Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

 

4 cups chopped broccoli*
1 (10 ounce) can condensed broccoli and cheese soup
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 sleeve of Ritz type crackers, crushed (store brand is fine)

1/4 cup of butter melted (1/2 stick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place broccoli in a steaming basket on stove and steam for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Remove broccoli from stove and chop into bite sized pieces. Place into a medium size mixing bowl. * I used a frozen bag of florets. (Thawed and chopped)

Add soup, sour cream, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add 3/4 cup of cheese to broccoli mixture and mix well.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and add the broccoli mixture. 
Top with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese. Crush the crackers, mix with butter and sprinkle over cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is golden.

Chicken Lo Mein... More Chinese Takeout at home!

I didn't have the Lo Mein noodles, so I just used what I had in the pantry. Angel Hair Pasta worked just fine! 


Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein

8 oz Angel Hair Pasta or Spaghetti

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 head of broccoli cut into flowerets
1 carrot, matchstick cuts
1 onion halved and sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic minced

Cook the noodles one minute shy of the directions.
Drain and toss with a little oil in a bowl to coat. 

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.Cook the chicken about 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the pan and add in the vegetables and garlic and cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until just softened.

In a bowl add water, cornstarch, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Mix to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low boil to thicken the sauce.

Add in chicken and noodles. Stir until heated through. Serve! 

Beef and Broccoli with Cauliflower Rice

Beef and Broccoli served over rice with a substitution of cauliflower rice for those on the New Year's Resolution diets is the casserole of the week! Comfort food doesn't have to be fattening or loaded with carbs! Cauliflower is a great substitution for carb loaded vegetables and starches. It has a neutral taste that blends well with any flavors it is teamed. Try using it in place of rice or mashed potatoes!

 Cut carrots at a diagonal and boil in salt water until tender-crisp. Cut the broccoli into florets. I also used some of the stems. I sliced the stems thin and boiled them the same as the carrots. I also sliced onions into large wedges and cooked them in a little butter covered to steam them until tender-crisp also. It is important not to over cook the vegetables.

Cooked and cooled vegetables.

London Broil, sliced thin against the grain, marinading in 1/4 soy sauce and 2 cloves of minced garlic for an hour or overnight. Bring a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil to medium high heat. Add the beef and cook about 1 minute per side or until done. Don't over crowd the pan. I cooked it in three batches.

Cauliflower Rice
Grate one head of cauliflower. I used my hand grater that I use for grating cabbage for slaw. Melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan, add the grated cauliflower and toss to coat. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add a little water (about 1/4 cup or less) to create steam. Steam the cauliflower for about 6-8 minutes or until desired texture.

Make the sauce and add the vegetables and meat. Toss to coat and cook 1-2 minutes until hot. Serve over cauliflower rice or regular rice.

Beef and Broccoli

Beef

1 1/4 lb beef flank steak, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Sauce*

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry

2 cups fresh small broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups carrots, cut lengthwise
1 large onion, cut into wedges

Cauliflower Rice
1 head Cauliflower, grated

2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup water

In medium bowl, mix beef, soy sauce, garlic; set aside.

In small bowl, mix sauce ingredients with wire whisk until well blended; set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat about 1 minute. Add beef mixture, breaking up clumps of beef with wooden spoon; cook 1 minute without stirring. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until beef is browned around edges. Transfer beef mixture to clean bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet; heat over high heat about 1 minute. Add broccoli and toss. Add ¼ cup water; cover and cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender-crisp. Boil the carrots in salted water until tender-crisp. Cook onion in butter and a little water until tender-crisp.

Mix sauce mixture again with wire whisk to recombine; pour into skillet. Return meat and vegetables to skillet.  Stir to coat mixture with sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Serve over cauliflower rice.

* As a short cut or money saver if you don't keep hoisin sauce around, you can use SunBird Beef & Broccoli Seasoning Mix. This mix has no MSG. I used it and it was delicious.

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower and Red Onion

I know many of you have seen me mention PBC on my Facebook page. Most of you know that that's my home church, Pinewood Baptist Church, and I feed our Wednesday Night Supper crowd. We have recently grown to a group of about 75 or so. This past Saturday, the youth put on a Sweethearts Banquet, serving Steak/Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Salad and Desserts. When I got to the kitchen today, there was all kinds of leftovers in the frig. There was broccoli, cauliflower and red onions left over from the salads... already cut up and ready to go! I tossed them with enough oil and melted butter to coat them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I spread them out on a cookie sheet and roasted them at 425 degrees, until they were nice and caramelized!

 Before...

After Roasting!

Broccoli Casserole

I cook this for my church crowd. I leave out the onions when I cook it for them, because I have some people with "onion issues". You choose to add them or not; it works either way!

2 cups cooked white rice

5 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped onions
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. In a 2 quart casserole dish combine onions, cooked rice, broccoli, mushroom soup and cheese; mix well. 
Bake for 35 minutes.

Broccoli Casserole

Here's another good side dish for Thanksgiving!

2 cups cooked white rice

5 tablespoons margarine
1 cup chopped onions
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz Velveeta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. In a 2 quart casserole dish combine onions, cooked rice, broccoli, mushroom soup and cheese; mix well.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

This salad is a big hit at church on Wednesday Night Suppers. I always have someone willing to take home any leftovers!

2 Broccoli Crowns, cut into bite size pieces

1 pkg Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 pkg Real Bacon Bits (not imitation)

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Ranch Dressing*

Combine broccoli, tomatoes, bacon and cheese. Toss with ranch dressing until well coated.
*It takes a good bit of dressing to coat the broccoli completely.