Hi, it's Jen! I'm going to be contributing recipes on Jilly's blog once a month, and I'm so excited to get to know y'all! You can get a peak into my life over at The Arizona Russums. Please stop by... I'd love to meet you!
I've made this recipe twice in the past two weeks. It's that good. One time I made it as a main dish, because I try to do meat-free meals every now and then. About a week later I made it as a side with pork chops. This is great way to sneak some veggies into a delicious dish. My sister-in-law doesn't even like broccoli at all and she loved it!
Broccoli Cheddar Bake
I've made this recipe twice in the past two weeks. It's that good. One time I made it as a main dish, because I try to do meat-free meals every now and then. About a week later I made it as a side with pork chops. This is great way to sneak some veggies into a delicious dish. My sister-in-law doesn't even like broccoli at all and she loved it!
Broccoli Cheddar Bake
What you need:
1 cup shredded cheddar (4 oz.)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 of an 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 tsp. herb garlic soup mix or marinade powder
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked broccoli florets (small pieces)
3/4 cups crushed cornflakes
*For a healthier recipe, use nonfat milk and reduced fat cream cheese. You can also use brown rice if you prefer it.
What you do:
1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) Cook rice according to instructions. I use Minute Rice.
2) Take one broccoli crown and cut florets into extra small pieces. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake on a baking sheet for ten minutes. Set aside. (You can also steam your broccoli if you prefer.)
3) Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
4) In a large skillet, combine cheddar, milk, cream cheese and soup mix (I couldn't find herb garlic soup mix at the store, but I found a packet of herb-garlic marinade powder on the seasonings aisle and it worked great!). Cook and stir over medium-low heat until cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
5) In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice, baked broccoli, and cheese mixture. Stir together until well mixed.
6) Spoon into greased baking dish and sprinkle with crushed cornflakes. I also sprinkled a tiny bit of cheese on top.
7) Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot!
Cook your rice.
Cook your broccoli. I like mine baked, but you can also steam it.
Heat cheese sauce.
Mix rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce together.
Pour rice mixture into baking pan and top with cereal. I cheated and used Chex because I had it on hand, but I think it tastes better with Cornflakes!
Bake on 375 for 25 minutes. I sprinkled a little cheese on top because I couldn't resist!
Enjoy!