Monday 14 January 2013

Broccoli Soufflé



Like Blanche Dubois, I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers. (I’ve sometimes depended on their money, but that’s a whole other blog post.) So when a pair of Caker Cooking readers sent me a cookbook they found at a garage sale, I was reminded of the (Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed) milk of human kindness.

I’ve mentioned before how much cakers love broccoli and this soufflé (taken from the cookbook) was a triple threat of “Hot Damn!” I’m talking Cream of Mushroom soup, broccoli and Velveeta! In fact, it was so good, it didn’t even make it as far as the kitchen table. I inhaled it at the counter.

The other day, the pair announced their engagement and that got me thinking pretty deeply. Marriage and broccoli soufflé share some similarities.

1) Both take the right mix of ingredients
2) Sometimes both are so good you can’t make it as far as the kitchen table
3) Both can leave you gassy (but it usually clears up by morning)

Now if only Mother would get off my back about the whole finding-the-right-girl thing with me. Apparently, there’s a bow-legged third cousin with an under bite that Mother feels is a good candidate, but I'm standing up to her. For once.

Paul and Bianca, congratulations. And may your soufflés always rise high.

1 bunch broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 well-beaten eggs
½ cup butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
8 crushed soda crackers
¾ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 cup grated Velveeta cheese

Cut up and cook broccoli until tender. Mix together soup, eggs, mayonnaise, onion, melted butter and cheese. Add ½ of crushed crackers. Add chopped broccoli and mix well. Put in casserole dish. Add remaining crackers on top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350°.

Note: I cooked it closer to 40 minutes.


Source: What’s Cooking at St. Joseph


14 comments:

  1. Oh, Brian! Thank you for your kind wishes, and this delicious recipe. Paul adores broccoli.

    Any chance we could convince you to make the wedding cake?

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    1. My pleasure, Queen B. This dish is delish. A little grey, but still delicious. I'd be honoured to make your wedding cake! All I need is four boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix and three cartons of icing. Oh, and sprinkles.

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  2. Replies
    1. You can, Clare. But it's messy. Very messy. Not unlike grating JELL-O.

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  3. If you freeze your Velveeta slightly, it is much easier to grate. [I learned that tip from a three-cheese-pasta recipe that used grated brie]

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    1. Thanks for the tip, Melanie. I can only hope that Velveeta was one of three cheeses in that dish. I mean, can you think of a better complement to the brie?

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  4. You forgot to mention MAYO! it has mayonnaise in it! Dang, Velveeta, mayo, and mushroom soup, with crackers! too bad it has to be ruined by broccoli.

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    1. Caker dishes have vegetables from time to time, fifi. It's unfortunate, but we just have to learn to deal with it. (By "deal with it," I mean pick it out.)

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  5. Aw that's sweet! Here's another romantic story for you. I "virtually" met the lovely Lisa Wakelam through your blog and when I posted a comment on her blog reffering to my dismay that I couldn't get Cheez Whiz in the UK she sent me TWO JARS from Ontario! So of course, my question to you is which of your delightful recipes containing this flouro liquified cheese should a novice caker try first?

    Please bear in mind (although it is sacrilege I am sure) I don't like mushroom soup so nothing that calls for a can of that devil's work if you please....

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    1. Lisa sounds like good people to me. We Ontarians are a kind breed of people. The other week, I shipped a crate of Cool Whip to New Zealand. (OK, no, I didn't. But if there are any New Zealanders in need, just holler.)

      I'd recommend Broccoli Casserole as I don't think there's mushroom soup in it. Just do a search on the blog and it should come up. If you make it, let me know how it turns out!

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    2. Oops! Just checked and Broccoli Casserole does indeed have cream of mushroom soup. Try Delicious Corn Bake instead. It's a cinch to make and tasty, too.

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    3. Brian -- the Delicious [Caker] Corn Bake sounds truly delicious. Except for the cheez-whiz. I don't think my conscious could let me actually spend my hard-earned money on it. You are any readers have some ideas for an alternative? I'm thinking Campbell's cheese soup?

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    4. OMG I meant conscience, not conscious although I would have to be unconscious to buy that damned cheez-whiz.

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    5. I can't think of a better thing to spend my money on than a big jar Cheez Whiz, Stephanie. There are so many uses for it. You can put it on toast, add it to casseroles and even use it to repair drywall. But if you're looking for an alternative, you could try cheddar soup - or, dare I even say it? - real cheese. Good luck.

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