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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!
Ingredients
- Instant yeast
- Salted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Egg
- Pretzel salt
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Yellow onion
- All-purpose flour
- Garlic cloves
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Veggie or chicken broth
- Fresh Broccoli florets
- Whole milk
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Kitchen Supplies
- parchment paper
- sheet pan
- stand mixer
- large pot
- slotted spoon
- large mixing bowl
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 and makes for delicious leftovers the next day.
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on October 19, 2022
Made tonight and it was a hit! Only complaint is I wish there was more of the “gravy” for the rolls. I’ll probably double it next time. One question, I missed where the garlic butter comes in??
Hi Kori,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! I will fix the garlic butter! xT
It was good! I was worried about it not being filling enough so I doubled the recipe, but it’s so filling it would have been just fine. I’ll make the pretzel rolls again (though I think they were supposed to have garlic butter on them? They were great without it). I would suggest doing the rolls on the side on a pan instead of in the soup. Then they won’t be soggy if you have leftovers. I’m so pleased that it turned out good because it took me forever to prepare!
Thanks so much for making the recipe Candace, I’m so glad it was enjoyed! xx
Hi Tieghan! I am making this tonight! I am at the step where it says to add olive oil, butter and onions to the pan. I don’t see where the measurements for the butter and oil are for the casserole. I cannot wait to taste this! I am going to do my best at guessing and see how close I come to your measurements 🙂
I am also guessing to brush the pretzels with the egg wash before baking, right?
Hi Lindsey,
Yes, that is correct:) I added that to step 6. I hope you love the recipe! xT
Hey Lindsey,
You can use a couple tablespoons of each! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Made this tonight for the family. It involved a little extra prep work after a long day at the desk, but HOLY HECK, it was worth it. Even my picky kids loved it, (broccoli and all!) and the pretzel biscuits were a huge hit! My husband ate until he nearly ruptured. 😀
I didn’t have any chicken on hand, so it was the veggie version, but if I had used chicken, it would have been easy enough to chop up, pan sear, then cook into the dish like any other casserole. No issues with the directions – it’s essentially a one skillet dish, so it’s intuitive enough. Definitely no complaints at all on the flavor – it was amazing – and creative. Keep up the great work!
Hey Breanne,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
Thoughts on using frozen broccoli instead of fresh? Do you think that would work? I live in Finland, sometimes broccoli isn’t available 🙂
I think it must be a very busy time of year since Tieghan is usually so quick to reply. I hate to hijack, as I am not affiliated with HBH and am no pro chef… but if I do say so myself, I’m a pretty good home cook after all these years of practice. I have subbed in frozen broccoli for fresh in similar meals before and the only things I really worry about are overcooking and added water. Frozen broccoli will take less time to cook and therefore, if frozen broc is added directly to the pot, sauce will have less time to reduce and simmer off that added water. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’d hate for a recipe to turn out bland because I deterred slightly from directions. So, what I do is… steam or microwave the broccoli until it’s thawed but not fully cooked. Then, let it hang out in a strainer while I do other things, then add it to the pot with just a few minutes to go.
I am definitely adding this cozy-sounding recipe to next week’s meal plan and thought you may be in a hurry for an answer, so I hope you don’t mind me sharing my thoughts.
Thanks for sharing Melissa! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!!
Gosh, it’s been a while but the warm and cozy soup season is late and short in my subtropical climate. We ate this a few times last season and it’s finally time to make it again, so here I am checking the recipe and reviews again (and low-key looking for my own in case I mentioned anything worth remembering, haha).
This is a GREAT broccoli cheese chowder, and the pretzel buns are fabulous too (high praise since I fancy myself a pretty great home baker). We always have leftovers, so try to avoid soggy bread, and the family and I agreed that we’d prefer the pretzel buns cooked on the side even for the first servings. We just prefer a crusty crispy bottom and they are great to tear up and dip in the soup! Leftover buns freeze very well and stay fresh this way for leftovers served about 3 days later, just defrost them and pop them in the oven until hot and crispy.
This is going on this week’s meal plan and I cannot wait to have it again!! Thanks for another great one HBH!
Thank you so so much for this comment Melissa!
Hi Deborah,
Frozen broccoli would be just fine for you to use! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
The blog text talks about “searing the chicken”, obviously a sentence lifted from a different post. And the recipe tells you what to do with 2 cups of cheese but not the final 1/2 cup, which presumably gets sprinkled on top of the casserole before adding the biscuits. And finally as Anita notes below, the recipe doesn’t mention what to do with the beaten egg. You need a proof reader to correct these kinds of mistakes before publishing.
Not this crap again.
“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. <–!!!"
There is absolutely no way a proofreader could help someone who:
A.) Doesn't actually read through the text
B.) Can't think for themselves at all when cooking.
Even you were able to "presume" where the last 1/2 cup of cheese goes. Funny, none of the most ardent and vicious complainers seem to express any interest or intention at all in actually preparing the dish – but are only here bitching about the way the recipe is worded. Not very original.
Looks like the HBH Hate Sub(human)-Reddit zombies have escaped their cage again.
More important than a proofreader: a web editor who can set up a feature where in order to post comments, readers must first register with a valid email address that is then verified by a link sent to the email address. In order to comment, users must login first with the verified account. If only spewing vitriol, the comment is deleted and the ban-hammer promptly swings down on the perp. All comments approved by the webmaster before being published.
Then, those who are legitimately interested in cooking and sharing ideas in the community can have a positive experience using the site for what it was intended. HBH will literally lose nothing by "taking out the trash". No need to allocate resources to hire this person. I'll do it for free. Gladly.
The dish is in the oven now. Looks and smells great. Zero difficulty completing it as written.
You are wonderful!!
Thank you Maizie.
While I wholeheartedly agree with the “thinking for yourself” when figuring out these recipes, I also must admit I do come to this site, not only for the great recipes, but also for the comments about missing information, unclear ingredient lists and unclear directions. Some of the readers must be people who do not have experience with cooking and need every single direction spelled out for them, and if the recipe is unclear, it won’t turn out correctly. Sometimes the blog post directions do not make it into the actual recipe directions. Also, sometimes the recipes do not have clear directions with certain ingredients and sometimes the recipes are missing key ingredients altogether. It is not as if it is only occasionally–I would estimate about 70% of the recipes that involve baking have some sort of issue, whether it is a spelling error, an ingredient omission, or unclear directions.
I understand this is a family run business, however, I do agree that there should be a proofreader employed.
Thank you, Sharon (and Melissa and Anne Elizabeth!). There is a respectful, helpful and genuine way to address this, and you did Sharon.
There is nothing at all wrong with asking for clarification, or pointing out that something is missing or unclear and asking for help, if you genuinely are interested in the recipes, content, and wanting to learn more on the site.
There is a huge and obvious difference between what you and many others have expressed in a constructive manner, and the nasty, mean spirited remarks that only point out spelling errors and say insulting things – with zero mention at all of anything else. Their agenda is obvious, and it’s likely one or just a few people with multiple fake accounts, whose only intention is to disrupt. They just wait to pounce on every single post as soon as it’s published, and troll bomb immediately, often posting multiple comments to the same effect within minutes of each other. None of it is constructive.
Those people have GOT. TO. GO. They are not trying to help, they are trying to harm and it’s getting really old. Which is why I think comments should be pre-approved as well.
That said, Tieghan, this was DELICIOUS!! <3 If it had only been a broccoli and cheese soup, it still would have been delicious, but this was next level – especially with the pretzel biscuits! Pure genius!
Thanks for trying the recipe Maizie!! I hope it turns out well for you:) xx
Hey Nancy,
Thanks for sharing your feedback! My mom and I do the best we can and proof the post several times before posting, but mistakes do happen, we are only human:)
I fixed the egg, you will brush that in step 6 as well as add the 1/2 cup of cheese to baked on top. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Looks amazing. Anybody have an idea as to when to incorporate the beaten egg listed in the pretzel section? I assume once the pretzel buns are ready to go into oven to bake, you use it to brush on the buns?
Ooops, found it in the blog part above the recipe. Pays to read through everything. 🙂
FYI in case anyone commenting and being rude forgot. TIEGHAN POSTS THIS FOR FREE. So be kind and appreciative. A gentle nudge that something is missing in the recipe is NBD.
You do realize she isn’t doing this for free…she makes tons from us following her so she can market products to us. Influencers aren’t just sharing out of the generosity of their own hearts.
GIRL. This is her job and how she makes her living. Don’t be so naive.
“GIRL” don’t be so obtuse. None of us reading here have to pay her anything to do so.
Hey Anita,
Thanks so much!! Sorry about that, I added the beaten egg, you will use that in step 6. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Perfect recipe for a cozy fall night, we loved it. Thank you so much for all the amazing recipes!
Hi Suzanne,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
For some reason lately fresh herbs are so hard to find in my area (maybe I am just not at the store on the right days! LOL) could you use dried herbs in place of the fresh? This looks so good!! I can’t wait o make it!
Hey Vicki,
Totally, dried herbs would be just fine for you to use here! Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope it’s delish! xT
Sooo many mean comments. Hope it makes all of you feel better who are perfect and never ever make a mistake. It’s chicken-cook it and add it in!
Lol thanks Caryn, let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT
You state add the chicken and sear! There is no mention of chicken in the ingredients,only chicken broth.
Hey Donna,
So sorry about that! The chicken was a typo, but I fixed it, there is no chicken in this recipe:) Let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi Tieghan,
I am confused, is there chicken in the recipe?
Wendy Goldstein
Hi Wendy,
So sorry for any confusion, there is no chicken in this dish, all is fixed:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Read thru the article and no reference to how it’s thickened (flour)? Read thru recipe and found flour for casserole but no chicken referenced in recipe as referenced in article.
Oops didn’t realize others already commented.
No worries:)
Hi Debra,
The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of flour and that is used in step 3. So sorry about the chicken, that was a typo, there is no chicken in this recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try! xx
The article mentions chicken but it’s not in the recipe or ingredient list?
Hey Kathy,
So sorry about that, the chicken was a typo, there is no chicken in this recipe:) Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love it! xT
In your description of this recipe “ Start with the basics. Cook your onion, add the chicken, and give the chicken some time to sear.”
There is no chicken listed in the ingredients! Or in direx following the ingredient list. I reread it 3x. This is beyond sloppy writing!
Wow Marlys, maybe take it down a notch. 5:15 am is a little early to be so judgmental about the recipe. I’m sure Teighan will fix it before the day is over.
Wow, you might need meds, ma’am. This is beyond sloppy manners!
The chicken is optional (as is any existing recipe to be either vegetarian or not.)
If you want to use chicken, follow the instructions that are there: “Cook your onion, add the chicken, and give the chicken some time to sear”… and continue making the soup. The chicken will finish cooking while the soup does. As one would expect.
It’s called “critical thinking” Marlys. Try it some time.
This looks amazing, Tieghan. Thank you so much for putting forth the time and effort to create and share such prolific and versatile recipes. I might make this with chicken. If so, I’ll figure that part of the process out. 😉
Thanks Jackie!! Sorry for the typos, all is fixed now! Let me know if you give the dish a try, I hope you love it! xx
No worries! The typos don’t bother me. 🙂 Will make this over the weekend and let you know how it comes out!
This is beyond rude. Tieghan has stated there is no chicken in the recipe, so people were right to question it.
No, being obnoxious and insulting – “this is beyond sloppy writing!” disguised as a legitimate question is what’s beyond rude. Any negative responses that followed are completely warranted. The responses are pretty tempered considering how completely obnoxious these trolls are.
“I’m confused about the chicken in the recipe, can you please clarify?” is a legit question. Making personal insults and jabs when you have zero intention of trying the recipe is trolling, and that sh!t needs to be nipped in the bud. Don’t be disingenuous and pretend that was a “normal question.” B.S.
“There is no chicken listed in the ingredients! Or in direx following the ingredient list. I reread it 3x. This is beyond sloppy writing!” – Is just someone being a useless CEE. YOU. EN. TEE.
A blog moderator should be a first priority before a proof reader. A good disinfectant would do wonders around here.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“Or in direx following the ingredient list.”
The irony of someone communicating in sentence fragments, and being too apathetic to type out the word “directions” accusing someone else of sloppy writing – is astounding. 😂
This recipe is pure genius! I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Hey Marlys,
So sorry for any confusion here, the chicken was a typo, but all is fixed now! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xT
did you mean to write ‘add the chicken’ in the instructions?
Hey Lisa,
So sorry, the chicken was a typo, there is no chicken in this recipe:) It’s all fixed now! Let me know if you give this a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hello there….I have tried several of your recipes and love them all. This one looks interesting, but I’m a little confused. In the details section of this recipe post, you mention adding the chicken and giving it time to sear, however, I didn’t see chicken listed as one of the ingredients nor instructions of when to add the chicken. Does it have chicken in it ? Am I missing something?
Hey Cheryl,
Thanks so much for trying so many recipes! So sorry, the chicken was a typo, all fixed now, no chicken:) Let me know if you give this a go! xT
Thanks! I think I might give it a try this weekend!