Broccoli Casserole

In all of our traveling craziness of late, I've gotten very, very behind in posting recipes.

I think I've mentioned this before, but this blog is currently a means by which I'm documenting what I'm working on in the kitchen. I'm developing my cooking skills, practicing my food photography, and attempting to document some of my favorite family recipes as well as my own creations.

All in the hopes that one day, I will realize my dream of publishing my own cookbook. So, I press on - stirring, mixing, and clicking away while following this little dream of mine.

This recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. It's a recipe from my husband's side of the family, and it is so good and so creamy and so delicious that it single-handedly changed me from a broccoli-hater to a girl who absolutely loves broccoli.

One of the things I love about this dish is that it doesn't use a canned soup. Milk, flour, butter, and chicken bouillon create a delicious, homemade sauce that adds tons of flavor to fresh, steamed broccoli or brings frozen broccoli to life.

And, the savory topping adds a little crunch to the top that is the perfect finish to this dish.

If you're in a side-dish funk - which happens to me ALL THE TIME - try this one. It's sure to please even the kiddos.

Broccoli Casserole
a family recipe...

1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
2 cups milk
2 large heads broccoli, steamed until just tender or 3 (10-ounce) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1/3 cup water
6 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) package stuffing mix (I prefer Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 casserole dish and place steamed/cooked broccoli in bottom of dish. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add flour and bouillon cubes and mix until thick and creamy. Add milk and cook until thickened. Pour mixture over broccoli.

Heat water and 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan until butter melts. Add stuffing mix to water and butter mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture over casserole.

Bake on middle rack, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*If topping begins to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes.