This delicious Casserole is a real Crowd pleaser and has become a Thanksgiving and Christmas Tradition for our entire Family.
Oven preheat to 325°
This Recipe is not my own. I have changed it to use either frozen OR Fresh Broccoli and use the IP to steam it rather than Blanch.
My Mother in Law got her Recipe out there somewhere and it has been a family tradition for many Years so you may find a recipe on Velveta package or something else. It is simply one of my holiday veggies now.
I do this the day before. I prepare the Cheese by chopping it into Chunks and cut the Butter into Tbsp sized chunks and put them together in a microwave safe Bowl.
Cover with Saran, and leave on the counter till next day.
I also crush the Crackers in their packages and then add to a gallon sized Baggie. I add the melted butter to the Baggie the day before as well, so it makes it easy.
You can also gently steam the Broccoli day before and put it into the buttered, Pyrex 9x 13 pan , cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate over night, then just get it out and let it come to room temp for an hour before adding the Melted Cheese and Crackers to it.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tubes Ritz Crackers
3 1/2 lbs frozen Broccoli Flowerets (or 1 1/2- 2 Bags Costco fresh Broccoli Flowerets you may have some Leftover)
2 sticks Butter melted … But divided …1 stick set aside for the Ritz.. 1/2 stick for the Broccoli, and 1/2 stick for the melted Cheese.
1- 32 oz brick of Velveta Cheese. (Don’t use low fat. It goes to water!) Just the regular brick)
DIRECTIONS:
Blanch or steam Broccoli untill slightly light green and stems are slightly soft. The Broccoli can be steamed for a for a minute in the IP. It is easier to drain, and there is no big Pot of Water to deal with. It works Best in a basket, so you can get it out immediately. You can also use a lotus steamer and pile it all in there and then just pull the Pot when it’s steamed enough, then dump it all into a Colander to get it cooled.
Drain extremely well.
Pour it into a Buttered 9×13 pan.
Melt Cheese and Half of a stick of butter in the Microwave, stirring occasionally until mixed well and soft enough to pour easily.
Melt the other Half stick butter and pour over broccoli, then pour the melted Cheese and it’s 1/2 stick Butter evenly over Broccoli.
Crush Ritz in the Tube by pressing slow and hard on both ends, the tube will burst, so hold it over a Bowl, (or do it inside a gallon sized Baggie). Empty all three Tubes into a Bowl or gallon sized Baggie.
Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of Butter and pour over Cracker Crumbs. (I mix it in while in the baggie) Sprinkle Crumbs over Broccoli and Cheese.
Bake @325° for 1 hr.
