Broccoli-Cheddar Puff

This was from a holiday article in Good Housekeeping. The picture looked absolutely DEELISH! I love broccoli and, believe it or not, we're still harvesting broccoli from our garden. I'm excited about serving this on Thanksgiving as an alternative to our usual broccoli casserole.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 15

Ingredients

• 5  tablespoons butter
• 6  tablespoons flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 2 1⁄2 cups milk
• 2  cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 (10 ounce) boxes frozen broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
• 7  large eggs, separated
• 1 1⁄2 cups  breadcrumbs (3 slices bread) or 1 1⁄2 cups  butter  cracker crumbs

Directions

1. In a 4 quart saucepot, melt 4 tbsp butter over med-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and cayenne until blended; cook 1 minute stirring. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese; cook until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in broccoli.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Stir in about 1/2 cup cheese sauce. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture into cheese sauce, stirring rapidly to prevent curdling. Cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a shallow 3 1/2 quart casserole dish or a 9x13 dish. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 tablespoons butter and mix in crumbs. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one third of the whites into the cheese mixture. Fold cheese mixture gently back into the remaining whites. Pour into casserole. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and bake 40 min or until the top is browned. Serve immediately.