About
Momma always wanted us to eat our vegetables and worked for a long time to make vegetables appealing to us. What she created was a dish that we still love whenever we want to make our greens exciting: Momma's Love Casserole. This refreshing broccoli and hearty mushroom casserole is just loaded with all the things to make veggies cool: melty cheese, buttery crunchy breadcrumbs, and tender rice! Savory and scrumptious, Momma's Love Casserole really does taste like love!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 3 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- black pepper, to taste
- ground red pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup water
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 3 -Combine the melted butter with the panko breadcrumbs and 1 cup of the cheddar, tossing to coat.
Step 4 -In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the broth, the milk, the bay leaf, and the thyme sprig.
Step 5 -Bring the mixture to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.
Step 6 -Cover the saucepan and keep the mixture warm until ready to use.
Step 7 -In a large, shallow Dutch oven or an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.
Step 8 -Add the onion and the celery to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 9 -Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, the black pepper, and the red pepper to the Dutch oven.
Step 10 -Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 11 -Add the garlic to the mushroom mixture and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
Step 12 -Stir the flour into the mushroom mixture until combined. Don't worry if the mixture seems dry.
Step 13 -Remove and discard the bay leaf and the thyme sprig from the broth mixture.
Step 14 -Gradually stir the broth mixture into the mushroom mixture.
Step 15 -Add the remaining cheese into the broth and mushroom mixture and stir until well-blended and smooth.
Step 16 -Stir in the rice, the sour cream, the mayo, and the nutmeg.
Step 17 -Cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid.
Step 18 -Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 19 -Transfer the Dutch over from the oven.
Step 20 -Turn on the broiler.
Step 21 -In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the broccoli, the water, and the remaining salt.
Step 22 -Cover the bowl and microwave until the broccoli is tender and bright green, about 2 minutes on high power.
Step 23 -Drain the broccoli and pat it dry.
Step 24 -Stir the broccoli into the rice mixture in the Dutch oven.
Step 25 -Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the broccoli mixture.
Step 26 -Place the Dutch oven on the middle oven rack and broil until the topping is golden-brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 27 -Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes.
Step 28 -Serve.
