Broccoli Au Gratin

When we were in Seattle, we went to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. John and I both love a good steak. Especially one that is cooked properly and at Ruth’s Chris, they know how to cook a steak properly. I am talking rare with a cool, red center. Yeah, that might gross some people out, but I grew up eating rare meat. In fact, I remember my grandpa saying “if you like your steak well done, you don’t like steak.” I completely agree.

Oops…I got sidetracked. This post isn’t about the steak. It is about one of the side dishes we had - broccoli au gratin. I have had cheesy broccoli before, but nothing like this. It really was broccoli au gratin - it was baked in a cheese sauce, then broiled to perfection to form a nice brown crust. It was so good and the perfect accompaniment to my rare steak!

One of my favorite things to do is go to restaurants, then try to recreate what they made (although I served my broccoli au gratin with a nice pork roast). I have made au gratin potatoes a million times, so I thought I would use the same method. I think it turned out pretty good for my first shot.

• Broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (one turn around the pan)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard
• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese - separated
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese - separated
• Salt and pepper

Place your broccoli florets in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Combine ½ cup of each cheese with the broccoli. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, add the olive oil and butter. Turn heat to medium and add flour and garlic. Whisk the flour and butter/olive oil mixture until it forms a thick paste. Continue to whisk and let cook for about 2-3 minutes until it gets bubbly. Whisk in the milk and continue to stir until it gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. I would say about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of each cheese and the mustard to the milk mixture. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour the cheese sauce over top of the broccoli.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add the broccoli mixture to the casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to get a nice brown crust.

Doesn’t that sound delicious? I will admit, it wasn’t quite as good as Ruth’s Chris but it was pretty close. I think the only thing I will do differently next time (and I do this with my au gratin potatoes for a little extra texture) is top with seasoned panko breadcrumbs. I sure wish I would have remembered that at the time. Shoot…I  guess I will just have to make it again! ;) 

Just to ggive you a preview, tonight I am making ribs and chicken. These are an all day type of thing, so best to make them on the weekend when you have some time...I can smell them cooking away as we speak. Don't worry, I will post pics with John and his rib bib :)