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.
