Alright, so today I decided to tackle a gluten-free broccoli casserole. Been meaning to try one for a while, figure it’s a good way to use up some broccoli I had hanging around.
Getting Started
First thing, I gathered everything I thought I’d need. Got the broccoli out of the fridge, a bag of shredded cheddar cheese – always gotta have cheese, right? Then I grabbed some almond milk, ’cause that’s what I usually have on hand, some gluten-free all-purpose flour mix I like, butter, salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. Pretty basic stuff.
Prepping the Goods
I started by washing the broccoli florets real good. Chopped them up into bite-sized pieces. Some people like ’em big, I prefer smaller so they cook evenly. I decided to quickly steam them first, just for a few minutes until they got that bright green color but were still a bit crisp. Didn’t want mushy broccoli in the casserole. Drained them well and set them aside.
Making the Sauce – The Tricky Part
Now for the sauce. This is where the gluten-free part can sometimes get you. I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it was melted, I whisked in about the same amount of that gluten-free flour blend. Gotta keep whisking so it doesn’t clump up, you know? Let that cook for a minute or two, just to get rid of the raw flour taste.
Then, slowly, I started pouring in the almond milk, whisking constantly. This part takes patience. If you dump it all in at once, you’ll get lumps for sure. Kept adding milk and whisking until it started to thicken up nicely. It took maybe 5-7 minutes. Once it was looking like a decent sauce, I turned the heat down low.
Time for the cheese! I stirred in a good handful of the shredded cheddar, saving some for the top later. Kept stirring until it melted smoothly into the sauce. Then I added the salt, pepper, and a shake of garlic powder. Gave it a taste – needed a bit more salt. Adjusted that.
Putting It All Together
Okay, sauce done. I grabbed my steamed broccoli and gently folded it into the cheese sauce, trying to coat all the pieces without breaking them up too much.
Greased a casserole dish – just a standard square one. Poured the broccoli and cheese mixture into the dish, spreading it out evenly.
For the topping, I just sprinkled the rest of the shredded cheddar over the top. Sometimes I mix gluten-free breadcrumbs with melted butter for a crunchy topping, but today I just went with cheese. Simple.
Baking Time
Popped it into a preheated oven, I think I set it around 375°F (about 190°C). Let it bake for maybe 20-25 minutes. You basically just want it heated through and bubbly, with the cheese on top melted and maybe getting a little golden brown.
The kitchen started smelling pretty good while it was baking. Cheesy, broccoliy goodness.
The Moment of Truth
Pulled it out of the oven when it looked done. Let it sit for a few minutes – important step, otherwise, you burn your mouth and it’s too runny. Scooped some onto a plate.
And how was it? Pretty darn good, actually! The sauce was creamy, cheesy, the broccoli was tender but not mushy. Being gluten-free didn’t hurt it one bit. The almond milk worked fine, couldn’t really tell the difference. Success!
So yeah, that was my adventure making a gluten-free broccoli casserole today. Definitely doable, and tasted great. Might add some onions next time, or maybe some bacon bits if I’m feeling fancy. But overall, a solid, easy recipe.
