. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed! Goes great with Christmas Day roast as well, so we can always count on enjoying it at least twice a year…

Ingredients:

1/2 Stick of Butter
2 T Self Rising Flour
1 Stick Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Tillamook Colby, White or Medium Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Warmed Milk
3 Medium Heads of Broccoli
1 Large Sweet Onion, or 8-10 Fresh Pearl Onions
1 Tube Ritz Crackers with 1/4 Stick of Butter for Topping

Preparation:

  1. Cut broccoli and onion into bite size pieces as desired. Put into a steaming basket, salt lightly, and begin to steam while you proceed to steps #2 & #3.
  2. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan slowly, adding the self-rising flour stirred in to form a roux. Allow to brown slightly and season with Lawry’s Seasoning Salt with Black Pepper (or improvise).
  3. After roux has formed, with heat on low, add the cream cheese and warmed milk and stir, increasing heat slightly to melt and form the cheese sauce. After it begins to smooth, add the other cheeses and melt into a fondue like texture.
  4. After broccoli and onions have steamed to just tender (not mushy), drain and pour into a casserole dish, baking pan, or pyrex glass rectangle, with medium depth (about as a deep as a pie pan, which also works fine).
  5. Spread out the broccoli & onion mixture evenly and pour the cheese sauce over the veggies.
  6. Melt the remaining 1/4 stick of butter in the same saucepan (no need to wash) and add the tube of Ritz crackers which you can crush in the tube carefully. Mix well with the butter, toasting very slightly, but don’t toast too much.  Spread this Ritz topping on the casserole.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes until topping is toasted and dish is bubbly.