Creamy Broccoli & Mushroom Casserole

Submitted by rpgaymer

"A very pretty side dish that tastes as good as it looks. From Saveur, but I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh and light mayo instead of regular mayo."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 3 (10 ounce) bags frozen broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1⁄2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise (I use the light kind- works fine)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

directions

1. Cook the broccoli according to your package's directions (I usually just microwave it in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water until it's done). Drain and transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.
2. Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add 3 tablespoons butter to skillet and melt. Remove from heat add bread crumbs and sage; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Heat remaining butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add milk, mustard, and nutmeg, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar, mayonnaise, and eggs until smooth; season with salt and pepper and set sauce aside.
5. Heat broiler to high. Pour sauce evenly over the top of the broccoli; sprinkle with mushrooms, bread crumbs and remaining cheddar. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Reviews

[Lori Mama]

Very nice side dish. I made this ahead and baked it in a 350 oven for 25 minutes to reheat. I also added some leftover carrots. :)

 

[Karen Elizabeth]

Well, we certainly did enjoy this, although I also got a creamy rather than a firm sauce. I liked the sage, and we found this a nice side-dish, served with chicken and little roast potatoes. Not a wonderful photo, I'm afraid, but it was enjoyed :) for PRMR tag game.

 

[the great hunter]

I had high hopes for this recipe. Unfortunatly, it came out nothing like a casserole and not at all like the picture. Ours came out looking like my wifes broccoli in cheese sauce. She makes the same sauce (without the sage) and serves it to pour over steamed broccoli. The sage over-powered the whole dish and I do not recommend using the 2 teaspoons of 'dried' sage. Also, the eggs got clumpy adding them directly into the hot cream sauce, as directed (my wife always tells me you have to 'temper' the eggs (whatever that means). I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but only 2 minutes in the oven (per instructions) did not turn this dish into a casserole. I think we will stick with out regular cheese sauce, but this was a good attempt.