Our family loves broccoli but as much as I love it, I am reaching for ways to make it ‘less mundane’. Roasted broccoli is my favorite as I loved charred veggies but one day, I just had to figure a different way to prepare this beloved veggie. Broccoli Casserole came to mind as I looked deep into the fridge and saw a couple of ingredients I need to use up!
This certainly was an easy weeknight side dish but it’s also a delicious side for Thanksgiving or any holiday, for that matter. Broccoli Casserole definitely isn’t a new dish but ‘healthified’ ones are rare.
Bake Once, Use Twice
So – for the topping on this Broccoli Casserole, I used leftover paleo/keto cornbread. I used Miss Jones Mix that I found at Sprouts and made “cornbread” for my Crockpot Chili! It was soooo good and easy to make. When the casserole popped into mind, I was so glad to see a couple of extra pieces of cornbread in the container. Just whip up a batch of cornbread for a meal but make sure to put a couple of pieces off to the side for this side dish.
What I liked about using the cornbread, is that it had a buttery flavor already baked into the bread. If you opt to use a different bread, just drizzle a bit of melted butter or ghee over top of your bread of choice.
Speaking of Chili
It’s getting chilly out there and chili is always a go-to in our home. I don’t eat beans and missed them so much in many paleo chili recipes out there. I simply missed the heartiness of the beans. When I set out to make a paleo chili, I added in lots of veggies so there’s a ‘bite’ in every bite! I’m also a big fan of chili in a crockpot, for a couple of reasons. 1) cook while you work (duh!) …. 2) dinner is ready when you get home and 3) the house smells amazing! Check out the Crockpot Chili here, if you’re with me on those same reasons!
I’m no chef but when things come together out of pure necessity of boredom and need to use up ingredients, it makes me happy. But the true happiness is when my family is devouring up the Broccoli Casserole and making it sound like it’s the best thing they every tasted! It truly puts a smile on my face 🙂
Broccoli Casserole
Notes
*I use Miss Jones Baking Company Cornbread Mix. This recipe is a great way to use up any leftover cornbread!
Ingredients
- 16oz broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup almond or cashew milk
- 1/4 cup dairy free sour cream (I use Kite Hill)
- 1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 1 cup diced paleo bread (I used leftover corn bread* and it was deeeelish!)
- *butter or ghee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Parboil broccoli florets. Add steamer to pot and add water (water should be just below bottom of steamer). Set on stove & water come to a boil.
- Add broccoli to pot, turn flame down to low-medium. Place a lid on top and steam for 5 minutes. You want the broccoli to remain bright green.
- Once broccoli is done, scoop into a 8×6 baking dish. Add the milk of choice, sour cream and mayo, as well as seasonings and stir to combine.
- Bake for 15 minutes – then top off the broccoli bake with the bread cubes of choice* (if you don’t use the corn bread ….drizzle 2 tbsp of melted butter or ghee over top of bread).
- Bake another 10 minutes. Let the dish sit for 10 minutes before serving as it thicken up a bit.
