Broccoli

INGREDIENTS 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup), divided 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 garlic clove, minced 2 pounds broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and chopped, divided 1 onion, chopped fine 1½ cups long-grain white rice 4 cups chicken broth 1½ cups half-and-half 1 teaspoon table salt 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups) 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper INSTRUCTIONS Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Pulse bread, ¼ cup Parmesan, and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground, about 5 pulses. Add garlic and pulse to combine. Microwave broccoli florets, covered, in large bowl until bright green and tender, 2 to 4 minutes; set aside. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and broccoli stalks and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar, cayenne, broccoli florets, and remaining ½ cup Parmesan. Transfer mixture to prepared dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

INGREDIENTS 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup 1/3 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon butter, melted 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt 1 pound fresh penne pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 pound bacon, diced 4 cups small broccoli florets (from 1 large head) 3/4 cup pine nuts 1 1/2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese, or more to taste 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the bacon. Cook until the bacon is almost crisp, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and pine nuts and cook until the pine nuts are light golden brown and the bacon is fully crisp, about 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta water and deglaze the pan, scraping with a wooden spoon to get up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar and red pepper flakes. When the cheese is melted and fully incorporated, add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring it into the sauce. Serve immediately, topping with more cheddar if desired. Serves 4 ...

INGREDIENTS 3 slices white sandwich bread 3 tablespoons olive oil Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds total), florets finely chopped, stalks peeled and finely chopped 1 cup shredded white cheddar (4 ounces) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. In a food processor, pulse bread and 1 tablespoon oil until large crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Whisk in flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; add broccoli. Reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup cheese. Transfer mixture to a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish; top with breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Bake until breadcrumbs are golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS All-purpose flour, for rolling 1 homemade or store-bought single-crust pie dough 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 cups medium diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion) Coarse salt and ground pepper 6 large eggs 3/4 cup heavy cream 3/4 pound broccoli florets, steamed until crisp-tender 1 cup grated sharp cheddar (4 ounces) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp edge. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add onion, broccoli florets, and cheese and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine, pour into crust, and bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 onion, chopped 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 2 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese salt and ground black pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over mediumlow heat; cook until flour loses it’s granular texture, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until flour taste is gone and mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, sautéed onion, and celery; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. YIELD 8 servings ...