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Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Casserole with Garlic Butter Pretzels. A mix between the coziest bowl of broccoli cheddar soup and a savory biscuit-topped cobbler. This dish is creamy, filled with broccoli, and topped with salted pretzel rolls. Cook everything together in a big skillet, add cheese, and finish this off in the oven. Simple, but so delicious. The perfect weeknight casserole!
It’s really no secret, but wow, I love a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. Probably more so than chicken noodle. A creamy broccoli cheddar soup is hard to beat. I grew up loving Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. To this day, it really is my type of comfort food.
When fall rolls around, I always think back to what my family would eat when we lived in Cleveland.
It was a lot of chicken and rice, a lot of tacos, and every so often my mom would make her Sunday pot roast or casserole. But then sometimes on the weekend, mom and I would head to Panera for a warm bowl of soup.
Today’s casserole is a combination of two favorite “old school” comfort food dinners, soup and casserole.
On the bottom, we have an incredibly creamy broccoli cheddar soup with extra broccoli. And on the top, there are salty, addicting soft pretzel rolls.
Here are the details
Start with the pretzels. I used my basic soft pretzel dough, only I cut the recipe in half for a smaller portion. I also used instant yeast to ensure the process was speedy.
Start by mixing the dry ingredients with the wet, then let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the broccoli soup.
Start with the basics. Cook your onion, then add a touch of butter, garlic, fresh thyme, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne.
At this point, pour in the broth and broccoli. Then simmer until the broccoli is tender. Once the broccoli has cooked, mix in the milk and stir in a handful of cheese until creamy.
This is when you can transfer everything to a casserole dish if needed/desired.
Now, going back to the pretzel dough, roll the dough into about 8 balls.
Once the pretzels are shaped, boil them in water mixed with baking soda. The baking soda in the water helps the pretzels achieve that soft, chewy texture we all love so much!
Then brush with a beaten egg and place the rolls right on top of the broccoli. Put everything into the oven. Bake until the cheese is melty and the pretzels on top are golden. As soon as you pull the dish out, finish the rolls off with melted butter and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt or pretzel salt.
The corners of the dish will form an insanely delicious cheesy crust with buttery, salty soft pretzels baked right on top!
And the middle is creamy and delicious, like a thickened-up broccoli soup. It’s a wonderful combination.
We all love this dish, a truly special dinner.
Looking for other easy back-to-school recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
One Skillet Street Corn Chicken Enchilada Bake
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Casserole with Garlic Butter Pretzels, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Casserole with Garlic Butter Pretzels
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 856 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 egg, beaten
- pretzel salt (for sprinkling)
Casserole
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped, 1 clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cups low sodium veggie or chicken broth
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- kosher salt and black
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. Combine the flour and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and 3 tablespoons butter. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot 15-20 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the casserole. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 3. Heat the olive oil, butter, and onion in a large, oven-safe skillet with sides. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook until golden, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth until smooth. Add the broccoli and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.4. Stir in the milk and 2 cups of cheese until melted and creamy. Let cook 5-10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. If needed transfer the mix to a casserole dish. Top with 1/2 cup cheese. 5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.6. Remove the pretzel dough from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels, 4 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon, then place on top of the broccoli. Brush each roll with a beaten egg, sprinkle with salt. Bake until the broccoli is bubbling and the pretzels are golden, 25 minutes. 7. In a bowl mix 1 tablespoon melted butter with 1 clove grated garlic and the thyme. Brush the rolls with garlic butter. Top enjoy!
I thought that people would be interested in the fact that you can make this ahead of time (at least the day before).
I made the dough in my bread machine through kneading, put it right in a covered bowl and put it straight in the fridge for about 24 hours. It did rise during that time. I then made the broccoli cheddar soup/casserole and poured it into a casserole dish and refrigerated that too. I took them out about an hour before I planned to cook – I should have formed the pretzels at that point. I followed the recipe with the boiling water/baking soda bath and baking it all in the oven.
We did enjoy it, but I have two comments regarding the pretzels. Because they were put on the casserole, they came out like dumplings which were doughy- they were fully cooked. I’m not a big fan of dumplings, so next time I would bake them and then put them on the hot casserole like croutons. I would also probably make more smaller pretzels.
But all in all, a good, comforting dinner.
Hi Carol,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Good gracious. If you need a proper cold weather comfort recipe, you’ve found it for sure! After reading the comments, I added in some rotisserie chicken for protein and served it up over some jasmine rice. Absolute glorious perfection. Can’t wait to devour the leftovers later!
Hey Kelly Jo,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! xx
Anyone else have a difficult time getting the dough consistency with the suggestion water to flour ratio? Wondering if I’m missing something.
Me too
Hi Jordan,
So sorry to hear you are having issues with the dough. Is there anything you are adjusting? Did you use instant yeast and warm water? Let me know how I can help! xx
I thought this tasted really good! I was happy to see that making the dough really didn’t take too long, and it added a lot to the overall flavor.
Unfortunately, the cheese separated and I don’t know why. Instead of being creamy, it became a little curdled in nature. I cooked it in a cast iron pan. Could that be why? Or maybe I cooked it too high? Is there a way to prevent that? The flavors were still really nice, but it was annoying.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear about your cheese! Two things, was your cheese at room temp and did you use freshly grated cheese? I usually find that works best in recipes! Let me know how I can help! xT
Mine did the same thing and also in a cast iron pan. It was basically a wasted meal because it came out so gross.
Hiiiii – Love all your stuff.
Usually I can easily convert to make them gf (I’m celiac) but was wondering if you’ve ever tried the pretzel dough with 1:1 gf flour? Or if you haven’t tried it if you think it would still turn out?
Thank you!
Hey Kaitlyn,
I’ve not tested this, but I’m sure it would work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out delish, let me know if you give it a try! xT
nvm figured it out!
I hope you love the recipe!
Trying to cook this now but super confused about when to add the 1/4 cup of baking soda. Also is that right? A 1/4 cup? That seems wild.
Hi there,
The baking soda is added in step 6 to boil the pretzel dough. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Amazing!! I love Broccoli cheese soup and pretzels. My family was skeptical but they devoured it. I put a little Dijon mustard and put 2/3 veg broth and 1/3 amber beer. Added a dash of garlic powder and onion powder for good measure. Perfect for a rainy fall day like today!
Hey Carrie,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xT
This was fantastic for our Sunday family dinner! No leftovers and everyone wanted more! I made a double batch to feed 8. Perfect for a chilly Colorado night
Hey Kathy,
Love to hear it! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xT
Dinner tonight – oh my gosh! This is so good, perfect fall comfort food for a drizzly day in Minnesota! I added some cubed chicken thighs after adding the broccoli for the protein lovers in my family. I also accidentally added the thyme to the sauce before baking, but it was a delicious, happy accident! Everyone loved it, not a drop left (my son literally licked his plate! LOL). Definitely making this one again!
Hey Vicki,
Happy Tuesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, great idea to add the chicken! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Hi! I made this recipe tonight and it was tasty, but I think a few things may be missing from the recipe. In step 3, it says to heat olive oil and butter but these items aren’t listed in the ingredient list for the casserole so I wasn’t sure of the amounts. The recipe also says to add 2 cups of cheese to the mixture, but never says what to do with the additional 1/2 cup of cheese. I assumed it was to add on top, but should be included in the recipe. Thanks!
Hey Jessica,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing your feedback, I will go back and adjust those!! xT
Question: So I’m going to make this tonight and was getting the ingredients together. I have the same questions as Jessica. How much olive oil and butter and what to do with the extra 1/2 cup of cheese? While I have always been a baker, my husband has done the main dishes and I don’t have a good feel for this yet.
Hey Mary,
You can use 2 tablespoons of each and the 1/2 cup of cheese is sprinkled on the top just before the pretzels. I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
This dish is in the oven right now!! 🤩 It tastes really good! I did add some orzo to the “casserole” part because my family would pretend to be starving if I didn’t add something LOL. Only reason for 4 stars is it says garlic butter but there’s no garlic butter! And also the recipe is written to have the broccoli cooking for *45* minutes which would make it disintegrated and mushy. You can really skip the first 10 minutes and move on to the next 5 and let it finish in the oven!
Hey Brit,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
This is sooooo delicious. I’ll be making it often. I do have a question. The recipe title includes “with Garlic Butter Pretzels.” Where does the garlic come in? I went ahead and added some garlic to the melted butter and it was a great addition. Thank you for a winning recipe.
Hi Robin,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! Sorry, I still need to edit that! xx
I want to make this but don’t have a stand mixer! Can the pretzels be made without a stand mixer?
Hi Ashley,
You bet, just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand until you have a soft dough ball. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xx
Great recipe! I adapted it a bit for what I had in the fridge: (1) I used leftover roasted cauliflower, broccoli and chickpeas I had from a piccata (2) I used 1/2 the cheese and did mozzarella instead of cheddar (because that’s what I had) (3) I used leftover roll dough and did not boil it because I did not have enough baking soda.
Still – the recipe was a FAVORITE with the kids and hubby!
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Very rich and comforting – thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Bridget,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT