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Freshly sautéed broccoli and fragrant garlic are baked in a rich cream sauce topped with broiled mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Creamy Parmesan Garlic Broccoli is guaranteed to convert ANY non-broccoli lover into a full-blown fanatic!
Creamy garlic broccoli and cheese is a delicious way to change up your boring broccoli into the side dish of your dreams!
Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Broccoli
This side dish recipe is quite indulgent and probably not something you would want to make every night, but if it’s a special occasion or you want a decadent vegetable dish, then this is what you will need:
- Butter: salted or unsalted work fine, you’ll just reduce the salt if you use salted
- Onion: just regular yellow onion works great
- Broccoli Florets: fresh broccoli is best, but frozen could be used if needed
- Note: Feel free to use the stems too if you want. Just be sure to cut off the tough exterior of the stem.
- Garlic Cloves: adds flavor
- Salt and Pepper: add flavor
- Cream Cheese: adds richness and creaminess
- Heavy Cream: acts as the base for the creamy garlic parmesan sauce
- Smoked Paprika: adds flavor and smokiness to the sauce
- Lemon Juice: adds acidity and a pop of freshness
- Mozzarella Cheese: adds gooiness
- Parmesan Cheese: adds nuttiness and saltiness
- Aleppo Pepper: adds some heat and flavor and great color
- Note: This is my latest obsession! It adds such a delicious flavor. It looks similar to red pepper flakes but it is just moderately spicy.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli
No flour or cornstarch needed. We are going full cream, a little cream cheese and cheese to make this indulgent sauce! Just simmer it until it reaches your desired thickness. Here are all the steps for this recipe followed by a recipe so you can see how it all happens…
- Prep: Preheat broiler and place a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat and start melting the butter.
- Sauté: Add the onions to the melted butter and cook until transparent, stirring occasionally.
- Cook: Toss in the broccoli and minced garlic and season them with salt and pepper and let them cook until bright green and fragrant.
- Simmer: Add the cream cheese, cream and smoked paprika and reduce the heat to low letting it simmer and thicken.
- Finishing Touches: Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine and then top with the cheeses.
- Broil: Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve: Sprinkle with a little Aleppo pepper and serve immediately.
Can You Skip the Cream Cheese?
Feeling a little heavy on the indulgence? I feel you. Or sometimes I just don’t have cream cheese on hand. In that case, add 1/4 cup more heavy cream and skip the cream cheese, or just leave it out without additional cream. It works either way.
What to Serve with Creamy Garlic Broccoli
For some reason, we almost always eat this broccoli recipe with chicken. Maybe because this side dish is a little heavy so I try to balance it with a lighter main dish. It would really go well with just about anything but here are a few of our favorites:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Simple: The ingredients are few and easy to find! The steps are easy to follow and fail proof.
- Quick: This side dish is ready in 20 minutes!
- Flavor: The flavors of parmesan and garlic all coating the broccoli is so delish! And the golden broiled mozzarella bites are my fave!
- PRO TIP: If you want to change the flavor up a little, try roasting the broccoli first in the oven before tossing it in to sauté it.
- Texture: The contrasting texture of the tender broccoli with the creamy sauce is so amazing!
- Low Carb: With only 9 grams of carbs, this is a great low carb side dish option. It’s also high in protein for a vegetable recipe at 9g per serving.
- One Pan: Every part of this recipe is done in one pan. No extra dishes to clean!
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 5 days. Reheat this dish on the stove top over medium heat until heated through. Add a little more cream as you warm it up to keep it from drying out.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish. The texture would get really grainy when it thaws.
Looking for a delicious and easy way to enjoy broccoli? This creamy parmesan garlic broccoli recipe will have your taste buds singing. Sometimes the vegetable side dishes can get a little repetitive and boring but not this recipe! It’s a one pan recipe worth trying!
How to Make Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli Video
More Vegetable Side Dishes:
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat broiler. Melt the butter in a cast iron pan over medium heat.
2 Tablespoons Butter
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Add the onion and cook until transparent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1/2 Onion
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Add the broccoli and garlic and season with salt and pepper and cook while stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until bright in color and fragrant.
1 Pound Broccoli Florets, 5 Cloves Garlic, Salt and Pepper
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Stir in the cream cheese, cream and paprika reducing the heat down to low and allow to simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, 3/4 Cups Heavy Cream, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
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Squeeze in the lemon and stir again. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 3/4 Cup Mozzarella, 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
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Place in the oven. Broil until cheese is bubbling and golden, about 2-3 minutes.
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Sprinkle with a pinch of Aleppo pepper and serve.
Aleppo Pepper
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 250kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 256mg, Potassium: 322mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1393IU, Vitamin C: 69mg, Calcium: 205mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.