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This single serving Broccoli Casserole is made with tender broccoli, a rich homemade cheese sauce, and a buttery breadcrumb topping. It’s easy to make, full of flavor, and perfectly sized for one or two people.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Uses simple steps to deliver the same comforting flavors of a traditional broccoli casserole.
- Made from Scratch: No canned soup—this recipe uses real, wholesome ingredients and a rich homemade cheese sauce for better flavor and a creamier texture.
- Perfectly Portioned: Sized just right for one or two people.
I love this mini broccoli casserole because it’s everything comfort food should be—warm, creamy, and packed with real, fresh ingredients.
Every bite is filled with tender broccoli, rich, melty cheese, and a buttery, crispy topping. It’s the kind of dish that feels special without being complicated, and it’s just the right size to enjoy without anything going to waste.
Serve your broccoli casserole with a Cucumber Salad and French Bread, a Sirloin Steak, or Turkey Cutlet.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small Broccoli Casserole recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Broccoli: Use fresh or frozen broccoli. If using frozen, thaw and drain well. Leftover broccoli? Try it in Broccoli Salad, Beef and Broccoli, or Chicken Divan.
- Butter: Salted butter is used to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Onion and Garlic: These build flavor in the casserole—don’t skip them.
- Chicken Broth: I use low-sodium broth to better control the salt. If using regular broth, taste before adding more salt. Use leftover broth in Hashbrown Casserole, Smothered Pork Chops, or Chicken Marsala.
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (both have over 36% milk fat). It thickens the sauce as it simmers. Don’t use milk—it won’t thicken properly. Use leftover cream in Tuscan Chicken, Creamy Tomato Soup, or Banana Pudding.
- Sour Cream: Adds tang and creaminess. Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute. Extra sour cream? Use it in Mexican Street Corn Salad, Loaded Deviled Eggs, or Mini Devil’s Food Cake.
- Cheese: I recommend sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Shred your own for the best melt—pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that affect melting.
- Breadcrumb Topping: A mix of melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, and shredded cheddar adds a crispy, cheesy finish. Use extra breadcrumbs in Chicken Nuggets, Squash Casserole, or Crab Cakes.
Recipe Variations
This broccoli casserole is easy to customize. Here are a few simple ways to change it up:
- Add More Vegetables: Mix in mushrooms, bell peppers, or cauliflower for extra color and flavor.
- Add Protein: Stir in cooked chicken, ham, or tofu to make it more filling.
- Switch the Cheese: Try Gruyere, mozzarella, or blue cheese for a different flavor.
- Spice It Up: Add red pepper flakes to the sauce or sprinkle on top before baking.
- Change the Topping: Use crushed crackers, French fried onions, or sliced almonds instead of breadcrumbs.
- Make It Heartier: Stir in cooked quinoa, brown rice, or small pasta like orzo.
How To Make A Broccoli Casserole
These step-by-step instructions show how to make a single serving broccoli cheese casserole. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
Before You Begin: Set oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Blanch the Broccoli: Boil broccoli florets for 2 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain well and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Make Sauce: Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in heavy cream and continue simmering, stirring often, for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Finish Sauce: Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream, then Monterey Jack cheese. Gently fold in the broccoli.
- Assemble Casserole: Transfer mixture to a lightly buttered 5×5-inch baking dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Make Topping: In a bowl, mix melted butter, breadcrumbs, and shredded Cheddar.
- Bake: Sprinkle topping over casserole. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
- Rest: Let the casserole sit for 5–10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Expert Tips
- Prep Ahead: Read through the recipe and Ingredient Notes. Gather all ingredients before starting—this casserole comes together quickly.
- Blanch the Broccoli: Blanch florets briefly to ensure they’re tender and evenly cooked.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese: Grate your own cheese for a smoother, creamier sauce. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that can make the sauce grainy.
- Drain Frozen Broccoli Well: If using frozen broccoli, thaw and drain it completely to avoid a watery casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Assemble the casserole up to the baking step, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add the topping right before baking.
Absolutely! Double the ingredient amounts and bake the casserole in either two 5×5-inch baking dishes, one 6.5-inch square baking dish, or one 6×8-inch baking dish.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 15–20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small broccoli cheese casserole or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Broccoli Casserole For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter -divided
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ⅓ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Set oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Boil broccoli florets for 2 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain well and set aside.
- In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in heavy cream and continue simmering, stirring often, for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream, then Monterey Jack cheese. Gently fold in the broccoli.
- Transfer mixture to a lightly buttered 5×5-inch baking dish. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Make the Topping: In a bowl, melt ½ tablespoon of butter. Stir in breadcrumbs, and shredded Cheddar.
- Sprinkle topping over casserole. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
- Let the casserole sit for 5–10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Read through the recipe and Ingredient Notes. Gather all ingredients before starting—this casserole comes together quickly.
- Blanch the Broccoli: Blanch florets briefly to ensure they’re tender and evenly cooked.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese: Grate your own cheese for a smoother, creamier sauce. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that can make the sauce grainy.
- Drain Frozen Broccoli Well: If using frozen broccoli, thaw and drain it completely to avoid a watery casserole.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this last night, and the sauce was so thin it was more like soup. Was I supposed to add flour to the sauteed onions in order to make a roux before adding the chicken broth? That’s what I will do next time I make this, anyway.
Thank you for trying the recipe! No flour is needed for this sauce—heavy cream is the key thickener here. When heated and brought to a boil, the cream will naturally thicken. If the sauce didn’t thicken, it may not have been heated long enough. After adding the cheese and sour cream, it should become even thicker. The photos in steps 6 and 7 show how it should look. You might double-check that heavy cream was used, as that makes a big difference. I hope this helps for next time!
If you 2X the recipe do you use the same 5×5 pan or a larger (5×7 or 8×8?) pan?
Hi Anne, as mentioned in the FAQs, when doubling the recipe use either two 5×5-inch baking dishes, one 6.5-inch square baking dish, or one 6×8-inch baking dish.
I made this for the first time last night. I substituted smoked gouda for the Monterey jack cheese. Delicious! The single serving is probably enough for two meals for me, but it was so good, I had eaten over half before I started to even think of stopping.
I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you for your single serving recipes.
Just made this, and I give it a 5 for flavor and texture. Nice cheesiness, loved the crunch from the panko. I had a piece of leftover cooked chicken; cubed it and threw it in for a little more substance and extra protein. Cubed ham would have been good too.
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I have a couple of quibbles with the recipe. We apparently have different definitions of “prep time”. To me, that includes boiling the water for blanching, chopping the onion and garlic, grating the cheeses, trimming the florets, buttering the baking dish, etc. I’ve been cooking for about 70 years so I know about organizing, but my prep time, as I define it, was 38 minutes.
Another problem: the ingredients include 1 1/2 T butter, but you use it twice (to saute the onion and to mix in the topping) without specifying amounts. I winged it and it was fine, but a more timid cook might stumble over the omission.
And a suggestion: I selected a small broccoli crown, but still have a lot left unused. And since I used pieces of the florets, what is left is largely the stems and branches. They are not as attractive, but every bit as tasty. The broccoli is not highly visible in this dish; next time I will dice the blanched stem parts and save the (also blanched) prettier florets to add to a salad or another dish.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Nancy, thank you for your feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed the casserole. For our recipe testers and myself, it took us 10 minutes to prep – that was boiling water, blanching for 2 minutes, shredding cheese, chopping broccoli, etc. We understand that times for prep can vary in other households. As for the butter, thank you for catching that we did not provide specific amounts for both steps in the recipe. We have updated the recipe to include this information.
Terrific recipe.