Easy Vegetable and Cheese Casserole Recipe
There is nothing radical in what I’m showing you here. The hubby brought in the last of the broccoli and cauliflower – I’ll soon have a post on how I process it and freeze it for the season. I wanted something simple for dinner and I had some leftovers from my French Bread Pizza bar so I figured I could combine the two into just what I wanted – an easy vegetable casserole.
I picked a couple of small heads of broccoli out of what he brought in to me – one green and one purple – I was hoping the purple broccoli would retain it’s color after steaming but it didn’t. I cut the two heads into florets and if any were too large I cut them in half. I ended up with about 3 cups of broccoli.
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A Great MultiPot
Before I get to the recipe I want to show you something the hubby bought me over the summer. It’s a 12 Quart Multi Cooker from All Clad. He actually bought it for me to replace my 12 quart canner but I never did use it for that purpose. I have though, used it so many times for other things. It’s become such a go-to pot for me I don’t know how I went all these years without one! It’s a pasta pot with a steamer insert. It has been fantastic for blanching vegetables for freezing and in making this meal I was able to steam the veggies while cooking the pasta. I am a big fan of All Clad pots as the hubby started me on them in the early years of our marriage.
But back to dinner…
Easy Vegetable and Cheese Casserole
Serves 4
1/2 pound penne pasta
3 cups broccoli florets
3/4 – 1 jar tomato sauce
1/2 fresh mozzarella ball cut into small pieces or 1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350°
Cook the penne according to package directions (I cooked the whole pound and used the rest in another recipe)
Steam the broccoli until it is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes
Add the pasta and broccoli to a bowl, add the mozzarella and stir. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir. Add half of the tomato sauce and mix well.
Spray a 9 x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray.
Add the pasta mixture. Spread the remaining tomato sauce on top, Sprinkle with the panko and remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.
Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.
A Delicious Way to Use Leftovers
I love simple meals like this sometimes. The simplicity of the meal often leads to a very tasty dinner. The penne absorbed some of the sauce and the broccoli was cooked perfectly. The tomato sauce with the vegetables is a combination I really enjoy and so does the hubby.
And who doesn’t love melty cheese? I will say though, that unlike most meals like this it was not better on the second night. It was good – just not as good.
