Creamy, cheesy and totally delicious this Broccoli Cheese Bake is the perfect side dish for a weekend dinner or holiday feast. Fresh broccoli florets in a cheese sauce and a wonderful crunchy topping, this dish is easy to make, all from scratch.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Large saucepan
Balloon whisk
6 cup capacity baking dish (I use a 9 inch pie dish)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C (fan forced).
Break the broccoli into two-bite sized florets. Cut away the dry part of the bottom of the stem, then cut the remaining stem into small pieces about 5mm thick.
In a large saucepan bring 2 litres (2 qt) of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes - no longer. Drain immediately and tip into a 6 cup capacity casserole dish.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the flour and cook, stirring often for about 1 minute to cook the flour.
Swap to a balloon whisk. While whisking pour in half the milk, making sure it's smooth (it will get thick quickly). Add the remaining milk and whisk until smooth. Add chicken stock and dijon, whisk to combine and bring the mix to a simmer for 2 minutes, whisking often.
Take the saucepan off the heat. Add all but one small handful of the cheddar, plus all the salt and pepper. Stir well to melt the cheese, then taste and add more seasoning if required.
Pour over the broccoli in your casserole dish evenly.
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, oil and remaining handful of cheese. Mix until all well combined and coated then scatter over the broccoli, focusing mostly on where the broccoli is sticking up.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crisp and turning golden.
Notes
I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons).
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.