Saturday, July 2, 2011

Broccoli - eating your vegetables and actually liking them . . .

My husband set a strict rule in place when our children were old enough to actively participate at the dinner table. You have to eat a bite of everything to leave the table. You have to try and clean your plate to earn dessert. You have to eat your vegetables/salad completely. That set me into cooking mode to present vegetables in ways they might like. Now that three of them are out of their teens, they are pretty good about eating vegetables . . . even when there isn't a dessert in sight.

Broccoli is one vegetable they all deal with almost happily. I remembered this recipe and thought I'd share it with you. Not that any of us really have any picky eaters . . .

Broccoli-Cheese Bake
3 cups fresh broccoli, rinsed, and chopped into florets
2 cups grated, sharp cheddar
1 ½ cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2-3 slices of bread, your choice
3-4 strips of bacon, fried and finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
Dash of chili flakes

Melt the butter in a saucepan until bubbly but not brown. Add the garlic and saute a moment to soften. Sprinkle in the flour and cook until it combines well with the butter. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted. Add the bacon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Set aside.

Steam the broccoli until almost tender. It should still be a bit crisp. Spread into a buttered casserole dish. Pour over the cheese mixture evenly. Tear the bread into pieces and arrange over the top. Spray liberally with vegetable spray. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the bread topping starts to brown and the cheese is bubbling.

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