Baby, baby, baby, baaabeeeey, you know that you're so fiiiine... Remember the Brandy song? I can't help it, this casserole makes me sing. This is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. EVER. Maybe I can't explain it coherently, but to have the fresh broccoli, slathered in a curry cream sauce and melted cheese, with savory, juicy bits of chicken scattered throughout, topped off with none other than moist dressing that's been baked just long enough to form a bit of a crust on top that you need to break through in order to plunder the golden, creamy depths beneath--well, what more can I say? It was enough to bump this baby to the front of the line ahead of all the other recipes waiting to be posted, because NOBODY puts Creamy Broccoli Casserole in a corner! Sorry about the misquote, but I just polished off a hot plate of the aforementioned casserole, and I'm feeling a little slaphappy. Oh, and in case the picture didn't properly prepare you, your diet is going to buy a round-trip ticket to Siberia for the evening. But don't worry, you are eating some broccoli, right? And that darn diet will be there to pull you back on track before you know it.
Creamy Broccoli Casserole
3-4 medium heads of broccoli
rotisserie chicken, deboned
1 bag or box stuffing mix
2-3 cups shredded cheese
Sauce:
Basically, 2 cans cream of whatever soup, 1 cup mayo, a few glugs of lemon juice, and a few dashes of curry powder. If you want a lot of sauce, mix up as is. If you prefer less, you can leave out a can of soup, or reduce the mayo by half or leave it out all together.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop up the broccoli into largish chunks, and steam until barely tender. Make up the stuffing mix as directed.(As a side note, I had some leftover French Onion Soup that I should have posted before this, but I used it to make my dressing, and it was really, really good!) Whisk together the sauce. In a 9x13 pan(or equivalent), layer first the broccoli, then the chicken, the cream sauce, the cheese, and lastly the dressing. Spread the dressing all the way to the edges to get that nice crust over the entire casserole. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until it seems cheese should be melted and top is crusty. If you want to keep the top soft, cover the dish. Really, this was just a precursor to Thanksgiving for me, especially since we had it with orange jello that I had whisked a can of cranberry sauce into and topped with mandarin oranges and pineapple.
Ok. I seriously have issues with any kind of broccoli casserole. In fact, the whole family does, but you're tempting me with this one. Almost. Or maybe I'll just keep reading your poetic and mouthwatering description because I know I like that. So, it's the sauce and the dressing that sounds so good to me. Do you think another veggie might substitute ok or does it HAVE to be the B word?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, broccoli issues, huh? Does Justin know this little secret about his aunt? I had no idea you had this issue lurking around. This might affect our relationship. HA! Who am I kiddin? You could run around in a potato sack and blowtorch the broccoli section of Food 4 Less and you'd still be one of my favorite people in the world! You know, I bet any kind of hearty fall-winter veggie would fit the bill, like carrots, maybe squash(drained of juices), cauliflower, green beans, or maybe a medley, like a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Let me know if you concoct another version and what you thought.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! The fall colors make me feel all warm and cozy!!
ReplyDeleteThe broccoli recipe looks so good!! I bookmarked this page and added your blog to my recipe page so I can keep checking back for more yummy recipes! I'm always looking for creative ways to get veggies into my kids and I think this casserole will be a huge hit with them. Anything smothered in cheese is always good.
Thank you for stopping by my blog on my SITS day! Sorry it took me so long to make my way around! I totally loved the "Erma Bombeck on steroids" comment!!