Broccoli-Cheddar Casserole

 

When I was tasked with bringing a broccoli side to a school potluck, I knew right away I was making this casserole. I can't recall where the original recipe came from but I do remember it called for a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. I don't buy those because a. they don't taste good to me, b. I am not crazy about some of the ingredients (namely monosodium glutamate and other questionable additives) in there. The good news is you can easily recreate the soup at home with real ingredients. A quick Google search will give you many recipe options. My go-to recipe is from Laurie at Simply Scratch. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of her recipes.

I made three casseroles – it was a BIG party, and there was no leftover for me to bring back home!

Serves 6

• 1 batch of condensed cream of mushroom soup = 300 g de concentré de crème de champignons
• ½ cup whole milk = 120 ml de lait entier
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard = 1 cuillère à soupe de mourtade forte
• 20 oz. broccoli florets = 560 g de broccoli, en petits bouquets
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese = 100 g de cheddar râpé
• 1 slice of whole-wheat bread, toasted and processed into crumbs = 1 tranche de pain complet, toasté et finement émietté
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted = 15 g de beurre, fondu

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Steam broccoli florets for 4 minutes and place them into a buttered casserole dish.

Stir the soup, milk, mustard, and cheese. Pour evenly over the broccoli.

Stir the bread crumbs and butter together. Sprinkle over the broccoli mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Serve right away!

Notes:

- For a complete side, add 2 cups cooked rice to the broccoli mixture before baking.
- For a non-vegetarian option, add crumbled bacon (about 3 thick slices) to the mushroom mixture and proceed as directed

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

It's getting a bit chillier. Fall is here. The time has come. The time for soup that is!

I made my first batch of pumpkin soup of the season last week and boy was it good.

This cheesy broccoli soup is equally delicious. You could top it with homemade croutons but it had been a long week and I was tired so I decided to just smash a few crackers instead. The result was instant comfort!

 

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 2 cloves garlic, minced = 2 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 petit oignon, coupé en morceaux
• 1 medium russet potato, diced = 1 pomme de terre, coupée en petits dés
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 ¼ lb), cut into florets = 1 grosse tête de broccoli (environ 550-600 g), coupée en petits bouquets
• 3 cups water = 700 ml d'eau
• 1 cup milk = 235 ml de lait
• 6 ounces sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cup) = 170 g de cheddar, râpé
• A few Ritz crackers, smashed (optional) = quelques crackers salés (style Ritz ou TUC), écrasés en miettes (facultatif)

 

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, potato, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 6-7 minutes.

Add the broccoli florets and water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for a few minutes, until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat and, using a handheld immersion blender, purée the vegetable mixture until smooth. Return to the heat, add the milk and simmer until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Check seasonings and add more salt/pepper if needed. Ladle into 4 bowls and top with smashed crackers. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Mini Cheddar Scones

Okay, these are a splurge (just look at the amount of butter)! But they are truly amazing and worth every calorie. Of course, after writing that, I had to try and figure out the calorie count. It's actually not that bad at about 90 calories each. Just don't eat five in a row – trust me, that will be challenging!

Serve them with any smooth veggie soup, winter stew or chili. They are puffy, cheesy and buttery. In one word: yummy!

Makes 32 mini scones

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour / 300 g de farine
• 2 tablespoons sugar / 2 cuillères à soupe de sucre (25 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder / 2 cuillères à café de levure (chimique)
• 1 teaspoon salt / 1 cuillère à café de sel
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda / une pincée de bicarbonate de soude (en pharmacie)
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed / 140 g de beurre, froid et coupés en petits dés
• 1 cup shredded cheddar / 75 g de cheddar rapé
• 1 cup buttermilk / 250 ml de babeurre ou lait ribot (à défaut, ajouter 1 cuillère à soupe de jus de citron ou de vinaigre blanc à 240 ml de lait, remuer puis laisser reposer 5 minutes avant d'utiliser)
• 2 tablespoons water / 2 cuillères à soupe d'eau (30 ml)
• 1 egg, blended with 1 tablespoon water / 1 oeuf, battu et mélangé à 1 cuillère à soupe d'eau

Preheat oven to 375F/190C, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in food processor bowl. Add butter and pulse a few times. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in cheddar, then add buttermilk and water. Knead by hand, gently, until just blended. Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface and pat into an 8-inch square. Cut into 16 2-inch squares, then cut each square into 2 triangles. Arrange mini scones on baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch in between. Brush each top with egg-water mixture and bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Enjoy!