Broccoli Spoon Bread is definitely a comfort food – hot, starchy, and cheesy – from plain ingredients. It’s also health food, containing protein; calcium; Vitamins A, B6, C, and K; trace elements like iron and potassium; and fiber.  Finally, it’s simply yummy.

It takes half an hour of prep time, an hour to bake, and 10 minutes of rest after you pull this dish from the oven, but it’s worth the wait.

This recipe serves four.

Broccoli Spoon Bread

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli (OK to use frozen but best with fresh)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP sugar

Cut broccoli in bite-sized pieces and arrange in a tall-sided, greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

In a medium saucepan, mix milk into cornmeal and cook, stirring continually, about 5 minutes. Cover and cool slightly.

Add a bit of warm cornmeal mush to beaten yolks, then add this to the mush. Stir in sugar, salt, and then baking powder.

Beat egg whites stiff and fold into mixture. Pour the mixture over broccoli.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 375° F, until toothpick comes out clean and top is golden.

Top with:

Cheese Sauce

• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 c water or bland vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper (try white pepper)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (Nicole Sauce omits this ingredient)
• 1 cup grated cheese (try a hard, aged cheese like Asiago, Romano, or Parmesan)

Make a white sauce with the first seven ingredients, then stir in cheese, bit by bit.

Pour sauce over spoon bread, let sit for 10 minutes, and serve.

If you have leftover corn on the cob, don’t hesitate to add some to the spoon bread.