Kara’s Kookin’ in the Kitchen – Broccoli Cassrole

While many chefs practice the wares of their trade in restaurants, far more cooks, chefs and food connoisseurs learn these important skills by observing family members, reading magazines, watching cooking shows and enacting these skills daily or weekly in the comfort of their own kitchens. Many self-taught musicians, actors, writers and chefs are celebrated for their talent and you, like them, have many unique tools, like experience, creativity and knowledge, on your cooking tool belt.

Although most people love food, we are creatures of habit and sometimes revert to long accustomed consumption patterns. When at a restaurant some people pick the same old standbys, like BLTs or hamburgers, because they fear that they will receive a dish that they will not like.

At home these same phenomena can occur in our own kitchens. Put down your go-to cookbook and pick a recipe from your mother or grandma’s stash and get cooking. One of Jenna and my favorite recipes is my mother’s Broccoli Casserole. This dish is not only easy to make and great for almost any occasion, from dinner to cookouts to work parties, but also wonderfully tasty as well.

Just follow these few simple steps and you will have this great dish ready in no time.

Broccoli Casserole

Step 1: Necessary Ingredients

·         Broccoli Florets (2 bags frozen) or 4 fresh stalks

·         Butter or Margarine (3 TBS)

·         1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Or more as suited to taste)

·         1 Bag Stuffing Mix

Step 2: Cook Broccoli on the stovetop

·         Although fresh vegetables are ideal, I usually opt for a half frozen and half fresh broccoli combination to optimize flavor.

·         After cutting up the Broccoli, cook on the stovetop in about 1 cup of water until tender.

·         Drain off the water and place Broccoli in big mixing bowl.

Step 3: Combine Ingredients

·         Stir 1 cup cheese, drained Broccoli, 3 TBS of melted butter or margarine in large mixing bowl.

·         Pour into baking dish and top with a light layer of stuffing mix.

·         Cover with lid or tin foil to keep in moisture.

Step 4: Bake

·         Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

·         In the last five minutes take the lid off and let the stuffing harden and get crunchy.

Step 5: Serve

·         To obtain the best flavor place this dish in the refrigerator for a few hours, warm and serve with your other favorite dishes! Good Luck and happy cooking.