Governor’s Casserole–broccoli, cauliflower and ham in a cheese sauce topped with crispy buttered panko bread crumbs. Make it in your Instant Pot or with the stove and oven.
Governor’s Casserole
Greg is NOT a fan of broccoli in casseroles. They are his nemesis ever since he was a child. But I got him to try this one and he LOVED it! Ha! I loved it too. It was addicting. The creamy cheesy sauce was licked off the plate.
This recipe is adapted from The Gardener’s Shed. The original author stated, “My dear mother found and first made this recipe in the Fall of 1989; it quickly became a favorite of our family. Per her notes, the name for the recipe came about when supposedly the Governor of New Hampshire gave it his endorsement after tasting it where it was being served.”
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Frozen broccoli–you can also use fresh broccoli florets
- Frozen cauliflower–you can also use fresh cauliflower florets
- Butter
- Ham cubes–or smoked sausage
- Flour
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese–I like sharp
- Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Panko breadcrumbs–or regular breadcrumbs
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and add in 1 ½ cups water. Prepare other ingredients while you wait for water to come to a boil.
Add the cauliflower and broccoli into a steamer basket and drop it into the Instant Pot of boiling water.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
Move steamer basket out of the Instant Pot. Discard the water and dry out pot. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and add in the 2 Tbsp of butter and let it melt. Add in the ham and saute for a couple of minutes in the butter.
Add in the flour a teaspoon at a time, whisking it in with the butter. Very slowly add in the milk and whisk the entire time. The sauce will thicken in a few minutes. Turn off Instant Pot.
Fold in the cheddar and parmesan and add in a pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
Fold in the cauliflower and broccoli.
Toss the panko in a tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle it on top of the vegetables. Place air fryer lid on top and air fry at 400 degrees for 3 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve as a side dish to any dinner or you can make this as the main dish. We love this with some garlic bread, dinner rolls or cornbread muffins.
- I used my Duo Crisp 6 quart Instant Pot*. This is a great Instant Pot if you want to make everything all in one pot. It pressure cooks and air frys and all the things!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with panko are casserole on the quick and 3-cheese mac and cheese.
- You can make this meatless by leaving out the ham. You’ll probably want to add extra salt if you leave out the ham.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Governor’s Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Broccoli, cauliflower and ham in a cheese sauce topped with crispy buttered panko bread crumbs. Make it in your Instant Pot or with the stove and oven.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) package frozen broccoli
- 1 (12 oz) package frozen cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 8 oz ham cubes
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
Instant Pot with Air Fryer Lid Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and add in 1 ½ cups water. Prepare other ingredients while you wait for water to come to a boil. Add the cauliflower and broccoli into a steamer basket and drop it into the Instant Pot of boiling water. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Move steamer basket out of the Instant Pot. Discard the water and dry out pot. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting and add in the 2 Tbsp of butter and let it melt. Add in the ham and saute for a couple of minutes in the butter. Add in the flour a teaspoon at a time, whisking it in with the butter. Very slowly add in the milk and whisk the entire time. The sauce will thicken in a few minutes. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Fold in the cheddar and parmesan and add in a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Fold in the cauliflower and broccoli.
- Toss the panko in a tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle it on top of the vegetables. Place air fryer lid on top and air fry at 400 degrees for 3 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Stovetop and Oven Instructions:
- Cook cauliflower and broccoli according to package directions and set aside.
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Toss the ham in the butter and saute for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly until thickened.
- Remove pan from heat and fold in the cheddar and parmesan. Add in a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Fold the broccoli and cauliflower into the cheese sauce.
- Scrape the mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Toss the panko in 1 Tbsp of melted butter and sprinkle on top of the vegetables. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, until crumbs are lightly browned.
- Served and enjoy!
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot and air fryer lid or stove/oven
More Instant Pot Sides…
Instant Pot Superfood Fried Rice
A nutritious fried brown rice (or quinoa) with vegetables and scrambled eggs that you can make in your pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Hippie Casserole
A colorful combination of veggies and potatoes that are topped with feta cheese.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
James Goacher says
It threw me for a while – until I actually read all of the instructions – about bringing the IP to the boil. The reason is that I think it was in the early ’70s when we first had a Pressure Cooker and the procedure then was to bring the pot to the boil with the lid off then put the lid on with the weight off untill steam was issuing fully then put the weight on.# and I have had, well not difficulties but puzzlement about the zero time method in the past. I normally Steam my vegatables. It’s easier and quicker than a Pressure Cooker and more convenient to check for doneness so I shall do a version of the Stove Top method cos this looks wonderful.
Karen says
Yes, either way totally works! Enjoy!
Debbie says
this sounds delicious! I’ve got to get some ham, then we’ll be having this for dinner! Thank you so much for sharing!
Karen says
Enjoy Debbie!