Broccoli Parmesan Casserole

I had a huge bag of broccoli I just had to use up. I came across a recipe at A Veggie Venture. I thought the kiddos would really like this. They like broccoli and they love cheese, but they were both really tired tonight, and it wasn’t the night to try something new. It was good though.

Ingredients:

BROCCOLI

• 2 pounds fresh broccoli florets
• Salted water to cover

SAUCE

• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1 c. fat-free chicken broth
• 1 c. grated cheese (I used fontina)
• 6 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

TOPPING

• 1 c. coarse bread crumbs
• 2 TBSP grated Parmesan
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F (to save oven time, do this about the time the broccoli’s done).
2. BROCCOLI: Bring the salted water to a boil in a large covered pot. Add broccoli, and cook until done and still crisp. Drain.
3. SAUCE: In a medium saucepan on MEDIUM, stir together the flour, salt and mustard. A TBSP at a time to start, stir in the milk and chicken broth, incorporating each new addition before adding more. Let cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in 1 c. of the grated cheese, Parmesan and pepper. Gently combine the broccoli and sauce (use the pan the broccoli cooked in). Transfer to a well-greased baking pan.
4. TOPPING: Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over top. Spray the top with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Parmesan Casserole: