Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

Casseroles are a great side dish because they can be set up before hand and cooked when needed, freeing the cook to focus on other dishes and the entrée. In this recipe, we will blanch and shock the broccoli before we put it into the casserole dish. Blanching is when you drop the broccoli into salted boiling water for a minute, take it out, and drop it into ice water. This cooks the broccoli slightly so it won’t be too tough, but the ice water stops the cooking so it won’t be overcooked.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup Panco or plain breadcrumbs
• Butter
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Trim the florets from the stems of the broccoli.
3. Well salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
4. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
5. Once the water is boiling, place the broccoli into the water and let it boil for one minute.
6. Take the broccoli out of the boiling water and place it into the ice water.
7. Once the broccoli is cold, place it into a 2-quart casserole dish that has been greased with butter or sprayed with non-stick spray.
8. In a large saucepan, add the oil and diced carrots and sauté until soft.
9. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft.
10. Add the garlic to the pan.
11. Sauté the garlic for one minute or until it becomes fragrant.
12. Mix the corn starch and vegetable broth and add them to the vegetables.
13. Simmer while stirring until thick.
14. Add vegetable mixture to the broccoli in the casserole dish and stir to mix.
15. Cover with the breadcrumbs and dot with butter.
16. Bake for 30 minutes.
17. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the casserole and cook for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.