A New and Healthier Casserole Recipe

One of the dishes I volunteered to make for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with the extended family is a broccoli casserole. I have never been overly fond of the traditional broccoli and rice combination, and for a meal with dressing and sweet potatoes, I really didn't see the point in adding more carbs to the meal by putting rice in the vegetables! Plus, we have a couple of diabetics in the family now. So I was really tickled when I found this recipe from Cooking Light. I don't know if the recipe they started with had rice in it, but they cut 26 grams of fat when they lightened it up! The whole family loved it. Most broccoli casserole recipes that I looked at had almost 400 calories per serving, and this one only has 141! It was even pretty quick to throw together. I knew when I made it Thanksgiving that it was going to make a return appearance at Christmas! I highly recommend adding this to your recipe collection for any occasion!

ZESTY BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

• 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium)
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and sliced
• 3/4 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs; can also use regular breadcrumbs)
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Arrange broccoli in an even layer in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Combine milk, flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheddar and cream cheeses; stir until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise, onion, and water chestnuts. Spoon cheese mixture evenly over broccoli.
4. Place Panko in a small bowl. Drizzle with butter, and toss. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over cheese mixture. Lightly spray breadcrumb layer with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until mixture begins to bubble and breadcrumbs brown.

*Scaling Amounts: For Thanksgiving, I bought a 40 ounce bag of frozen broccoli florets and upped the other ingredients by about 1/4. (But this is one of those recipes that doesn't have to be exact!) I used a 9 x 13 deep casserole and it was enough for 20 teens and adults (a few of those teens are pretty picky!) At Christmas, I doubled the recipe, using most of a 64-ounce bag of broccoli and an 11 x 17 casserole dish for 22 people and there was lots left over.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 141
Calories from fat: 31%
Fat: 4.9g
Saturated fat: 2.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g
Protein: 8.6g
Carbohydrate: 17.9g
Fiber: 4.1g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 484mg
Calcium: 173mg

Cooking Light
JULY 2006