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When the fall season hits, I’m totally in the mood for comfort food, which means lots of warm, filling casseroles like today’s tasty Cheesy Broccoli Bake!
Growing up, my mom always made a point of serving a homemade meal at least five times a week. Since I come from a very large family, she often chose to serve casseroles because they tend to feed a crowd at a low cost per serving.
When I first married my husband, pretty much all I knew how to cook was casseroles, so we fell into the same meal pattern from my childhood days. This was before good ‘ol Pinterest came about, so I didn’t have millions of meal ideas at my fingertips. We were in college, though, so our dinner plans needed to be easy, inexpensive, and preferably provide leftovers so I wouldn’t have to cook every night with my studies demanding much of my time.
Funny thing, though, with all my casserole making-I never once served up this yummy Cheesy Broccoli Bake! I grew up eating it and made sure to include it in my pretty wooden recipe box that was given as a wedding gift to me.
So the other day when I was talking to my mom, we somehow got on the topic of things we ate while growing up. And then when our conversation turned to this gem of a casserole, I about kicked myself for not making it in all my ten plus years of marriage! My family was missing out!
So I ran out to Walmart and grabbed some Kraft Natural Shredded Cheddar Cheese and the other ingredients for this delightful dinner.
I easily found the cheese nestled in the refrigerated section.
This is one of those meals that has lots of parts, but comes together really quickly. I love it when that happens!
{CHEESY BROCCOLI BAKE}
1 box stuffing, prepared according to package directions (I prefer the chicken or garlic and herb variety)
1 pkg. frozen broccoli or 1 large fresh broccoli floret, chopped and steamed or boiled until tender
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz each)
3-4 Tbsp. milk for thinning the soup
2 cups Kraft Natural Shredded Cheddar Cheese
To put together the casserole, first layer the stuffing, then the rice, then broccoli followed by the shredded chicken and soup mixture (thin it a little with milk). Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle on 2 cups of Kraft Natural Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is nice and melty and casserole is completely warmed through.
You could also sub in fried, diced ham or turkey pieces for the chicken in this recipe. Think Thanksgiving leftovers!
There was lots of raving going on at the dinner table this particular evening! I can’t believe I let this recipe slip my mind all those years! Oh well, I’m putting it in our regular meal rotation from here on out to make up for lost time.
I’ll certainly be passing this recipe onto my kids before they leave home as well (thanks, Mom!).
Enjoy! This really is the perfect meal for a cold fall or winter evening! It’ll warm you right through and leave you feeling completely satisfied!
Be sure to check out loads more cheesy good recipes at Kraft.com! What’s your favorite dinner that includes cheese? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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