Simple Broccoli Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is broccoli casserole made of? ›

The ingredients? Broccoli of course, then bacon, flour, milk, cream, eggs, cheddar cheese, a little Dijon, salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. The tricks to this broccoli cheese casserole are to: Pre-cook the broccoli florets a bit so they cook up tender in the casserole.

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Broccoli: I use frozen broccoli florets for ease, but you can also use fresh broccoli florets if you prefer. The frozen steam-in-bag broccoli florets are a nice shortcut because there's no need to chop the broccoli and you can just cook it in the microwave in a few minutes.

Just because your casserole is starting to look a bit soupy doesn't mean it's beyond saving. In fact, all you need to do is add some pasta noodles or grains to your base. This trick works for the simple reason that both types of ingredients soak up water as they cook.

The mistake: It comes out soupy or watery

What goes wrong: If your casserole is full of raw vegetables, you can end up with a watery mess as they release their natural juices.

Sauces such as gravies or cream of chicken soup often help bind the casserole together as it bakes and prevent it from drying out in the oven.

Liquid for casseroles

Bone stock is good for beef casseroles, but failing that plain hot water enriched with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup makes a handy instant stock. Red or white wine will add extra flavour of its own, and its acidity will actually help to tenderise the meat as it cooks.

A perfect casserole needs one or more binders: cheese, eggs, condensed soup, Greek yogurt or noodles, for example.

"The standard size of a casserole dish is 9 by 13 inches. However, due to varying shapes, they are often measured by volume, with three quarts being average,” says Contrino. “It is important to note that if a recipe calls only for a 'casserole dish,' it is most likely asking for a 9- by 13-inch rectangular size.

To keep those green beans, broccoli, asparagus, or leafy greens really green, submerge them in an ice water bath the moment you pull them out of the boiling water. This will keep them vibrantly green with a pleasing snap.

How long can you keep broccoli casserole in the fridge? ›

Allow the leftover broccoli casserole to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave.

Stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling, the two most popular methods for most homemade dishes in China, cause great losses of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C, and glucosinolates, but the steaming method appears the best in retention of the nutrients in cooking broccoli.

Generally, casseroles with grains, rice or pasta that will cook during the baking process are usually covered, for at least part of the time. Casseroles made of cooked ingredients are usually baked uncovered. If you like a crisper, browner top, be sure the casserole is uncovered for at least part of the bake time.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Add fresh chilli and coriander to a simple casserole to spice it up. Always add hardy, fresh herbs such as bay leaves and rosemary at the beginning of cooking, and throw in lighter herbs, such as parsley and tarragon, at the end so they keep their flavour.

“A casserole dish and a baking dish are the same thing: an oven-safe piece of cookware, usually made of ceramic, porcelain, or glass,” says Anthony Contrino, an Emmy Award–winning culinary producer and food stylist. "They can come in various shapes, with the most common being rectangular, oval, or square.

Definition: Casserole is the name of the dish used to cook with, whereas hot dish is the meal itself.

Both are baked in the oven, but a gratin is a special form of a casserole. When cooking it, you will layer the ingredients instead of just adding them all together. In most cases, a gratin is also served as a side dish, not a main, and it has a signature crust that has to be, well, gratinated.