With Father’s Day around the corner (and hopefully warmer weather too) I want to plan a fun menu that everyone will love but won’t be stressful or complicated for me. And really isn’t keeping mommy happy on Father’s Day the most important thing on everyone’s mind? No? That’s just me? Darn. Anywho, since I’m considering something along the lines of Chili Dogs and Cheese Fries for the main and side, I’m thinking I need some kind of vegetable deal to redeem us a bit. But not too much!
I tried this out this weekend and it was a hit so I’m keeping it for the big day. I added breadcrumbs to the top during the last three minutes of baking. The added crunch made all the difference. I left out the cayenne pepper for the kids sake, though I would have loved to add it and I’m sure that it adds a nice punch.
Also, I didn’t have any cooked rice on hand, so I used 1 cup of instant rice. It only needs five minutes so I could be sure it would have enough time to cook in the short time the casserole spent in the oven. I also used fresh broccoli instead of frozen and it didn’t seem to cause a problem.
Cheesy Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole
Adapted from Sunny Anderson – Food Network
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for casserole dish
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 pound shiitake or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey blend
- 3 cups cooked rice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Special equipment: 1 1/8-quart oval casserole dish
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter casserole dish. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter and flour over medium heat until golden in color to make a quick roux. The roux should resemble the color of peanut butter. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, heavy cream and chicken stock. Add broccoli, 1 cup of the cheese and rice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into buttered dish and top with remaining shredded Cheddar. Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.
During last three minutes, mix a cup of breadcrumbs with 1 to two tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over casserole. Bake a few minutes until golden.
Tina Evans 