by Sandra Merville Hart

A restaurant near my home recently added broccoli casserole to their listing of side dishes. It’s delicious! I’ve ordered it three or four times before deciding to create my own version. It’s been a few years since I’ve made one because my husband doesn’t like broccoli. I can’t believe how well this new recipe turned out! It’s so easy! The longest part of the preparation was chopping the fresh broccoli florets and steaming them. It requires about twenty minutes to prepare, not including baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets (3 heads)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

2-3 slices Colby or American cheese

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Ritz crackers, about 15

In a medium saucepan, heat about ½ cup of water (should be enough water so that the water level is about an inch) to simmering boil. Add fresh broccoli, cover, and reduce heat to low and cook until almost tender or about 7 minutes.

(If using frozen broccoli, reduce the cook time to 4-5 minutes.)

Remove broccoli from heat. Drain.

Prepare a medium-sized casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the broccoli to the dish. Next, layer the Colby or American cheese (I used Colby) on top of the broccoli. It won’t completely cover the vegetable—it adds to the melted goodness of the other cheeses.

Next, sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Then sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. (You may not need the whole ½ cup, depending on the dish you use.)

Crumble the Ritz crackers over the top. Then drizzle the melted butter on top.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until the crackers on top are lightly browned.

Delicious! The blend of the three cheeses absolutely melts in my mouth. It gives the casserole a bit of the creaminess that other recipes add with creamy soups or mayonnaise mixtures.

Since my husband doesn’t eat this vegetable, this side dish is sometimes my main meal for lunch. I love it and hope you will too.   

Enjoy!