Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use fresh or frozen broccoli in a casserole? ›

Fresh vegetables contain less water

Frozen vegetables release moisture as they cook and when they're used in a casserole that moisture has nowhere to go but into your dish. If you want your casserole to have the best texture, it's best to use fresh vegetables.

Made with broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, bacon, milk, cream, and eggs, this broccoli casserole recipe is great for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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, ...

There's no need to thaw or cook frozen broccoli before popping it into a soup recipe. Just stir the broccoli into the pot and let it simmer until tender. This even works for classics like Cream of Broccoli Soup or new-to-you favorites like our Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon.

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.

Soft vegetables like broccoli can be quickly par-cooked (aka blanched). If you are using hard vegetables like potatoes or carrots or other hardy root vegetables, you'll want to par-cook for longer. Often a quick 2-5 minutes in the microwave will just give them that great head-start.

Casseroles Are Largely Defined by Their Baking Dish

agrees, telling us that "a casserole is baked in a casserole dish—a deep baking dish. The word casserole comes from a French word meaning 'saucepan. '"

In conclusion, the current study clearly shows that nutrient and health-promoting compounds in broccoli are significantly affected by domestic cooking. All cooking treatments, except steaming, caused great losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Only boiling and stir-frying/boiling caused the loss of total carotenoids.

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.

How long should a casserole be in the oven? ›

The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.

The binder, a liquid that holds the other ingredients together. – Fat-free milk, broth, fruit juice, soup, eggs, or a thickened Béchamel/White sauce.

We dive into the science on how to safely enjoy convenient frozen produce. So, should you be washing frozen fruits and vegetables? The answer: it depends on what it is. The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) clarifies that frozen fruit is safe and ready-to-eat straight from the package, no need to wash it.

Frozen broccoli florets take about 3-4 minutes to steam in the microwave. This is about the same time it takes to cook fresh florets. When cooked in the microwave, add 1 teaspoon of water to the frozen broccoli to quickly boost the steam.

Frozen broccoli is an incredible timesaver. After all, it's already cleaned, cut, blanched and ready to use, making it easy to get some extra green into your diet. On top of that, it's got just as much nutrition as fresh broccoli, lasts six to eight months in the freezer and is more economical.

Buying frozen vegetables can be more convenient, more affordable and taste just as delicious as fresh. I love adding frozen broccoli to this Creamy Broccoli Pasta or to a homemade soup.