Posted on

Broccoli and cheese recipe goes a-rye

Welp, I finally did it. It only took a month. I was finally too ambitious for my small skillet.

It was, admittedly, sketchy to begin with. Even though the recipe called for a 9-inch dish, it did specify that it should be square and deep, so I was already cutting it close.

But I figured I’d give this broccoli and cheese casserole with toasted rye a shot anyway, because it sounded so good, and everything else had worked so far, right?

Broccoli and cheese casserole with rye ingredients.

Well, it turned out that making the cheese sauce nearly filled my skillet to the brim. That made it pretty hard to fit in lots of broccoli, let alone top it with anything.

I nearly decided to scrap it as a blog post entirely since it went so far off the rails. But as I thought about it, I realized it all actually worked out and showed the importance of adapting in cooking.

Sure the recipe said some things, but as I read the signs of what was happening my braiser, I knew I needed to change. And so often when I actually fail at making something it’s because I ignore the signs. Something isn’t working early on but I press on anyway.

This time, I saw how much cheese sauce I had and not only was it too much for my braiser, but it was also too much for the amount of broccoli I had. So, thankfully, I had and added a head (the recipe called for 3, and I had 4). I also saw that the slices of bread weren’t enough, so I doubled that as well.

I didn’t even attempt to fit it in my skillet; I just found a casserole dish that was more than large enough.

And, honestly, it ended up working out well. I had to adapt, sure, and it was frustrating at times to realize my recipe wasn’t working as expected, but I’m infinitely happier for recognizing where things were going a-rye (sorry, I had to), and making changes.

Braiser in the back, casserole in the front.

So, here’s what I did, using my little skillet for the sauce only:

Ingredients

  • 4 large broccoli heads, roughly chopped, stems discarded
  • 1 ½ stick (12 T.) butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12 oz.) can/bottle of beer
  • 1 c. half and half
  • 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t. dry mustard
  • ~4 slices rye bread, torn or cut into about ½ in. pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooking spray

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly coat an 8-inch by 11-inch casserole or larger with the cooking spray.

Meanwhile, add water to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove, with enough water to cover the broccoli pieces. Add some salt, and then cook the broccoli until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and then let stand in ice water for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is prepared.

Meanwhile, melt 1 stick (8 T.) in a skillet or braiser on the stove top over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Whisk in flour gradually and stir until incorporated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in beer and half and half. Cook until sauce thickens and begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper, and stir until smooth, adding cheese in batches as appropriate. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining half stick (4 T.) butter in a medium bowl, and add the rye slices, mixing until butter coats the bread.

To bring it all together, add the broccoli to the prepared casserole dish, pour on the cheese sauce, and then finally add the coated bread slices on top. Bake the mixture, uncovered, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes, and enjoy!

Posted on

Crappy week calls for comforting soup

I had plans to make something else this week, but something about the best laid plans of mice and men.

Bear with me as I get personal for just a second before getting into the recipe (I know, it’s widely mocked), but on Sunday night one of my two oldest cats had his first seizure and it was rather traumatic for us (he seems to be doing OK but it probably isn’t good news in the long run). This comes on the heels of learning less than two weeks ago that my other oldest cat has chronic health issues. So not only have I not been sleeping well but we’ve upped our medication routine lately, and of course, my anxiety.

This all means that while I had a vague idea of what I was going to make, I didn’t get around to it yet. Thankfully, my sweetie had plans to make one of his favorite seasonal soups, beer cheese soup. More importantly, he had the ingredients on hand. So, while he did some household chores, I made the soup.

Amy Thielen’s beer cheese soup recipe ingredients.

It’s from Amy Thielen’s The New Midwestern Table, one of my favorite cookbooks, and the beer cheese soup recipe in it is one of our family favorites. It’s not the healthiest but its simple and quality ingredients make it seem kinda OK.

Because I trust Amy Thielen, I mostly follow her recipes with little alteration. The same is true in this case, except as it was approaching 9 p.m., I decided to skip the blending step. I know, it’s sacrilege to have chunky beer cheese soup, but it works for me. Mostly, I don’t love smooth soups. But also, after realizing that my diced veggies — as the recipe called for — weren’t that chunky, I figured I’d save myself the effort.

After all, it’s been the kind of week that calls for easy, comfort food.

See those chunks. Yum.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (8 T.) butter (I used unsalted even though the recipe calls for salted)
  • 2 medium carrots, diced (dicing is less critical if you plan to puree)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced (dicing is less critical if you plan to puree)
  • ¾ c. all-purpose flour
  • 4 c. broth (chicken or vegetable, preferably homemade)
  • 1 (12 oz.) can/bottle of beer (the recipe calls for a pale ale, I used my staple of Hamm’s)
  • 1 ½ c. half and half
  • 12 oz. white cheddar, grated (good-ish stuff preferred)
  • ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • ⅛ t. ground nutmeg
  • 2 T. Dijon mustard
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Mustard oil, for serving (optional but a delight)
  • Thyme, for serving (fresh preferable but dry also works)

Directions

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, peppers, and a pinch of salt, and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly until well incorporated, about 5 minutes more.

Add the stock, beer, and half and half, and cook, stirring often, at a slow simmer over medium low heat. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the cheese by the handful, stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

Puree the soup in batches, if desired, being careful not to get hurt by the hot soup.

Just before serving, add salt and pepper, as needed, to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a small swirl of mustard oil and a sprinkle of fresh thyme, and enjoy!