This “Cheesy” Paleo Broccoli Casserole is dairy free and Whole30, but you’ll never know it by the delicious, creamy taste! It’s a perfect holiday side dish. 
Ever since I’ve had to give up gluten and dairy because of my food intolerances, I had to start getting super creative for the holidays. I actually really enjoy the process of experimenting in the kitchen and recreating my favorite dishes free of allergens without sacrificing on the flavor.
I recently made this “Cheesy” Paleo Broccoli Casserole without a hint of cheese, and I may have to make it every year for holiday get-togethers because it turned out fantastic.
“Cheesy” Paleo Broccoli Casserole Recipe
The “cheesy” creamy sauce in this recipe is made with a combination of spices, cashews, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast, and I honestly think it tastes better than real cheese. The best part is that you won’t feel weighed down afterwards like you do with real cheese, and the creamy texture with the crunchy broccoli is just the best combo.
You can use either fresh or frozen broccoli for this casserole, which makes the cooking process easy and quick because if you use frozen florets, you don’t even have to defrost them!
Easy Cooking with OXO Products
To make this “Cheesy” Paleo Broccoli Casserole, I used some of these products, which made preparing this side dish so dang easy and fun! The OXO products I used are:
- Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid (love that it comes with a lid, and it can go from freezer to oven without the need to thaw),
- Herb Stripping Comb (it strips kale and herb leaves from multiple stems at one time with a simple pull, and it made stripping parsley leaves for this recipe so easy and quick!),
- and lastly, my favorite, One Stop Chop (a manual food processor).
The One Stop Chop was my favorite because the blades are extremely sharp, so it makes chopping onions and other vegetables a breeze. Plus, the bottom suctions to the counter really well so it doesn’t budge while you are turning the handle! I know I’ll be using this one multiple times over the holidays when I’m cooking 5 dishes at once.
My Favorite Kitchen Equipments for Making Holiday Dishes
If you go through my kitchen, you’ll probably figure out that I really love products. Their products are always high quality and last a really, really long time. I’ve had some of their glassware for 4+ years and they are still going strong.
If you are a fan of holiday dishes like me and you are planning to bake a ton this season, definitely ! They come in all different shapes and sizes, and I love that many of them have lids to easily store your leftovers in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy this gluten free and Whole30 “Cheesy” Paleo Broccoli Casserole, because it’s such a delicious way to enjoy your vegetables and get your kids to eat them as well!
"Cheesy" Paleo Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs broccoli florets about 8 cups, fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- Parsley flakes for garnish
"Cheese" Sauce
- 1 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place broccoli in a 9x13 baking dish in an even layer.
- Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook stirring until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add to the baking dish over the broccoli.
- In a blender, add all ingredients for the "cheese" sauce, except eggs, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pulse in the eggs until just mixed together.
- Pour over the vegetables and stir together.
- Bake for 1 hour until golden.
- Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve warm.
What is your signature seasonal side dish? Do you have any favorite OXO products you always use?
This sounds delicious! Do you have any thoughts on a sub for coconut milk? I’m wondering if almond milk would be too thin or affect the texture of the sauce. Thank you!
I’ve never tried so I can’t say for sure. I don’t think the texture would be as creamy it but it’ll still work. Let me know how it goes!
I do not know why you couldn’t use a thinner milk substitute and add a small amount of xanthan gum as a little thickening…that’s what I would try anyway
It wouldn’t take much start with 1/8 teaspoon.
Have you made this with chicken included in the casserole? Would you precook the chicken, or since it has an hour of cook time would small chunks of chicken have time to cook through? Trying to figure out how to sneak some meat into my toddler’s diet, and thinking this creamy casserole could do the trick! 🙂
I haven’t, but I think either will work. Shred pre-cooked chicken and toss with broccoli, or use uncooked chicken pieces like breasts or thighs. Hope you enjoy!
Do you need to soak the cashews?
And did you mean it to be 1/2 teaspoon salt in sauce or 2 teaspoons?
If you have a high powered blender, you don’t need to soak the cashews. And 2 tsp is correct. It’s a big dish.
Can you make ahead of time and freeze ? Has anyone tired ?
Did you use unsweetened or regular coconut milk?
I used unsweetened canned coconut milk!
Since starting our first Whole30, this is the first time using ingredients like nutritional yeast…I can’t believe this casserole is dairy free and “cheesy!” Followed recipe almost exactly (only had roast cashews on hand and not raw) and even my cheap blender did the trick. Fantastic recipe!
So glad roasted cashews worked. Thanks so much for leaving a review!!
I’m excited to try this recipe. Have you ever made this the day before? Any advice for preparing the day before baking? Thanks!
I haven’t tried but that should work fine!
Will there be a coconut flavor to the sauce? If there is, I’d rather try an alternative…
Like maybe an all-cashew base
If you are very sensitive to coconut flavor, then I would try another recipe.