Broccoli Cheese Pasta Casserole

[tweetmeme] Is there anything more homey than a big ol’ broccoli casserole? Perhaps it’s a sign of my “settling down”, now that I’m married with two kids and live in the suburbs (when did this happen?) but I’ve rediscovered casseroles in the past year or so. You’ll almost never see one on a restaurant menu but so many of us grew up with them on our dinner tables at home. When that shallow 13 x 9″ dish comes out of the oven, with errant strands of cheese baked onto the sides, I just know I’m in for a treat.

I’d actually describe this casserole as “mac & cheese with broccoli”.  Steamed broccoli is tossed with spiral-y fusilli pasta in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, topped with Parmesan and baked to bubbly deliciousness.  I’m pretty sure I found this recipe on the side of a package of broccoli florets, although unfortunately I forgot to save enough of the original package to know for sure. Two good things I do know: 1) it tastes great alongside ham and 2) even a two-year-old will eat it.

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10 Comments

  1. Melynda wrote:

    This sounds so good, I love vegetables with pasta. Funny there can be too much pasta on a plate for me. Thanks, this will be cooked here.
    .-= Melynda´s last blog ..Monday night brights =-.

    Posted 1.12.10 Reply
  2. Maria wrote:

    Comfort food at it’s best!

    Posted 1.12.10 Reply
  3. Lis wrote:

    Would this work with skim milk? It looks perfect for dinner but all I have in the house is skim… am I looking at a trip to the store if I want this? Thanks!

    Posted 1.12.10 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Well…I’m always a little reluctant to use nonfat milk in recipes out of fear of losing some of the richness/creaminess. I used 2% and it worked fine – I think it’s probably best to use at least 2% here for a nice creamy-textured cheese sauce.

      Posted 1.12.10 Reply
  4. Jennifer wrote:

    YUM! I always love recipes that use fusilli pasta because the sauce tend to cling to it! This looks delicious!
    .-= Jennifer´s last blog ..COOKBOOKMANIA!: Lentil Soup with Sausage & Cabbage =-.

    Posted 1.13.10 Reply
  5. dani wrote:

    i am totally in love with this blog! such a simple concept, but it is SO interesting and exciting. thanks for sharing 🙂

    Posted 1.18.10 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Thanks, Dani – so glad you like it!

      Posted 1.18.10 Reply
  6. megan wrote:

    I just made this and oh my goodness is it good. Thanks for a such a great recipe!

    Posted 5.12.11 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I’m glad you liked it! I just made it again myself last week – it’s a great recipe.

      Posted 5.12.11 Reply