Italian Broccoli Casserole

Need an easy, healthy side dish to accompany your grilled steak or chicken? Try this broccoli casserole! Healthier recipe full of broccoli, Italian herbs and a bit of rice! Just mix ingredients, bake and eat! Can’t get any easier than that. Perfect vegetarian entrée too!

Italian Broccoli Casserole

Yield: Side Dish…4 – 6 servings

Main Dish …3 - 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced (~ 1 cup)
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large heads fresh broccoli, 3 cups chopped florets and small tender stems
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 ounces (2/3 cup) fontina cheese, grated

Equipment needed:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Small skillet
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Cheese grater
2-quart casserole dish with lid
Rubber spatula
Vegetable spray

My garden broccoli harvest was crazy this year, so I had to figure out what to do with it all! We’ve been doing a lot of grilling this summer with the weather being so hot. So, I needed an easy recipe to accompany steaks. Broccoli casserole was my solution!! Vegetables and starch blended together in one dish! Most broccoli casseroles are loaded with fat and calories... creamy sauce and a ton of cheese. I decided I needed a healthier version... so started experimenting... thus this recipe was born! Added a bit of rice... since I have about 10 pounds in the closet, which added a few carbs to our meal as well. I must admit, it turned out really tasty...so I felt I had to share. Recipe uses most ingredients you probably have in your pantry too!

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Begin by prepping the ingredients first...will make the recipe so much easier! Then place a small skillet with the olive oil over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for ~ 3 – 5 minutes or fragrant and translucent. Meanwhile, spray casserole lightly with vegetable/olive oil spray and add chopped broccoli. Place cooked onions and garlic on top of broccoli and using a rubber spatula, stir well to blend.

Second step! I said the recipe was easy... right? Spread the rice on top of the vegetable mixture and pour in the broth. I use chicken broth, but if you desire a vegetarian casserole, use vegetable broth. Add the seasonings and stir the casserole together well. Now for the cheese! Add the grated fontina and mozzarella, reserving about 1/4 cup of mozzarella for on top. Fontina is a great melting cheese and adds a wonderful rich flavor. If you can’t find Fontina at your local store, an assorted Italian blend works well too! Blend the cheeses into the casserole.

Last step is the addition of the chopped tomatoes. Roma tomatoes will add color, flavor and texture to the broccoli. As the casserole cooks, the tomatoes add a bit of sauce too. Give it a stir or two to evenly distribute the red tomato color and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella on top! Your casserole is ready to bake!
Place a cover on the casserole dish. Covering the dish is very important as the rice will absorb the broth and steam created during baking. Place the casserole in the center of a preheated 375 F oven for 40-50 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

Open lid, carefully, and smell the wonderful aroma! The rice will have magically swelled and blended with the broccoli and cheeses. Such a pretty dish too! Serve with your favorite grilled meat... or as a main course… Enjoy!!