Everyone says you need to eat your veggies. Nobody said I couldn’t cover them in bacon, cheddar and cream first. This easy to prepare one pan side dish is perfect for any night of the week. Packed with cheesy bacony goodness.
I was grilling some bbq pork chops with caramelized apples for the family the other night and needed to put together a quick and easy side dish. Like any family it’s hard to please everyone and it’s even harder to get the kids to eat veggies. I figured if we disguised them with some cheese and bacon the fam might just go for it.
I’ve got 2 tips for cooking fresh broccoli. First is cut all the florets into small bite size pieces. Then I take the stem and grate it with a box grater. The stem is full of nutritional vitamins and fiber but often gets discarded. Grating the stem and mixing them in with the florets your using up the whole vegetable and not wasting anything. My second tip is to blanch the broccoli in salted water before roasting it.
You’ll bring out the vibrant color of the broccoli, add flavor and make the broccoli tender all at the same time. Just add about a tablespoon of salt to two quarts of water. Bring it the water to a boil then add your broccoli florets and stems. You only need to cook the broccoli for about 3-4 minutes before draining the broccoli and shocking it in cold water. This will prevent the broccoli from over cooking and preserve the green color.
After the broccoli has cooled, drain off excess water and pat dry then combine with the other ingredients listed below. Bake in the oven or on the grill at about 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. This quick and easy cast iron casserole was a hit with even my 3 yr old niece. That’s high praise as she can be a tough critique. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try next time you're looking for a simple side dish that goes great with anything. Just an added bonus this recipe is low carb and Keto friendly.
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