broccoli Archives - The Midnight Baker

Cheesy Roast Broccoli

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:04:25 +0000

Cheesy roast broccoli is one of those sides that just may become a main dish!

Cheesy Roast Broccoli: Every Bite Crunchy

Here’s something way different than the usual broccoli and cheese casserole. Not to say that the usual one isn’t delicious, because it is. However, this sheet-pan way to do this cheesy roast broccoli is easy, delicious and is crunchy in every bite.

There’s a secret to getting roast veggies just right and it’s so simple you just won’t believe it. I think this method also reduces the fat a bit as well. But that’s only my opinion on that.

Since this is so good, I made it my entire meal. With meat prices so high, perhaps you, too, will think of this not only as a side dish; but a meatless meal in itself.

The Secret To Great Roast Vegetables

It’s as simple as a preheated baking sheet. Yes, that simple.

Just pop the sheet pan in and preheat the pan along with the oven. That sears one side of whatever you are roasting–it doesn’t have to be just broccoli!

This way you’re not dousing with oil when the veggies are on the pan. I don’t know about you, but I tend to use too much when doing this. When you keep to the small amount of oil and toss them in the bowl, I feel you use less. As an aside, I tried spraying them with the oil spray bottle I use for air frying. Even though that was in theory a great idea, the bit of oil that got sprayed into the oven smoked and smelled horrible. Needless to say I don’t do that anymore. That does not happen with the hot sheet, even though the broccoli was tossed with oil.

Best Cheeses

Cheddar is a natural with broccoli, so I stuck to that. I had some mild cheddar I wanted to use up so that’s the variety I used. Sharp cheddar would be wonderful as well.

Swiss is another great option. So is colby cheese. Stringing cheeses such as mozzarella would be good too if you serve this immediately.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cheesy Roast Broccoli

Crunch broccoli in every bite

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main/Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: making perfect roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli with cheese, sheet pan broccoli and cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb fresh broccoli florets
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt

Crumb Mix:

2 tbs melted butter
1 clove garlic minced
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place a sheet pan on a rack in the upper-middle portion of the oven. Preheat oven to 400F/200C (with the sheet heating with the oven).
Toss the broccoli with the oil and salt in a large bowl.
Spread the broccoli out on the hot sheet and roast until the bottoms of the broccoli are nicely browned; about 15 minutes.
While the broccoli is roasting, mis all the crumb ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Remove the pan from the oven and distribute crumb mixture over the broccoli. Set the oven to broil function
Pop the sheet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the crumbs just begin to get golden brown--watch it closely so it doesn't burn.

Nutrition

The post Cheesy Roast Broccoli appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Broccoli Garlic Pasta

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:00:34 +0000

This easy-to-make broccoli garlic pasta is so tasty, your family will beg for seconds. Quick to make so it’s perfect for this busy season.

Broccoli Garlic Pasta: Simple And Delicious

Meals such as this pasta and broccoli mixture are delicious in their simplicity.

This meal is so easy to make, you’ll find it a boon during the holidays when your life is hectic enough without having to plan “involved” dinners.

You’ve go great flavors here–the pungency of the garlic, the crisp earthiness of the broccoli and the salty accent of the cheese. Not only is this a meal unto itself, it also doubles as a side and better yet, you can use leftover pasta!

If This Seems Familiar…

If this recipe looks vaguely familiar to you, it’s a hack of a meal one of the characters in TV’s “Sopranos” used to make.

Now there’s versions of that all over the internet. It was even in The Sopranos Cookbook. However, I found the preparation of the “original” far too time consuming for my lifestyle. I streamlined the prep and the cooking and it loses none of it’s original charm, basically because I use the same or similar ingredients.

Alterations And Additions

I made minor alterations in the amounts of some of the ingredients. Since I LOVE garlic, I always double the amount called for in any recipe.

When it comes to anything vaguely Italian and calls for Parmesan cheese, I usually add some Romano in addition to or instead of the Parmesan. I did that here.

The “original” recipe called for a rather long cooking time for the broccoli and I found that a bit unpleasant. I wanted crunch and bright color. What I didn’t want was overcooked, grey-green and smelly veggies.

I would suggest if you are not as in love with garlic as I am, then halve the amount in this recipe.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Broccoli Garlic Pasta

This easy-to-make broccoli garlic pasta is so tasty, your family will beg for seconds. Quick to make so it’s perfect for this busy season. If you aren't a big fan of garlic, you may want to use half the amount called for in the recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: broccoli, easy pasta dinner, garlic, pasta

Servings: 4

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb fresh broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces (see NOTES)
8 oz penne or any tubular pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the broccoli and garlic and stir fry until broccoli is bright green.
Place the cooked pasta in the pan then add the grated cheese; toss to combine.
Add the reserved pasta water and stir.
Top with the shredded Parmesan.

Notes

Frozen florets may be substituted, but thaw them first.

Nutrition

*Post may contain affiliate links

The post Broccoli Garlic Pasta appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 23:00:32 +0000

Comforting and cheesy cream of broccoli soup with the added kick of flavorful kielbasa.

Great Flavors

There’s not many people who don’t like cream of broccoli soup with cheese. Add the savory flavor of kielbasa to the mix and you have the perfect flavor combination.

The broccoli imparts that lovely sweet yet earthy flavor and the kielbasa gives a hint of smokiness. The addition of a sharp cheddar cheese completes the taste experience.

A Meal In Itself

This cream of broccoli and kielbasa cheese soup is more than just a soup. It’s a complete meal in itself.

It’s packed with broccoli, kielbasa, cheese and unpeeled potatoes. You can certainly peel the potatoes if you wish, but I find scrubbing them well and leaving them unpeeled in these types of dishes adds a rustic look. It also adds a bit more fiber if you are concerned about that.

All you’d have to do is add some crusty rolls or bread and you have a totally delicious and complete meal.

Smoked Sausage Or Kielbasa?

The choice is pretty much up to you, but to be honest here, I can’t really tell the difference between the two! Turkey sausage can be substituted if you prefer the taste.

Another thing that would be great substituted in this soup would be Andouille sausage. Now that would add a bit of kick for folks who like a bit of zing to their food.

As far as the broccoli is concerned, I used frozen florets, but frozen chopped broccoli will do nicely as well as fresh.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup

Comforting and cheesy cream of broccoli soup with the added kick of flavorful kielbasa.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Comfort Foods, soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese soup, cream of broccolli, kielbasa

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 793kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz frozen broccoli florets or chopped broccoli see NOTES
4 medium potatoes unpleeled cut in chunks
2 cups chicken stock
1 small onion chopped
3 tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme -OR- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half cream
14-16 oz fully cooked kielbasa cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 cup whole milk
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese I used white cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

THICKENING

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Melt butter in a dutch oven or very large (6 cup) saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent.
Add the thyme, chicken stock, potatoes and broccoli. Heat to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender.
Add the kielbasa and heat through.
Thicken, if desired, by mixing the flour and water until there are no lumps. Stir into soup base. MIXTURE WILL BE VERY THICK.
Gradually add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate well with no lumps (if you thickened the soup). If soup is too thick, additional milk may be used to thin. Add salt and pepper to taste at this point.
Stir in cheese until it melts. Cheese is given in a range--use the 1/2 cup if you don't want it too cheesy and the full cup if you are a cheese lover.

Notes

Fresh broccoli may be substituted

Nutrition

The post Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 23:00:25 +0000

Raw cauliflower and broccoli add tons of crunch to this delicious salad. Add a creamy awesome dressing and some bacon and you have the perfect salad.

Raw Equals Crunch

Broccoli and cauliflower are terrific when eaten raw.

These are two veggies that I end up eating more raw than cooked when I buy them fresh. When I am preparing then for cooking, I sneak so much raw, there’s little left to cook!

Both cauliflower and broccoli crowns were on sale this week and I took advantage of those sales. I’d recently seen a friend make something very similar to this, and I just had a taste for doing my own version.

Prepping Broccoli And Cauliflower

I always pull off the thick outer “skin” on broccoli. This is a trick I learned from my mother who told me it would cook faster and be more tender.

If the broccoli crowns are young, very fresh and tender, this is probably not necessary, but if you buy a whole head of broccoli, you may notice that the lower parts of the stem have a thick skin. If you’ve thrown this out in the past, don’t do that anymore! Just peel it with a paring knife and you have more edible portions. You could also save these stems to use with dips for a snack.

It’s not necessary to “peel” the cauliflower.

Awesome Dressing And……Bacon!

This dressing is simply awesome! The combination of flavors is perfect for the cauliflower and broccoli.

It’s got a hint of cheese and a hint of sweetness. Make a double batch and use it on green salads as well.

Another plus to this salad is the addition of bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon? And the bit of bacon added to the salad really pulls the flavors together.

If you leave out the bacon, the salad will be vegetarian (but not vegan), so if you are looking for a meatless salad or even a light lunch, the bacon can be omitted.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

Raw cauliflower and broccoli add tons of crunch to this delicious salad. Add a creamy awesome dressing and some bacon and you have the perfect salad.

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time2 5

Course: salads, side dishes, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, salad recipe

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup diced red onion
3-4 slices crisp-cooked bacon crumbled

DRESSING

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, broccoli and red onion together.
Add dressing, using only as much as you need--you may not have to use the entire amount.
Fold in the bacon.
Cover and chill for about 2-4 hours before serving.
Any remaining dressing may be stored, covered, in the fridge and used for other salads.

Nutrition

The post Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Salad appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Rollups

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Rollups

These cheesy chicken rolls make a family meal fancy. Simple to make and three cheeses make them oh-so tasty!

This is a complete meal in a roll! Chicken, veggies and cheese. And with three cheeses, these are pure heaven.

I mixed up great cheeses in this. You have asiago for a nice sharp and defined flavor, mozzarella that melts so well and last but not least, fontina, which melts just as nicely as mozzarella, but pulls it all together with it’s creamy and slightly nutty flavor.

Easy to prepare!

The cheeses blend well with broccoli too. When you think veggies with cheese, the first thing that comes to mind is broccoli and cheese sauce!

I used chopped broccoli here so there’d be no big hunks to deal with. If you buy it specially for this recipe, make sure you get chopped and not broccoli “cuts” because the cuts are the hunks. If you have cuts or florets on hand already, just pulse a few times in a food processor to get the fine chop. Fresh is also good here…just use your food processor to chop.

Filled with 3 cheeses and broccoli

That gorgeous side dish you see in the photo is my Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli, which compliments this meal so well. If I have any filling from the chicken left over, I merely add it as an additional “bonus” to the orzo.

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Rollups

These cheesy chicken rolls make a family meal fancy. Simple to make and three cheeses make them oh-so tasty!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Chicken, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken rollups

Servings: 6

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 small/medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli thawed
1/4 cup shredded asiago
1/4 cup shredded fontina
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3 tbsp butter melted
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter and place 2 tbs in the bottom of a 9x9-inch baking pan. Mix panko crumbs with the remainder of the melted butter and set buttered crumbs aside.
Mix thawed broccoli and cheeses together in a small bowl.
Pound chicken breasts between plastic wrap or waxed paper until 1/4-inch thick.
Place about 2-3 tbs of the broccoli filling in the center of each chicken breast. Divide the filling equally between each breast.
Roll up chicken jelly roll style and secure seam with a toothpick if desired.
Place the chicken in the prepared pan, rolling the chicken to coat with the melted butter. Make sure seam side is down in the pan. Top with buttered panko crumbs.
Bake for 45-60 minutes (this depends on the size of the chicken breasts) or until juices run clear and internal temperature is 185 degrees F.

Nutrition

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Rollups

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Broccoli Cheese Chicken Rollups appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli

Quite possibly the perfect side dish! This orzo is easy, cooks quickly and is flavored with asiago, fontina and parmesan cheeses!

If you need a quick and easy side dish, stop right here because this is it!

Easy and cheesy

I recently discovered fontina cheese, thanks to my friend Melissa G (aka Ms 7-Up) who made a spectacular and mouthwatering mac and cheese with it. She told me I MUST try fontina! So I did and I love it.

The asiago and parmesan here add the zing. Asiago is a pretty strongly flavored cheese which offsets the creaminess of the fontina. The parmesan is the balancing flavor. You can sub romano for it if you want.

Takes only minutes to prepare

You can also substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream but I strongly recommend using the heavy cream. There’s not much of it, but it goes a long way. I prefer it to lesser-fat creams since it’s thick and when it combines with the cheese you have instant rich cheese sauce.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli

Quite possibly the perfect side dish! This orzo is easy, cooks quickly and is flavored with asiago, fontina and parmesan cheeses!

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: side dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, broccoli and cheese, orzo, three cheese

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup orzo uncooked
1 1/2 cups chicken stock*
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream I used heavy cream
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tbsp shredded asiago
2 tbsp shredded fontina
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

*You may also use 1 1/2 cups water with 1 stock cube as a substitute
Steam broccoli until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
Place orzo, chicken stock and olive oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is almost absorbed (about 5-8 minutes).
Uncover orzo and fluff. Add the broccoli, butter and cream. Stir until the butter is melted. Add the salt & pepper.
Add the cheeses, remove the pan from the heat and stir until cheeses are melted.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli

Follow The’s board Hot Fun in the Summertime Blog Hop on Pinterest.

The post Three Cheese Orzo with Broccoli appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Broccoli Swiss Cheese Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This broccoli swiss cheese casserole side dish is not only easy to prepare, but so delicious, they’ll come back for seconds.

This recipe came my way via Facebook friend Ginny W. We belong to a small recipe group and Ginny was raving about the couple of recipes she’d made from a new cookbook she just bought (a Gooseberry book called “Big Book of Country Baking” available at Amazon – Gooseberry Patch Big Book of Country Baking: Over 400 sweet & savory recipes for every meal of the day)

They’ll come back for seconds

Anyway, she had pics of hers and said about how easy and delicious this was. It looked positively yummy. And since I always have broccoli, because I love the stuff, and soup bases and CHEESE, I just had to make this since I wanted another broccoli-cheese casserole in addition to my Buttery Broccoli Cheese casserole

The original recipe calls for 1 cup of shredded swiss cheese, but I always go overboard and added double the amount. However, if you’re not as into cheese as me, then use the lower amount. It will still flavor the casserole nicely.

Full of cheese

I made up the amount of chopped broccoli (because I only had one brick pack of it) with a whole bag of broccoli florets (16 oz bag) that I roughly hand chopped. So if you don’t want to go the chopped route, using small florets would be a good substitute.

Broccoli Swiss Casserole

This was also the maiden voyage of the baking dish I used. Fans of mine know that I’m a devotee of a couple of brands of bakeware–some high-end, and some very affordable.

Temp-Tations Floral Lace in Light Blue

This is Temp-Tations Floral Lace in light blue. It was also my first set in this color–my “Temp-Tationista” friends know I’m pretty much a dark cobalt gal LOL, but I just loved this shade and wanted to add it to my collection. I wasn’t sorry–it’s stunning! You can see the Floral Lace line (and many others) at Temp-tations.com

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Broccoli Swiss Cheese Casserole

This broccoli swiss cheese casserole side dish is not only easy to prepare, but so delicious, they’ll come back for seconds.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: side dishes, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, broccoli casseroles, swiss cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 small onion finely chopped
1 10.75 oz. cream of mushroom soup
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray or grease a 1.5 quart baking dish.
Drain chopped broccoli well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the soup, onion and mayonnaise. Whisk together well.
Add the drained chopped broccoli and the cheese. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter, mixing well to make sure they are all coated with butter. Sprinkle buttered crumbs on top of casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until casserole is bubbly.
Serves 4.

Nutrition

So delicious, they’ll beg for more

Follow The Midnight Baker Food, Glorious Food #7 on Pinterest

The post Broccoli Swiss Cheese Casserole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Bacon Cheese Broccoli Bites

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Bacon Cheese Broccoli Bites

Tasty snack or side dish loaded with healthy broccoli. Perfect for tailgating or Super Bowl parties.

Vegetable patties are hardly a new idea, but this may be a great way to get some veggies into your veggie-hating kids or “better half.”

Tempt veggie haters

They’re pretty easy to make and made easier if you use an ice cream scoop. Gives the perfect portion size and keeps your hands clean.

Baked not fried

These are easily made vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon. They still taste great!

Outside is crunchy

Another variation is to leave out the salt and substitute crumbs made from poultry stuffing, such as Stove Top or Pepperidge farm–cornbread or regular varieties!Special thanks to Stacey Snacks who baked these instead of frying them. I found her site when I was checking to see if anyone had success with doing that.

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Bacon Cheese Broccoli Bites

Tasty snack or side dish loaded with healthy broccoli. Perfect for tailgating or Super Bowl parties.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon, broccoli bites, cheese snacks

Servings: 16

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz frozen chopped broccoli thawed & drained
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 eggs lightly beaten
6 slices crisp-cooked bacon diced
2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Form patties by making a ball about the size of a golf ball; flatten slightly and place on prepared baking sheet. TIP: An ice cream scoop makes this easy and gives the right sized portion.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Turn patties and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes or until nicely browned.
Makes about 16 patties.

Nutrition

Bacon Cheese Broccoli Bites

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board ☆☆Super Bowl Parties☆☆ on Pinterest.

The post Bacon Cheese Broccoli Bites appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Orange Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Orange Chicken

This one is the real deal. Many recipes floating around, but this one is authentic.

Authentic Chinese Orange Chicken

Lately any recipe I see for this uses chicken breast. That’s OK I guess but Chinese don’t use it in this dish or most “red” stews or anything with soy sauce.

Breast meat is reserved for lighter, “white” dishes that are quickly cooked. In stews or anything “twice-cooked” the poultry used is thighs. Breast is too light in flavor to handle this sauce–it gets lost in the taste of it. This dish requires a bolder flavor in the meat. I learned a great deal about Chinese cuisine way back in college. A friend’s sister managed a restaurant in Chinatown and gave up a few secrets…lucky for me!!!

Yes, the dish is a bit fussy, but it’s well worth the effort AND it’s cheaper than take-out and better than the stuff from your grocer’s freezer.

Reader Tip

This tip comes from Betty–she found the batter too thick and thinned it down with a splash of milk. She said it was perfect with that addition. Thanks Betty!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Orange Chicken

This one is the real deal. Many recipes floating around, but this one is authentic.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: orange chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 505kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 egg
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
oil for deep frying

FOR THE SAUCE

1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped green onion reserve some for garnish--about 1 tbs
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp mirin or saki
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
zest of 1 whole orange

Instructions

Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Mix the 1/2 cup cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper. Beat the egg in a small bowl with the 1 tbs oil. Mix in the cornstarch mixture. Add the cornstarch/egg mixture to the chicken in the bowl. Coat well.
Heat enough oil to deep fry in a large, deep skillet or wok. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry chicken in batches so there is plenty of room around the chicken. Maybe 6-8 pieces at a time. Fry on each side 5-7 minutes or until crisp and beginning to brown. Drain with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and orange zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove oil from wok and wipe out. Heat over high heat for about 10 seconds and add the other 1 tbs of oil. Toss in the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry until very aromatic--maybe 15 seconds. Put the broccoli in and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add the green onion and the pepper flakes and stir fry for 10 seconds. Stir the sauce in the bowl and add it to the wok. Bring sauce to boil. Add the mirin/saki and the sesame oil. Mix the 1/4 cup water and 1 tbs cornstarch and add to the boiling sauce, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and bubbling. Add cooked chicken coating well with sauce.
Serve immediately over rice.

Nutrition

Orange Chicken

The post Orange Chicken appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Buttery Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Buttery Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Very simple and unbelievably delicious. I first had this when it was served at an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner given by a neighbor whose plans changed due to bad weather. She’s long since moved to sunny Florida, but I have to thank Karen W. for this recipe since it’s a real keeper. It’s a great side for ham, pork or chicken, and of course, turkey. But it’s so rich and filling, I often eat it alone as a main dish.

The casserole dish is from Pillivuyt and it’s their “Eden” line. It’s a 2 quart round gratin. Pillivuyt is made in France and this is guaranteed not to craze EVER. Their glazes are diamond-hard and this ceramic ware is durable. Of course it’s pricey, but well worth it. Revol is another French manufacturer of the same quality. I purchased the Pillivuyt dish from Amazon.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Buttery Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Very simple and unbelievably delicious side dish or vegetarian dish

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish/Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli casseroles, holiday side dishes, vegetable and cheese side dishes

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 – 10 oz blocks of frozen chopped broccoli
10 oz process cheese spread like Velveeta, cut into cubes
1 1/2 sticks butter 3/4 cup, divided
1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 2 quart casserole.
Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the cheese spread with 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter. Stir until smooth. Add broccoli and mix well. Place in prepared casserole. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter and add crushed crackers, mixing well to coat with butter. Top broccoli mixture with buttered crumbs.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and cracker crumbs begin to turn golden brown.

Video

Nutrition

Buttery Broccoli Cheese Casserole

The post Buttery Broccoli Cheese Casserole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.