Broccoli cauliflower alfredo casserole is a cheesy holiday side dish that the whole family will love. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower are baked in a cheesy, velvety alfredo sauce that pairs beautifully with roasted meats and is something a bit different on your holiday table.
It’s three weeks until Thanksgiving. How did time fly by so quickly? I haven’t put the Halloween decorations away yet! Well, when reality hit me in the face, I knew it was time to break out the recipe book and start planning this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
I want to include dishes that are familiar to my family, but not something that we have often during the year. Vegetable side dishes are their least favorite, so I wanted to add a rich, decadent veggie dish that wows them and is something they actually want to eat.
Why This Recipe Works
- Fresh veggies instead of frozen – using fresh vegetables will produce a perfectly tender texture after its cooked. Frozen has a tendency to be a little mushy.
- Each item is seasoned – the broccoli, cauliflower, and sauce are all seasoned separately before being combined. This adds layers of flavor that combine together in the casserole for a depth and complexity that is addictive.
- Roast the vegetables instead of steaming, microwaving, or boiling them. Roasting broccoli and cauliflower adds a depth of flavor and brings out a sweetness that other methods can’t do.
- Homemade alfredo sauce, not the jarred stuff – and using heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor. Grating the cheese yourself rather than buying it pre-grated will produce the creamiest sauce. Pregrated cheeses have a coating on them to prevent clumping which adds a grittiness to the cheese when melted.
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
Steps To Make This Recipe
- Toss the broccoli and cauliflower florets with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven until tender-crisp.
- Make the alfredo sauce by melting the butter and simmering it with the heavy cream.
- Whisk in the seasonings and parmesan cheese until the cheese is melted.
- Simmer the sauce until thickened.
- Toss the vegetables with the alfredo sauce.
- Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish and bake until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is bubbly and golden.
More Holiday Recipes To Try
- Windows On The World Asparagus In Chive Hollandaise Sauce
- Sauteed Green Peas
- Sweet Corn Pudding
- Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Cheesy Spinach Souffle
- Savory Carrot Flan
- Ratatouille Casserole
- Sauteed Haricots Vert
Broccoli Cauliflower Alfredo Casserole
Broccoli cauliflower alfredo casserole is a cheesy holiday side dish that the whole family will love. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower are baked in a cheesy, velvety alfredo sauce that pairs beautifully with roasted meats and is something a bit different on your holiday table.
- Author: Millie Brinkley
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Southern, American
Ingredients
For the roasted broccoli:
- 1 head broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the roasted cauliflower:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, separated into large florets.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the alfredo sauce:
- ½ cup butter, room temperature (MUST use butter, not margarine)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
Roast the vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoli florets, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper together until the broccoli is well coated.
Spread the vegetable out in a single layer on one of the baking sheets.
Repeat the same process with the cauliflower florets, mixing them with the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper until coated.
Spread the cauliflower out on the second baking sheet.
Bake both the broccoli and cauliflower in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until they are tender-crisp.
Remove the trays from the oven and set them aside.
Meanwhile, make the alfredo sauce.
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and cream together.
Simmer the mixture for two minutes.
Whisk in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Cook, whisking constantly, for another minute.
Add the cheese and nutmeg.
Whisk the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the casserole.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Grease a 2 ½-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add all of the cauliflower, and most of the broccoli florets. Reserve a few broccoli florets.
Spoon ¾ of the alfredo sauce over the vegetables and toss well.
Pour the cheese and vegetables into the prepared casserole dish.
Nestle the reserved broccoli florets into the sauce on top of the casserole so that the green tops remain uncovered with the cheese.
Spoon the remaining alfredo sauce over the top of the casserole, taking care not to cover the broccoli on top with the sauce.
Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is beginning to turn golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for five minutes.
Serve hot.
Keywords: broccoli, cauliflower, veggie side dishes, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving side dish, alfredo sauce, oven roasted broccoli, oven roasted cauliflower