Super tasty broccoli potato casserole on the healthy side. It is a loaded bake with a light cheese sauce, and it has so much taste yet not that many calories. Perfect as a light main meal or as a side dish for other main courses.
This broccoli potato casserole is better than you can imagine! Really! You might think it's just potatoes, broccoli, and a low-fat sauce, but trust me, you will love it! It is just that good and will probably become a family favorite.
Try more delicious bakes: Spinach and Rice Casserole, Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake, or Meatball Potato Casserole.
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Why will you love this casserole?
Potatoes and broccoli are a perfect match. Whether they are mixed in a bake or a casserole, roasted on a baking sheet, or mixed in cream of broccoli and coconut soup, they are always a hit.
This is an excellent recipe for using broccoli stems. Many recipes (especially salads) only require fresh florets so you might get stuck with the stalks. Never throw them away! Make this wonderful potato broccoli bake (or a soup).
It's healthier than a cheesy potato casserole recipe, which usually is a tasty casserole using low-fat dairy products.
It makes a delicious main course or a comforting side dish for whole roast chicken, baked brats, sausages cooked from frozen, and many other dishes.
Kid-friendly: Like many other moms, I struggle to get my kids to eat vegetables. But a few weeks ago, my son brought home a book from kindergarten called "Bert – The Vegetable Goblin."
Bert was a talking broccoli floret who explained to a brother and sister why eating vegetables is important. By the end of the book, he convinced them to enjoy the broccoli casserole their mom had made. Happy ending!
My son, Bruno, loved the book so much that he suggested we make a broccoli casserole for lunch the next day. To my surprise, he ate his veggies without a fuss and even said he liked them a little bit. 🙂 It's a start!
His sister still refused to try the broccoli (she's only just 3, so the book's message was a bit lost on her). Still, she ate everything else on her plate after meticulously picking out every tiny piece of broccoli. This is a repost from 2015. Thankfully, my kids are less resistant to vegetables these days, so there's not much to complain about anymore.
Ingredients
Vegetables: Potatoes and broccoli. Use the stem as well. If you only have broccoli stem leftovers from making another dish, this casserole is a great way to use them.
- Frozen broccoli can also be used; there is no need to defrost it; add it to the pot 2-3 minutes earlier.
Dairy: Cream cheese, milk, and grated cheese. I use low-fat dairy for this potato broccoli casserole, but full-fat works, too - you likely won’t notice much difference. To top the casserole, use low-fat Gouda, Cheddar, or any cheese you enjoy for baking. Feel free to add extra cheese if you like; 125g (1 ½ cups) is a good amount, but more is fine too.
Other ingredients: Vegetable broth, flour, curry powder, chives (either fresh or frozen, but not dried), salt, and pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make a broccoli potato bake?
Prepare the vegetables
- Chop the potatoes and the stem into cubes. Divide the head of the broccoli into florets. (1,2)
- Precook vegetables. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt generously, then add the peeled and cubed potatoes. Cook them for 5 minutes. Add the chopped stem and florets and cook for 3-5 minutes; the broccoli should remain al dente. Drain well.
Make the sauce
- Warm the vegetable broth in a small saucepan and whisk in the cream cheese. (1,2)
- In a small bowl, mix milk and flour until smooth (3). Add to the cream cheese mixture and bring to a boil, whisking constantly; there should be no clumps in the sauce. (4)
- Add the chopped chives and adjust the taste generously with salt, black pepper, and curry powder. (5)
Assemble the casserole
- Place the veggies in a casserole dish of about 32x23 cm/ 12x9 inches. Distribute evenly at the bottom of the baking dish. (1)
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the baking dish. Add about ½ of the grated cheese and mix well. Top with the remaining cheese. (2)
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Good to know!
I use Gouda or Cheddar and recommend grating it for better melting. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt well, so you’ll miss out on that creamy texture. You can also use other good melting cheeses, like mozzarella and Parmesan, or any type you prefer.
Make ahead and store
You can cook the vegetables ahead of time, place them in the baking dish, and let them come to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. When it's time to bake, add the cheese mixture and bake, adding 5 to 10 extra minutes to the baking time.
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or oven before serving. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers, as potatoes tend to change texture when thawed.
You can also turn the leftovers into a soup. Place them in a pot, add enough vegetable or chicken stock to barely cover them, and slowly bring to a boil. Heat for about 5 minutes, then puree the soup with an immersion blender and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Healthier Broccoli Potato Casserole
Equipment
- Large pot for pre-cooking the vegetables
- Casserole dish 12x9 inches/ 32x23 cm
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 2 lbs broccoli Note 1
- 1¾ cups vegetable stock
- ⅔ cup low-fat cream cheese Note 2
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper more to taste
- ½ teaspoon curry powder more to taste
- 1 cup low-fat grated cheese Gouda or Cheddar (Note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Precook the vegetables: Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add some salt, and cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, divide the broccoli head into florets and chop the stem into cubes. Add to the potatoes and cook everything for another 5 minutes. Drain well and place the vegetables into the casserole dish.2 lbs potatoes/ 900 g + 2 lbs broccoli/ 900 g + salt
- Sauce: Warm the vegetable stock in a small pot, remove from the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until completely melted. In a small bowl, mix the milk and the flour until smooth, add it to the vegetable stock-cream cheese mixture and bring everything to a boil while stirring all the time. Remove from the heat, add the chives, salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste.1¾ cups vegetable stock/ 400 ml + ⅔ cup low-fat cream cheese/ 150 g +½ cup low-fat milk/ 125 ml + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon curry powder
- Bake casserole: Pour the sauce over the vegetables, sprinkle the casserole with the grated cheese, and bake for about 20 minutes until bubbling and golden.1 cup low-fat grated cheese/ 130 g
Notes
- Stems included. If you have leftover broccoli stems, use only the stems. Or use frozen broccoli.
- Use full-fat dairy products (cream cheese, cheese) if desired.
Debbie says
This is a delicious recipe. I’m wondering if it will freeze well?
Adina says
Hi Debbie, I am glad you liked it. I don't think it freezes too well. Technically, you can do it, but potatoes have an unpleasant consistency once thawed.
Paul Crowe says
Personally I liked this but the wife didn't like it as much. Kids liked it but wanted to know where the purple broccoli was! (Left at the allotment) I found out that kids tend to eat more veg if they help to harvest them.
Julie says
This is a wonderful recipe! I am very happy that I found it. I substituted about 1/3 tsp garlic powder for the curry to fit our tastes. It is nice to find such a delicious meal which includes potatoes and fresh broccoli.
Adina says
I am happy to hear it, Julie, we love this casserole too.
Tifah W says
Hi, I just tried this recipe. Is it supposed to still be runny or should I try cooking longer?
Adina says
The sauce is only lightly set; it remains a bit runny. See the pictures.
R. says
Have you ever tried simplifying it by not precooking the veggies? Or even putting all the ingredients into the casserole to see how well they might melt together in the oven rather than doing the sauce first on the stovetop? It would be nice to simplify with less steps up front, and have less cleanup needed afterwards...
I'd be very interested to know the results if you've tried either of these things, and what you found works best!
Adina says
Hi. I would not try to put the vegetable in the oven without precooking; the potatoes would take forever to cook. And I wouldn't just pour the sauce ingredients into the casserole dish without mixing them first, I am quite sure that the cream cheese and the flour will form a clumpy mess. Just try the recipe as it is, it's quite simple and really tasty.
R. says
@Adina,
Ok, thanks for the reply!!
Mandy J says
I wonder if I could substitute a "cream of (anything)" soup for the stovetop sauce? It would make this recipe even more simple! Have you ever tried this?
Adina says
Hi Mandy. Sorry, I have never tried that.
Nicky says
I have some asparagus to use - how do you recommend incorporating this into the recipe?
Adina says
Hi Nicky. I would cook the stems just as instructed, but only cook the tips of the asparagus for 1 or 2 minutes. I've never tried asparagus in this recipe though, I hope it goes well.
Adina says
Thank you, Simon. I hope you like it. 🙂
bristol plasterers says
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon