Put away the can of cream of mushroom soup, this ain’t your neighbor’s broccoli casserole. Sweet Daddy D’s no-angst version of Broccoli Casserole loaded with cheese and mushrooms is another thing altogether. Fresh Broccoli in a super cheesy cream sauce laced with sautéed fresh mushrooms, even more cheese right on top and a sprinkle of sharp Romano cheese on top of that. That’s what Sweet Daddy D calls his Broccoli Cheese Casserole. You’ll need to loosen your belt for this one.
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[Publishers Note: I originally published this article in August 2018. I am publishing this update to provide some clarifications with step-by-step instructions and web-friendly photographs of each step. Let me know what you think.]
What’s So Special About this Casserole?
First off, we are going to use fresh broccoli. We’ll parboil it for a minute to get it headed in the right direction. All across America can openers will be burning up opening Cream of Mushroom or Cream of This and That. Not in your kitchen. We’ll make a bechamel sauce (that's a fancy French name for a pretty simple sauce) as a base, pack it with two kinds of grated cheese and some unbelievable sauteed mushrooms. With a nick-nack paddy whack give a dog a bone, we'll cover it in a blanket of more grated cheese and a healthy sprinkle of Romano cheese for an earthy finish. Then, it goes into the oven until it returns a bubbly golden brown. As I said, it's special. You won’t get this at the church covered-dish.
Here's What You Need
Here's what you need for the bechamel:
Equipment
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Stockpot, cutting boards, cambro prep bowls, glass prep bowls, chef’s knives, metal measuring cups, glass measuring cups, measuring spoons, over the sink strainers, casserole dish, saute' pan, whisk, saucepan, cheese grater.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. Prepare the ingredients and prepare the cook. Grab a beer, sit down and read the recipe from top to bottom. Make sure you have everything you need and you know what you are going to do with each ingredient. Proper preparation, or mise en place, will eliminate the angst, and a few swallows of beer won’t hurt either.
Mise en place
- To prepare the broccoli, snip off the tender florets with a sharp utility knife. Eliminate most of the thicker stems and try to keep just a bit of the small stems right at the florets. Do your best to make them bite-size.
- Set the ingredients for the bechamel aside (whole milk, AP flour and butter).
- I like to use fresh mushrooms. Gently wipe them with a soft towel then slice or chop them.
- Grate the cheeses. To me, it's always better to grate your cheese as opposed to buying it already grated, which can have the tendency to dry out a bit. A coarse grate is fine.
- Measure a couple of tablespoons of grated Romano cheese, or a little more if you're a fan, a few tablespoons of butter, some kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Prepare the baking dish by smearing soft butter all over the inside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Now you're ready to go, how's your beer?
NOTE: check out the Hints and Tips below for a word about substitute ingredients.
Parboil or steam the broccoli
You want to get the florets on their way to cooking, but not end up with mushy broccoli. Place a stockpot over high heat and bring the water to a boil, then add the florets to the water or steam basket. Just steam or parboil them for three or four minutes once the water returns to a boil.
Remove the florets from the water or steam basket directly into an ice bath (that's just a bowl filled with lots of ice and cold water). This will stop the cooking and they will end up with an amazing bright green color. Let the florets soak in the ice bath for about 5 minutes then drain them. Once drained, place them in the prepared oven-safe casserole dish in which you will bake the casserole.
Saute the mushrooms
Place a saute pan over medium-high and add the butter. When the butter is bubbly, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they start to brown. This should take about 5 to 8 minutes. Set the pan aside until needed.
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Make the bechamel
Here's the link to the full detailed instructions and a recipe for Béchamel Sauce. Here are the simple steps:
- Warm whole milk in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter.
- As it is melting, add the AP flour and whisk constantly to make a smooth, white roux. (make sure you don't brown the roux). This takes 3 or 4 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly add small amounts of the warmed whole milk (about ¼ cup at a time), whisking constantly to blend the milk and roux.
- Continue whisking. Once about half of the milk has been added, you can add all of the rest of the milk.
- Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and continue to whisk as it starts to bubble.
- Allow the sauce to slowly bubble for a few minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add kosher salt and white pepper to taste.
Add the mushrooms and cheeses to the bechamel
Remove the bechamel from the heat and completely mix in the mushrooms.
Add the grated cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and stir vigorously to combine the cheese sauce.
Once all the cheese has melted, give the sauce a taste. Add kosher salt and white pepper if needed.
Add the cheese sauce to the broccoli
Pour the cream sauce over the broccoli right in the casserole dish. Mix the broccoli and the sauce together completely, making sure to get the sauce all over and through the broccoli.
Sprinkle about a cup or more of grated cheddar and Gruyere cheese evenly on top, then some grated Romano on top of that.
Bake for 30 minutes
Place the casserole, uncovered, into the 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is starting to brown and the edges are bubbling. If it starts to brown too fast, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Once it is browned on top, remove the baking dish from the oven and it let it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes.
That’s it, all there is to it.
Hints and Tips
Read my article How to Make Bechamel Sauce. It’s a simple process of making a white roux with 4 tablespoons of butter and three tablespoons of AP flour, then whisking in some warmed whole milk. Simmer and whisk until it thickens, season with kosher salt and white pepper and there you have it.
The Bechamel Sauce can be made a day ahead. After cooling, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, place it in a saucepan over low heat and whisk vigorously while it warms. Once smooth, if it needs to be thinned, add a little warm milk until it reaches the consistency you want.
You want about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds of broccoli florets, so buying two pounds should give you that when you cut off the stems.
Frozen broccoli florets can be substituted for fresh. Be sure to thaw the broccoli before using it, but there is no need to parboil or steam the frozen florets. A jar or two of sliced mushrooms can be substituted for the fresh mushrooms. I recommend still sautéing them, as that process brings a flavor richness which adds a nice dimension. Pre-grated cheese can be substituted for block cheese. It's always best to grate your own cheese, but if you're in a crunch for time, just pick up some pre-grated cheese.
This casserole can be frozen after cooking if wrapped tightly and placed in a freezer-proof container. It's best to start out in a casserole dish that is oven safe as well as freezer safe, that way you don't have to worry about transferring. After baking, let the casserole cool completely-probably about an hour. Once cooled, wrap very tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap that with aluminum foil. When you’re ready to serve it, let the casserole thaw out in the refrigerator overnight, then bake in a 350-degree oven covered with aluminum foil. Check it after 20 minutes, you want it to be heated through to about 165 degrees Fahrenheit, but make sure its bubbling around the sides.
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days if wrapped to be airtight. To reheat, cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and place it in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes (until it reaches 165 degrees). This can also be reheated in the microwave in individual servings or all together.
Yes, this casserole can be frozen before or after it's baked. The only concern is that the bechamel sauce may have a tendency to separate as a result of the freezing. Allow the baked casserole to cool down for about an hour, then wrap airtight in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before placing in the freezer. The casserole should maintain its quality for about 3 months. To reheat you can go right to the 350-degree oven without defrosting. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and reheat the casserole to 165 degrees (start checking it after 20 minutes).
If you want to make the casserole in advance, prepare it up to the point that you would put the cheese on top. Wrap the baking dish or freezer container tightly to make it airtight. When ready to bake, defrost the casserole completely in the fridge overnight. Mix the broccoli and cheese sauce thoroughly, then top it with the grated cheese. Bake according to the instructions.
Try these other great casseroles from Sweet Daddy D:
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Recipe
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Here's What You Need
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli cut into florets (see Recipe Notes)
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms sliced (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 ½ cups Béchamel Sauce see Recipe Notes for recipe.
- 2 cups gruyère cheese grated, plus some for topping
- 1 cup sharp cheddar grated, plus some for topping
- 2 tablespoons Romano Cheese
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Here's What You Do
- Cut the broccoli into florets. Slice the mushrooms after washing. Grate the cheeses and measure the remaining ingredients.
- Steam or parboil the broccoli florets for 3 minutes, place in an ice bath for 5 minutes. Remove, drain and set aside. Don't overcook the broccoli.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a saute pan over medium high heat until bubbling.
- Place sliced mushrooms in the pan with a pinch of salt. Saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Make béchamel sauce according to the recipe (See Notes for link)
- Add the sautéed mushrooms into the bechamel sauce and mix well.
- Maintaining a very low heat, add the grated gruyère and cheddar cheeses to the béchamel and stir until melted and mixed well.
- Place the drained broccoli in a casserole dish (that has been prepared by spreading softened butter all over the inside) and pour the cheesy béchamel sauce over the broccoli. Stir completely to blend all the ingredients.
- Place more extra gruyere and cheddar cheese on top, then sprinkle some Romano cheese on top of that.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and browning on top.
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