Last week Harper requested broccoli. Here’s how it played out: we took a family trip to Whole Foods before the post-blizzard “additional 8-10 inches” started to fall. The place was cleared out of most produce, but Harper quickly spotted the broccoli and declared “I wuv broccoli, wets get some!” Um, sure. For the record, I don’t “wuv” broccoli, but I fully support her attitude.

I actually do “wuv” my mom’s chicken and broccoli casserole. It’s definitely a comfort dish and is not something I would make in the dead of summer, but it’s great on a cold winter day. I made a few of my own changes (added shallot and garlic, big surprise) and, sorry mom, it was a lot tastier! I’ll include the recipe below, but it’s pretty darn simple:

First, make a basic cream sauce using chicken broth and milk (with the addition of shallot and garlic), and add a generous amount of parmesan cheese:

 
Next, sprinkle salt and pepper on some chicken breasts and sauté until just done:
 
Finally, chop the chicken breasts and place in a baking dish. Add some lightly steamed broccoli, top with the cheesy sauce and bake:

 
Serve over rice (we do half brown, half white rice). Yum broccoli!
 
Chicken & Broccoli Casserole:
3 chicken breasts
2 small heads of broccoli, chopped (I remove most of the stems)
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Cheesy sauce
Extra parmesan for topping

Cheese Sauce:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until tender. Add 4 tablespoons flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Slowly add about 3 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer until thick and creamy. Turn off heat and stir in about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Casserole:
Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt & pepper and sauté in a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat until just cooked. Cool, then slice into larger-than-bite-size, but manageable pieces. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender. Don’t overcook! Add broccoli and chicken to a casserole dish and pour on the cheesy sauce. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top. Serve over rice and enjoy!