Wild Broccoli Bake

Name: Wild Broccoli Bake
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish; 3/4 pound mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini and shiitake, stemmed and quartered; 1 stick butter; 1 large onion, minced; 4 large ribs celery, finely diced; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth; 1/4 cup milk; salt, to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 1/2 pounds broccoli, heads cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded; 1 1/2 cups buttery crackers, crumbled

Chicken Casserole Diner-Style

Time: 2 hours

Yield: 12 servings

About

It's not just a name! There really is something wild about this Wild Broccoli Bake! Yes, the savory, beefy mushrooms are wild, but the flavors of rich buttery, tangy mayo, fresh broccoli, and sharp cheddar aren't all that tame either! With a little buttery cracker crunch on top, Wild Broccoli Bake will have you going wild for it!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
3/4 pound mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini and shiitake, stemmed and quartered
1 stick butter
1 large onion, minced
4 large ribs celery, finely diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 cup milk
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 pounds broccoli, heads cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
1 1/2 cups buttery crackers, crumbled

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -Using the extra melted butter, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 3 -In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms until they are coarsely chopped.

Step 4 -In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 stick of the butter.

Step 5 -Add the onion and the celery to the butter and cook, while stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Step 6 -Add the mushrooms to the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until the liquid evaporates and they begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

Step 7 -Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until the raw flour smell dissipates, about 1 minute.

Step 8 -Add the chicken stock and cook, while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits, until the mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes.

Step 9 -Transfer the saucepan from the heat.

Step 10 -Stir in the milk and season with the salt and the pepper.

Step 11 -Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl to allow it to cool.

Step 12 -Once cooled, stir in the mayonnaise.

Step 13 -Arrange the broccoli florets and the stems in a large steamer basket.

Step 14 -Steam the broccoli until just barely crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Step 15 -Add the broccoli to the vegetable mixture.

Step 16 -Season with the salt and the pepper.

Step 17 -Pour the broccoli mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing out the surface.

Step 18 -Sprinkle the cheddar on top of the broccoli mixture.

Step 19 -In a small bowl, toss the cracker crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.

Step 20 -Scatter the buttered cracker crumbs evenly over the casserole.