I think the whole family will love this broccoli and cheese casserole. It's not at all a boring broccoli dish, in fact it's far from it. Milk, butter, flour along with Bleu cheese and cream cheese are whisked together over heat until it's melted into a creamy cheese sauce. Then the cheese sauce is transferred and mixed with tender broccoli, topped with a thin layer of bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and baked for 25 minutes.
There is no need to add additional ingredients or any creamed soups to this casserole. Both cheeses together offer a creamy texture while flavoring the broccoli. Trust me, no one will ever notice the bleu cheese in this casserole.
Broccoli and Bleu Cheese casserole makes an excellent choice to serve at a dinner party, a buffet or even for a potluck supper. I love the ease of throwing everything together and placing into the oven.
It can also be a wonderful broccoli casserole to make for Easter, as it will definitely compliment any roast.
This was one of the first casserole dishes we posted when we started years ago and the recipe is adapted from my neighbor Dorothy Cook. The original recipe calls for crumbled saltine crackers on top (to offer some crunch), but I decided to top it with some bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese instead.
If you are looking for make this casserole gluten-free, omit the bread crumbs and flour, and use half and half cream instead of milk. The half and half will thicken as it bakes into a creamy cheesy broccoli casserole.
Best of all, everyone will enjoy it as much as I did! Many thanks to Dorothy!
Broccoli and Bleu Cheese Casserole
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 (4 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
- 1+ 1/4 cups milk
- 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli florets - steamed, drained
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. plain bread crumbs (or 1/4 cup crumbled saltine crackers)
- 2 tsp. grated parmigiana cheese
- olive oil cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 2.5 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking oil. Set aside.
2. In a large sauce pot with 2 inches of water, add 3 packages of frozen broccoli florets and salt. Cover and bring water to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and drain broccoli. Return broccoli to pot and cover, allowing broccoli to steam for a few minutes.
3. In the meantime, in a small sauce pan, whisk together butter, flour, then add in the milk, cream cheese and blue cheese on low heat. Stirring mixture until mixture comes to a low boil and the cheeses have completely melted. Turn off heat. Pour into the broccoli and mix together until well combined.
4. Transfer broccoli and cheese mixture into a 2.5 or 3 quart casserole baking dish and top with a light layer of plain bread crumbs and then with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top turns golden and the sides are bubbly. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 6 to 8
This recipe was originally published on March 22, 2012
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