Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Listen, Linda. My friend Michelle is one in a million. She and I have a relationship that can only be described as ‘complicated.’ She let me stay in her hotel room when I had no place to lay my head during BlogHer San Jose last year, and she just might let me room with her this year for BlogHer New York. At least, I think she will. For a while now, I’ve been encouraging her to do more cooking, because of my love for it, and now here she is, on my blog, sharing a super secret squirrel recipe. Let’s show her some love! 

I made a few new friends this past year.

Some of you may be well-acquainted with them already, but over the years we have crossed paths with one another, but were really never truly introduced.

I’ll admit, friends like Natasha, warned me that once we became friends – it would be a full-filling and exciting relationship. As much as I hate to admit that Natasha was right (promise me, you won’t tell her!) – she was right.

Those friends? My oven and stove.

Yes, I admit it. After over a decade of motherhood and marriage – cooking was just never my thing.

During my single mommy days, it was easy to pick up a quick meal for my son and I or we would eat at the restaurant at my job. Easy peasy. The first few years of my relationship with my husband – he spent most of his time deployed so it was simple to “fake” my way around the kitchen. Once we got settled, I used the difference in our cultural taste buds – my Southern home-style roots did not mesh with his Cajun Louisiana tastebuds – as a rationale for not cooking on a regular basis.

I’ll be honest – after awhile the 2-hour-drive to my parents for a great meal got old and I had to face the fact that I was intimidated by the kitchen. I would often get frustrated because the meals I attempted to make never seemed to turn out the way I felt they should. The over-achiever in me did not want to admit there was something I didn’t catch onto quickly and excel at.

I’m over that phase. As I get older more patient, I find myself enjoying the time I spend in the kitchen and taking pride in the “Yummies” and “Yeses” from my family when I cook something they truly enjoy. Do I have those kitchen fail moments? Of course. But there’s almost always a stand-by meal to fall back on and breakfast for dinner is always a quick and easy plan B.

All of my children love to help in some capacity so finding recipes that we can cook together is fun and can be very entertaining.

Who’d have thought I’d ever be sharing my favorite recipes with anyone? I have to thank Natasha for the inspiration, the patience and the not-so-subtle pushes to develop this friendship.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup to 1 cup of onions (depending on taste buds)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup of milk

1-2 cups of shredded cheese

1 pkg of frozen chopped broccoli

1-2 cups of cooked rice

I prepare this all in my dutch oven so I can move from stove top to oven.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and saute’ onions. In a separate pot, cook the broccoli until barely tender.

Add the soup to the butter and onions and then stir in milk and cheese.

Add broccoli (drained) and cooked rice.

Mix well.

Bake for 20-30 minutes uncovered.

We paired this with baked chicken and my oh-so-scrumptious cornbread.