Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole
This casserole may not look very healthy, but it actually is! I found the recipe in one of my favorite southern cookbooks, which of course was full of butter and other fatty ingredients. So I changed it up a little, did some substituting and omitting and came up with this recipe. It's creamy and cheesy and a great way to get your kids to eat some broccoli!
Start with some chopped onions, garlic and broccoli, cut into bite size florets.
Saute onions and garlic until they start to caramelize, about 4-5 minutes.
Then add the broccoli.
Season with House Blend.
Add about a 1/2 cup of white wine and put the lid to simmer for about 5 minutes. You want the broccoli slightly tender, it will finish cooking in the oven.
While the broccoli is steaming, let's make the sauce. I'm using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and only 1/3 of the mayonnaise the original recipe called for, just by doing that, we cut out a ton of calories and fat! In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Add the juice of a half lemon, about 1 tablespoon.
stir in 1 teaspoon House Blend.
Since the yogurt is much thicker than sour cream, I added about 1/4 cup of milk to thin it out.
The cheese is the only ingredient I didn't skimp on. I don't like the texture of low fat cheese and it doesn't melt well. The benefit of cutting out all the other fats is we get to use good cheese! Add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar to the mix.
Now we can start assembling the casserole. This is a great way to use up leftover rice too. I'm using brown rice, which is nutty in flavor and much healthier than white rice. Spray the pan first with some cooking spray, then add 2 cups cooked rice.
Top the rice with the broccoli mixture. I could eat that broccoli just like that, it smells so good!
Next, spread the yogurt mixture over everything.
Take the spoon and push the mixture down into the broccoli and rice. It doesn't have to be completely mixed in, like you see here.
Top with remaining cheese and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown along the edges.
Look at all that melted cheese!!!
Yum, the yogurt gives it a slight tang, the brown rice adds a nutty flavor and the cheese, well the cheese is just being its lovely delicious self, ooey and gooey!
This makes for a wonderful side dish and could be a fantastic main dish by adding cooked chicken as well. Talk about a leftover makeover!
RECIPE
BROCCOLI AND BROWN RICE CASSEROLE
| Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 50 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 |
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- SplenDishes House Blend
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 milk
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees(f).
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Add broccoli and season with House Blend. Stir in white wine, put lid on and simmer for about 5 minutes.
To make the sauce, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, milk, House Blend and 1 cup of cheese.
Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon rice into baking dish.
Top rice with broccoli mixture then spread yogurt sauce over everything.
Using a spoon, push the sauce down into the mixture then cover with remaining cheese.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden around the edges.
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