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

Teriyaki Marinade

I often use homemade marinades to infuse meat, seafood or tofu with flavor before baking or grilling them. Teriyaki is a favorite at my house and it seems I make this marinade every other week.

You can either use soy sauce or tamari for the base. Tamari may be harder to find but because it has a higher concentration of soy beans and no grain (making it virtually gluten-free), it is thicker, smoother richer, and less salty than the more common soy sauce. Once you try it, you won't go back.

The recipe below makes just under 1 cup, enough to marinade 2 lbs of chicken wings, or 4 salmon fillets, or 1 lb of shrimp, or 1 package of extra firm tofu. I like to make it a day ahead so the flavors have time to develop before throwing in the protein to marinade for another 4-8 hours.

Makes 1 batch

• ½ cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce = 120 ml de sauce soja ou de tamari
• ¼ cup mirin or white rice vinegar = 60 ml de mirin
• ¼ cup brown sugar = 50 g de cassonade
• 3 cloves garlic, minced = 3 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger = 2 cuillères à soupe de gingembre frais râpé
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile de sésame
• pinch red pepper flakes = pincée de flocons de piment rouge

Put all the ingredients in a jar, screw lid on and shake well . Use right away or refrigerate for up to 10 days.