Broccoli Casserole

I am on a quest to get my toddler to eat more veggies. 

I have been trying to make interesting, tasty dinners that have veggies in them, so he doesn’t necessarily get an option of eating them.  One of the vegetables that he doesn’t particularly care for is broccoli.  He will eat the stems in my Pan Roasted Broccoli recipe, but he won’t eat the florets, and that’s were all the good nutritious stuff is stored.

I can remember eating broccoli and cauliflower as a kid with a white cheese sauce on it, but then I think about the toddler running in circles around me at 5pm while I’m trying to make a rue at the stove and realize that white sauce is not a happening thing in my house, at least for next few years.

This recipe is an easy make-ahead casserole that is a complete meal.  I admit it’s not low cal, but I served it for the first time tonight and munchkin actually ate it. And he never eats things the first time I serve them, so I think it’s a winner!

To cut down on the prep time, I have often cooked chicken the day before or cooked, cubed and frozen the chicken.  Then when I have leftover rice, I use it up in the casserole.  This recipe also does well with the chicken omitted as a vegetarian casserole.

Note: If you’re gluten free, you’ll want to use a GF cream of mushroom soup. I like Pacific Foods, shown here.

Broccoli Casserole

2 packages of frozen chopped broccoli

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 or 3 cups of cooked brown or white rice (optional)

1 lb cooked chicken breast, chopped (optional)
Cheddar cheese to taste (I use 8 oz of extra sharp cheddar and 4 oz medium cheddar, use less if you don’t include the chicken and rice)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole pan and level.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until edges are brown and it is hot in the center.