Broccoli Sausage Bake

I have an insatiable and unholy love for stuffing. It might be my favorite food ever. In college I used to buy the boxed stuff and make it in the microwave. So this casserole is my new favorite thing ever, because it tastes like stuffing, but is a fairly healthy and well balanced meal. It's full of whole grain (rye), veggies, and lean protein, and it tastes like stuffing, but cheesier. So ya, try and resist this easy and healthy casserole.

Broccoli Sausage Bake:
1/2 loaf of rye bread, about 9 oz
1 head of broccoli
1 onion
5 cloves of garlic
8 oz of turkey sausage, without casing, prefiribley spicy
3/4 cup of 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
1.5 oz of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups of chicken broth

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Lightly toast bread until crisp. Chop broccoli, onion, and garlic, and place on cookie sheet. Roast until broccoli is tender, and onions are slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and lower heat to 350. Cut or tear bread into small chunks, in a 9 by 13" casserole dish, lightly sprayed with non-stick, stir together bread, broccoli, onion, garlic, sausage, and cheese. Mix together the chicken broth and spices, then pour over the bread/broccoli mixture. Bake until liquid is absorbed and top is browned, about 20 minutes.

Happy Eating.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I love a good casserole, they are so hearty and filling and can warm you from the inside. I was looking for something creamy and delicious, that wasn't a million calories, when I stumbled across this casserole from Cooking Light, which inspired me to make my own version. I added a substantial amount of broccoli to really stretch the dish and so that I could eat a gigantic portion guilt free. A piece the size in the picture below (1/6th of the casserole) is under 350 calories, a very reasonable dinner portion. So enjoy some deliciousness absolutely guilt free (and eat the leftovers for lunch).

Chicken Tetrazzini:
2 heads of broccoli, chopped and steamed
1/2 lb of angel hair pasta, broken in half and cooked
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I boiled mine)
1/2 tbsp of butter
1 small onion
1 package of mixed gourmet mushrooms
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 cup of sherry wine
1/3 cup of flour
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of reduced fat, shredded, mozzarella cheese
1/4 cups of plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup of Parmesan

First, prep work, cook the chicken, broccoli and pasta (this could be done in advance too). Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with non-stick and add pasta, broccoli, and chicken and mix together. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt butter, chop onion and add to butter. Chop mushrooms and add as well, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until onions soften, about 3 minutes, add sherry and cook until absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in flour, mixing constantly, cook for 3 minutes, stirring to ensure flour doesn't burn, this will be very thick. Stir in stock and bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, stir until smooth. Add in mozzarella and stir until melted. Pour mixture over the noodle mixture and stir to combine. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Happy Eating.

Breakfast Bacon Casserole

I love breakfast! An obscene amount. It is totally my favorite meal. It can be sweet or savory, healthy or sinful and it's all delicious! I tend to favor more savory breakfasts, now. I think because during the week, my breakfasts tend to be sweeter (oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, etc), so on the weekends I like to gorge myself on glorious egg dishes. For example, this delectable, savory, cheesy-bacony-eggy casserole.

*This post is entered in Denny's and/or Foodbuzz BACONALIA challenge



Breakfast Bacon Casserole:
3 eggs
3 egg whites
1 lb of potatoes
1 green pepper
2 small onions
1 tbsp of plain Greek yogurt
6 slices of thick bacon
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of cumin
3 oz of Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a medium glass casserole dish. Grate potatoes and onions using the large wholes on a box grater or the grating blade on a food processor. Chop the green pepper. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites and yogurt until well combined and slightly fluffy, add in seasonings, and Gruyère, and stir. Add in vegetables and pour mixture into casserole dish. Chop bacon (raw) and sprinkle on top of the egg mixture, then top that with the Parmesan cheese. Bake until set, about 40 minutes. Turn on the broiler and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, until top is golden. Let stand a few minutes before serving.



Happy Eating.

Say Cheese

Lately, I have been thinking about casseroles. I don't know why, but that cheesy goodness has been on my mind. So last night, in an effort to clean out the fridge a bit, I made a delicious broccoli casserole, well maybe it was more of a gratin. Either way it was an absolutely delicious side dish (or even entrée if added in some chicken or something, yum). Seriously, I mean well how could anything drowning in cheese sauce be bad, but this was extra amazing. I will warn you that this recipe doesn't make a super ton, it was just enough for the boyfriend and I, so feel free to expand the recipe as you see fit.

Broccoli Gratin/Casserole:
4 cups of broccoli, chopped
1 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of flour
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cup of whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded.
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
Salt, Pepper and Crushed red pepper flakes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Spread the broccoli in a greased (Pam-ed) baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flakes. Over medium heat, melt butter in a small pot. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour (hey, your making rue), it will be very thick. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and continue whisking until the rue and stock are combined and the sauce/gravy is thick. In batches toss the cheese in the pot and whisk in to melt. When all the cheese is melted in, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour cheese sauce over the broccoli and toss lightly to spread the mixture evenly. Top with the bread crumbs and bake uncovered until broccoli is tender and top is golden, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Happy Eating.