Cheesy Broccoli Ham Casserole – this casserole is made from scratch and filled with fresh, cooked broccoli and ham that are both tossed in a homemade cheddar cheese sauce. It is then topped with a buttery, parmesan cracker crumb topping that helps give this dish a crispy, flavorful spin!
Guaranteed to become a family favorite – especially with your little ones!
Perfect for leftover ham or even leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast.
CHEESY BROCCOLI HAM CASSEROLE
One way to guarantee that a child eats their vegetables is to have them served coated in a creamy, cheddar cheese sauce. Especially broccoli or cauliflower. Am I right? Even as adults, almost any vegetable is better smothered in cheese.
Not only will this casserole get your kids to eat their vegetables, but it is perfect for those busy days where you need something quick and simple to throw together for dinner.
What’s great about this dish is that it is versatile:
- If you don’t have broccoli on hand, cauliflower works good, too. Or a mixture of them both.
- Add in some peas or carrots for additional flavor, as well as increasing the vegetables present. Get a little creative!
- Ham can be swapped for leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken.
- This recipe calls for crushed oyster crackers, but saltines or butter crackers work, too.
- Use fresh (raw) or frozen broccoli.
NO CANNED SOUP NEEDED
Most creamy casserole dishes generally include a can of cream soup. Whether its cream of mushroom or cream of broccoli, you can guarantee its included in the recipe. Not this one! This Cheesy Broccoli Ham Casserole is super creamy and cheesy without the need or presence of canned soup. No Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken. The creamy, cheddar cheese sauce is homemade and comes together within 5 minutes in one pan.
Why use canned soup when you can easily make your own? Control what goes into your meals and avoid those sketchy ingredients you cannot begin to pronounce. I promise you won’t even miss it! Not when the creamy texture, as well as flavor, are both present with this cheddar cheese sauce. It’s also too easy to make for you to say no. So skip the excuses!
So long as you have butter, flour, half-n-half (or all milk), milk, as well as cheddar cheese, you may even get to skip a trip to the store. Win win in my book!
Although you can use frozen broccoli or cauliflower with this dish, I will always recommend using fresh over frozen to enjoy the true flavor and texture of the vegetables. It is so much better fresh – promise.
MORE EASY DISHES TO TRY
- Creamy Garlic Butter Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
- Super Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potato Bites
- Cucumber Avocado Corn Salad
- Easy One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
- One Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes
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Cheesy Broccoli Ham Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs broccoli, (cut into small, even florets)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup milk, (I used cashew)
- 1 cup half and half, (or more milk)
- 1/2 tsp salt, (more or less, to taste)
- 1/4 tsp pepper, (more or less, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz cubed ham
Topping:
- 1.5 cups oyster crackers, (or crackers of choice *SEE NOTES BELOW)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp butter, (melted)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the broccoli florets and cook for 10 minutes - or until fork tender.
- Place a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter to melt. Once melted, add the flour and stir to fully combine.
- Mix in milk and half and half. Whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly combined and no clumps remain.
- Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine.
- Fold in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
- Strain the broccoli and return it to the same pot. Pour cheese sauce over top and toss to coat.
- Pour into the prepared casserole dish and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Add the cubed ham in a layer and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a medium bowl, combine crushed crackers, melted butter, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle cracker topping over the casserole.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the topping is a deep golden and crispy.
