Broccoli Casserole

So today I am serving up one of my famous dishes (at least it is famous with my family, for now). This is a hit with everyone and we all love it: Broccoli Casserole!!! It is simple to make and my family cannot get enough of it, especially my 3 year-old son....and yes, he eats it and he LOVES it!! So it may even be the perfect way to get your kiddos to eat their broccoli!!!

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) Package Broccoli Florets
1 (32 oz.) Package Broccoli Cuts
1 (10 3/4 oz.) Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup Milk
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
1 1/2 Sleeves of Ritz Crackers
2 Tbsp. Butter
Salt and Pepper


Directions:

1. Empty the broccoli into a large pot. Pour water into the pot until it is only about 3/4 of the way to the top of the broccoli. The broccoli will cook down, so you do not need to cover it with the water. Cook on high heat. When it is almost to boiling, add about 2 Tbsp. Salt to the water. This will be the only chance you will have to season your broccoli, so do not skip this step!!! When it reaches a boil, allow it to cook for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and carefully pour all the broccoli into a strainer. Let it sit in your sink in the strainer while you do step 2. This will allow the extra water time to drain out.

2. While the broccoli is draining, empty the can of cream of chicken soup into a medium-sized mixing bowl. You can use any kind of cream soup you like, but we prefer the cream of chicken. Next pour the 1/2 cup of milk over top and stir them together until they are thoroughly mixed. You can also add pepper in this mixture if you would like.

3. Take the broccoli and pour it out into a 13x9 baking dish. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli in the dish and mix them together thoroughly. Even it out with a spoon.

3. Next you will want to slice the Velveeta cheese. You will use the whole 8 oz., but not in this step. I make thin slices with a knife, and kind of pretend that each slice will be one ounce, so you need 6 slices and that will leave about 2 ounces of cheese for later. (This is the only way I can think of to explain how thin I cut the slices :)  ) Then lay the slices out on top of the broccoli in a 2x3 kind-of way. Make sure they are evenly spaced and not touching.

4. Place the pan of broccoli and cheese into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

5. When the cheese has melted, remove from oven and stir it all up. Then take the remaining 2 oz. of cheese and cut it into small cubes. Then evenly distribute them on top of the broccoli mixture.

6. Crush the crackers inside their packages real good. Open one end and pour over the broccoli. Then take the butter and using a small knife, cut it into real small pieces on top of the crackers.

7. Place the casserole back into the oven for about 20 minutes. When done, let it sit at least 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the cheese to set and not be runny.
Then ENJOY!!!

And my family really did enjoy!! I didn't even get a finished picture when this was done!! Next time I make this, I will be sure to add one!!!