Detention Casserole

Time :55

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

When you're coming home after a rough day - whether you got detention at school, had a rough day at work, or just feeling like you got up on the wrong side of the bed - the solution is obvious: good, old-fashioned comfort food. Detention Casserole isn't the sort of dish that gets in trouble; in fact, it will be a good star student at your dinner table. Fluffy rice and fresh, tender broccoli swirl in a thick, creamy cheese sauce that will have your lips smacking in no time. That cheese sauce alone can turn anyone's day around, and it can be ready in just under an hour. Detention Casserole is ready to grab everyone's attention!

Ingredients

3/4 cup onion diced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons cream cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
salt to taste
6 cups fresh broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups white rice cooked

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
In a saucepan, cook the onion in the butter over medium-low heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour, the garlic powder, and the pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
While whisking, gradually pour in the milk.
Increase the heat to medium and whisk until the mixture is thick and bubbly.
Transfer the saucepan from the heat and add the dry mustard, the paprika, the cream cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted.
Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt to taste.
In a pot of boiling water, add the broccoli and cook until still slightly crisp, about 2 minutes.
Drain the broccoli.
Stir the broccoli, the cheese sauce, and the rice together.
Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and bake until bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned, about 35 minutes.
Serve hot.