Broccoli tend to have a bad reputation among people, specially young ones. They’re alright with me. I think they are a great vessel to carry flavor while being highly nutritious. If you don’t necessarily like broccoli, but want to incorporate it’s benefits into your diet, this recipe might just be it for you. With a good coating of béchamel sauce and topped with cheese, most ingredients won’t go wrong with that.
Do you like broccoli??
Ingredients:
2-3 bundles of broccoli
3 cups of milk
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of butter
2 cups of Edam cheese
5 garlic cloves
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
1 tbsp and 1/2 tbsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp of chili powder
Let’s get started!!!
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
The first thing that needs to be done is to put a big pot of water on the stove and let it come to a boil. While the water is warming up cut the florets, into bit size pieces, off of the broccoli stalk and give them a thorough rinse. After that, peel the garlic and chop the thyme and set them aside. I don’t usually chop thyme, I just take take the leaves off the stem. But chopping them is faster.
Once the water starts to boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and add the broccoli. Now, wait until the water is boiling again; it will take about 2-3 minutes. Grate the cheese while you are waiting. I am using Edam cheese, but you can use parmesan, gruyère, or whatever you want. When the broccoli water is boiling again, turn off the flame and drain the broccoli. Do not rinse it under cold water. Just let them sit while you’re making the béchamel sauce.
In a saucepan, add the milk (I am using almond milk) on medium flame and warm it up while starting the roux. Keep an eye on the milk so it doesn’t scorch. In a different large pot on low flame, add the butter and let it melt. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and mix them together (that is the roux). Pour in the milk little by little while whisking constantly. After the milk, add the spices: the minced garlic, chopped thyme, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, pepper and chili powder to the béchamel sauce, and make sure to continue whisking so it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pot. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese and whisk it in until it’s melted. And then, add the broccoli and mix it in. The sauce will thicken up.
Grease the pan that will be use too bake the dish. I am just brushing some oil inside the oven safe bowls. Ladle in the broccoli mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. And bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven of 350 degrees F. When they are done baking, let them cool for at least 20 minutes before eating.
Enjoy!
Thank you for your time!