My Mother's Broccoli Casserole
Casserole:
1/2 cup (dry) rice, brown or white
1 cup water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
6 to 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped (I use baby portobellos)
salt and pepper, to taste
splash Bragg's, optional
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon oregano
16 ounces broccoli (frozen or fresh)
4 to 5 ounces vegan cheddar, cubed (I use almost 1/2 block Follow Your Heart)
1/4 cup nondairy milk
2 to 3 tablespoons vegan butter Breadcrumbs (can also use Pepperidge Farm stuffing):
2-3 pieces bread
olive oil, as needed
oregano, to taste
basil, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare rice with the water according to package directions, and set aside. Dissolve veggie cube in nondairy milk. Dissolve cornstarch into cold water and add to milk mixture. Whisk until it thickens. Add more cornstarch, if necessary.
2. Stir in mushrooms, and add salt and pepper. Add Bragg's, if desired. (Sometimes I add it to cut the salt amount.) Set this mixture to the side. Saute celery and onion until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic and oregano. While the celery and onion saute, steam the broccoli until it is slightly undercooked (it will cook more in the oven). Drain well. In a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, combine the mushroom mixture, celery/onion mixture, rice, and broccoli.
4. Melt cheese in a saucepan with nondairy milk and butter. When it reaches a "cheez whiz" like consistency, pour and stir it into the casserole. If making bread topping, drizzle bread with olive oil and herbs, then toast. Crumble into chunks or crumbs.
5. Sprinkle the breading on top of casserole and bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until topping has browned and the casserole feels firm. Enjoy!
Source of recipe: My mother got this recipe from a church cookbook and modified it. Then I veganized it.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
this was awesome. it was my first attempt at a broccoli casserole and the kids love it!
THIS WAS AWESOME! I made it for an Easter lunch and I could've eaten the whole dish myself! I used French's Fried Onions instead of bread crumbs though I'm sure whatever kind of topping would be amazing. Kudos!!
Wowza! Love this recipe!!!! A few changes I made: used carrot instead of celery, instead of stuffing used some french fried onions (I know, not the healthiest choice, but they are so yummy), and used a full helping of the NY cheese. I think lots of other veggies would be good in this--peas, potatoes, leeks, etc.
But this is so worth the bit of work it takes to make!
This was very yummy. Fantastic comfort food. Even my omni-neighbors liked it.
I didn't know when the rice came into the recipe - baked into the casserole or kept separate until after the casserole is baked? I don't think the recipe ever specified.
I added the rice and stirred it into the casserole mix and then baked it. It turned out great. Very creamy.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I forgot to add the rice in the directions, but it sounds like you added it at the right time. I mix it in when I combine everything else.
This was very yummy. Fantastic comfort food. Even my omni-neighbors liked it.
I didn't know when the rice came into the recipe - baked into the casserole or kept separate until after the casserole is baked? I don't think the recipe ever specified.
I added the rice and stirred it into the casserole mix and then baked it. It turned out great. Very creamy.
;)b I followed this recipe pretty closely, I just used canned mushrooms instead of fresh and garlic powder insted of fresh garlic because I didn't have these items on hand. It was a rather labor-intensive recipe, but well-worth the effort. I think my omnivorous mom liked it even more than I did - she ate seconds AND leftovers! Five stars!
This is my new favorite meal. I add a ton more veggies(carrots, sweet potato, and cauliflower) because I like my broccoli in limited quantities. It's a little labor intensive with the pots and pans and steps required, but totally worth it in the end. I look forward to the day when I don't have to look at the recipe every 5 minutes, because then its deliciousness will be all the tastier :)
Just a question.
I would really love to try this recipe, but it is really difficult to find vegan cheeses near me. Would you think a nutritional yeast based sauce could work in its place?
It would definitely work. I just use the vegan cheese because it's more similar to the bright orange velveeta cheese my mom uses. Ha.
Just a question.
I would really love to try this recipe, but it is really difficult to find vegan cheeses near me. Would you think a nutritional yeast based sauce could work in its place?
Just so everyone knows, making it the night before and microwaving it the next day works just fine. The topping wasn't as crunchy as it would be straight from the oven, but it wasn't mushy either. Took forever to heat evenly though....the middle was only luke warm after 10 minutes, but I was tired of poking it.
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