Meatless Monday: Warm You Up Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

Cranberry Sandwich Cookies recipe and promoted Carton Smart. Luckily, my local commissary on base carries a lot of their products including soups, broth, and purees. I purchased their Cream of Mushroom soup (a childhood favorite of mine!) a few weeks ago and was excited to try the recipe on the back for Broccoli Casserole. Ava loves pasta and cheese and broccoli (all the good stuff!) so I knew this would be a hit with my little girl, for sure! And casserole’s are a favorite of mine because they are easy to prepare and make lots of leftovers. Perfect for this busy Mama!

Ingredients:

• 1 12oz carton Pacific Foods Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup
• 2 heads of broccoli, cleaned and trimmed
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 2 cups cooked pasta, I like Veggie Rotini
• 5 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups skim or low fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• salt/white pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Steam broccoli until tender and then chop into bite size pieces.
3.  Heat a skillet over medium and add 2 tbsp butter (or sub olive oil).
4. Add shallots and garlic and cook until softened and browned. Remove from heat.
5. In a saucepan add remaining 3 tbsp butter and flour. Heat over medium and whisk until combined.
6. Slowly whisk in milk until combined then add cheese and salt and white pepper. Whisk until melted.
7. In a large bowl mix together broccoli, cooked pasta, shallots, soup, butter, and cheese sauce.
8. Pour mixture into a 8X8 baking dish.
9. Bake for approx 30 minutes until golden and set.

I am hooked on this tasty Cream of Mushroom soup from Pacific Foods.

Steam broccoli until tender and then chop into bite size pieces.

There is nothing better on a cold night than a comforting, cheesy casserole.