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Simply Delicious

Healthy Broccoli Cheese Bake

VegetarianCasseroleOven

Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

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About

It's hard to imagine "yummy" and "healthy" being in the same sentence, but Healthy Broccoli Cheese Bake makes it happen! A bunch of fresh garden veggies, pan-seared and smothered in melty sharp cheese make up the filling, while the top is blanketed in a crunchy whole-grain bread crust! It's balanced, healthy, vegetarian, and just plain delicious... a lot of cheese and floral broccoli will do that! Healthy Broccoli Cheese Bake will make health nuts and lovers of hearty fare equally happy!

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-fat 1% milk, warm
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Romano cheese, shredded, divided
  • 7 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and well-drained (on a paper towel)
  • 1 cup fresh whole-grain breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Step 3 -Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 4 -Add the onion, the bell pepper, the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper to the oil and cook, while stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Step 5 -Sprinkle the flour over the veggie mixture and cook, while stirring, until it is lightly golden and the flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.

Step 6 -Add the remaining salt and the milk to the veggie mixture.

Step 7 -Bring the veggie mixture to a boil and stir until it is smooth and slightly thickens, about 3 minutes.

Step 8 -Stir the cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Romano cheese into the veggie mixture.

Step 9 -Stir the broccoli into the veggie mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish.

Step 10 -Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining Romano cheese and sprinkle over the top of the veggie mixture.

Step 11 -Dot the bake with the butter.

Step 12 -Bake the dish, uncovered, until the crumbs are golden and the casserole is bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Step 13 -Transfer the dish from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

Step 14 -Serve.

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