What's For Dinner Wednesday: Cheesy Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole

I hope you guys didn't think I forgot about you! I know posting is few and far between these days, but we are days (!!!) away from Baby C.'s arrival and even with as prepared and organized as I am, there is still so much to do before she arrives. So, forgive me if the posts become sparse... Or even nonexistent for a while. Big changes are upon us!

Today's recipe is a total reflection of my cooking M.O. these days: comfort food that's quick and easy to whip up using ingredients that are currently occupying my fridge and pantry. The truth is, I was planning on making wild rice and roasted broccoli as two separate sides for dinner recently. When it was time to get cooking, I wasn't even feeling the pork chops I had planned to make (side note: this is a regular occurrence with pork chops and me... I don't know why I keep buying them), let alone the bland and boring side dishes. So I scoured my fridge for a few ingredients that would turn this dinner into something that actually sounded appetizing and the result was a flavorful comforting side dish that was a cinch to put together.

This wild rice and broccoli casserole reminded me a lot of chicken divan (sans chicken), one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. A rich cheesy sauce made of just a few ingredients binds seasoned wild rice and crunchy broccoli together. There's no weird condensed soups in this mixture or complicated cook process-- just a combination of cream cheese and shredded Swiss with a little hot sauce and mustard for a kick of flavor. Stir all of the ingredients together, bake, and enjoy.

And enjoy, you will. Even if you're enjoying it alongside some underwhelming pork chops.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. hot sauce
• 2 Tbs. yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 cups wild rice, cooked
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a square baking dish and set aside.

Add the broccoli to a medium microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with water. Microwave for 2 minutes or until broccoli just begins to turn bright green and soften slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together hot sauce, mustard, and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the wild rice, broccoli, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese until the mixture is fully incorporated.

Spoon into the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top and bake for 25 minutes.