Cheesy Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 tbsp butter
10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ c milk
½ c sour cream
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 heaping c frozen broccoli
3 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 large eggs whisked
2 c cooked rice
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp salt
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
Topping:
1 c Ritz crackers crushed (about ¾ of a sleeve)
2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions
Start by cranking up your oven to 350°F so it’s ready to go when you need it.
Melt some butter in a big pot over medium heat—simple as that! Once it’s melted, toss in the diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
Next, stir in the cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, and all the seasonings. Mix everything together until well combined.
Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and stir until it melts into the creamy mixture.
Now, toss in the frozen broccoli and mixed veggies. Let them heat through for a few minutes. Once they’re warm, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Stir in the whisked eggs and cooked rice, making sure everything is nicely blended. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.
Cover the dish with some foil and pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes. While it’s baking, mix the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter to make the crunchy topping.
After 20 minutes, take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and sprinkle the buttery crackers over the top. Pop it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 10 minutes until the topping is golden and crispy. Take it out, let it cool for a bit, and dig in!

Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup

Source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/wprm_print/cheddar-broccoli-potato-soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/3 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic , minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes , cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)*
1/2 cup heavy cream*
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Instructions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain).
Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Notes

* I skipped the cream and just used milk (3.5 cups total).

This broccoli potato cheese soup won't freeze well because of the dairy. If making in advance, store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
You could also use cauliflower instead of broccoli in this vegetarian potato soup recipe.

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Source: https://www.shugarysweets.com/wprm_print/copycat-panera-broccoli-cheese-soup-recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup diced onions yellow or white
1 cup shredded carrots 
2 1/2-3 cups broccoli florets chopped small
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup milk *
1 cup heavy whipping cream*
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add in onions, carrots and broccoli. Cook to soften about 5 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size vegetables you cut).
Slowly add in broth, milk, and cream.
Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Continue stirring and heating over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
Once thick, add cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
Serve soup and enjoy!

*I just used 2 cups of  1% milk, and it was still good. 

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: Makes 6 servings 

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small chunks 

1/2 red pepper, diced 

1 yellow squash, quartered and diced 

10 baby carrots, sliced thinly 

2 cups whole wheat pasta (elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, etc.) 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 cups milk 

2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 Tbsp. panko breadcrumbs 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Set a medium pot of salted water to boil. 

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and coating with a little olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. 

Toss broccoli, red pepper, squash and carrots onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside. 

Once water is boiling, lower heat slightly and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Once hot, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. 

Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. 

Stir in cheddar cheese until well distributed and melted. Add salt and pepper. 

Add macaroni and vegetables.

Place mixture in a large casserole dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Place under the broiler in your oven (500 degrees) for 3-4 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

California Blend Vegetables with Parmesan Bread Crumbs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings8 servings
Source: https://deliciouslittlebites.com/california-blend-vegetables-parmesan/

Ingredients
2 cups carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups cauliflowe, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter melted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Add the chopped vegetables and melted butter to a medium size bowl.
Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter.
In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix well.
Add the Parmesan cheese mixture to the bowl of vegetables and mix well.
Pour the vegetables into a medium-size baking dish, evenly spreading any extra bread crumbs from the bottom of the bowl all over the top of the veggies.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

Notes
Use fresh vegetables for the best results.
Butter is not necessarily needed for this recipe. I usually make it without, but the bread crumbs will be drier.
The measurements for the vegetables are all adjustable to your own preferences.

Steamed Broccoli

 Steamed Broccoli 

Source: https://recipeforperfection.com/how-to-steam-broccoli-without-a-steamer-basket

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
 Total Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups water 

Directions
Wash the broccoli. Chop the florets off the stalk, then discard the stalk. Cut down any large florets to match the size of the others.
In a 3.5 quart pot (with a lid), add the water and the broccoli florets. Cover with the lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once the water boils vigorously, reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the broccoli florets are easily pierced with a fork but not limp.
Drain into a colander.