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!
