Name: Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 lb fresh broccoli florets (broken into bite size pieces); ¼ cup unsalted butter; 1 small shallot (diced); ¼ cup flour; 2 cups milk or half and half; 4 oz cream cheese; 3 cups cheddar cheese (or cheddar jack); 2 tbsp dijon mustard; salt and pepper; ½ cup ritz crackers; cooking spray

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Broccoli and cheese is a classic side dish every parent of a picky eater has whipped up to get some veggies in their kids mouths. It’s a great hack because who doesn’t love anything smothered in cheese. But instead of just sprinkling shredded cheese across the top, or pouring on some melted velveeta, why not make a full on broccoli cheddar casserole. Bake up those tree-like veggies with a velvety cheddar sauce made from scratch, and top it with some crispy crushed crackers for an extra crunch. This is the perfect side for a family dinner, and a staple on my Thanksgiving table.

Blanching Broccoli

The first step to this dish, and a lot of vegetable sides like cauliflower, green beans, snap peas, etc, is to blanch the broccoli. Blanching is the process of cooking a fruit or veggie in boiling water for a short amount of time, removing it, and immediately placing it in ice water to stop the cooking process.

But why blanch a veggie that is going in the oven to bake? A few reasons. One, blanching locks in that bright green color and leaves a little crunch. If you added raw broccoli to this casserole and just baked it a long time, you would end up with a dull green color and it would be either mushy or raw.

Blanching par-cooks the vegetable, allowing you to pop it in the oven for a shorter amount of time, just enough to heat through, to ensure even cooking instead of raw or overcooked mushy pieces.

So bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil, and add in 2 lbs of fresh broccoli florets. Mine were huge chunks so I broke them down into bite size pieces. Boil for about 3-5 minutes, or until they are bright green and tender but still have a little bite to them. Strain and IMMEDIATELY dump into a bowl of boiling water to shock them and stop the cooking process (this step helps lock in that bright green color). Set aside.

Cheese Sauce

Now it is time to prep the velvety and super simple cheese sauce. Start by dicing one small shallot and adding it to a large pan/pot with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are tender. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk until all of the flour is moist. Cook for another minute or so to cook out the raw flour taste.

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Next, pour in 2 cups of milk or half and half and whisk to combine. On a medium low heat, allow this to come to a simmer and thicken, about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. One thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, mix in 4oz cream cheese, 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar, cheddar jack, or any cheese blend of your choosing, and 2 tbsp of dijon mustard. Whisk until the cheese has melted and the sauce is velvety. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now, gently fold in the blanched broccoli and mix until coated. Transfer the entire mixture to a greased casserole dish and top with 1/2 cup of crushed Ritz crackers. Spray the crackers liberally with cooking spray to ensure they do not try out or burn, and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, just long enough to brown the cracker topping and bring the sauce to a bubble. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

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