I grew up going to a big family Thanksgiving dinner, the kind that required more than one kids’ table. I’m one of the youngest in a group of cousins that isn’t particularly close, so the holiday during my formative years is (probably unfairly) a bit of a blur.
Once I graduated college and used the long weekend to stay put in Georgia, Thanksgiving became a more intimate, chosen-family affair. It also went from being an unremarkable event to my favorite holiday of the year. This is almost entirely due to friends who generously included me in their annual Orphansgiving, hosted in Atlanta, Tybee Island, Marietta, and places between.
Things change, tables change. IMO, a smaller holiday is a better holiday (pandemic notwithstanding). Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading :)
A LITTLE LIGHT READING
The second life of Princess Diana’s sheep sweater.
Thanksgiving and the 2020 burnout for home cooks.
Useful for tomorrow and beyond: a list of substitute ingredients.
Artist Bosco Sodi’s Oaxacan escape.
ONE CASSEROLE TO RULE THEM ALL
One thing I do remember vividly about the big family Thanksgiving is my aunt Karen’s broccoli casserole. Every year I have attempted to replicate this glorious pillar of Sidesgiving; every year, I get very, very close. Nothing measures up to pure nostalgia.
In any case, this is the truth and essence of a broccoli casserole, full stop. And it involves none of that “cream of” business.
INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ pounds broccoli florets (cut into bite-size pieces)
6 tablespoons butter (divided in tablespoons)
1 cup finely chopped button mushrooms
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup of wild rice (the easy version is the pre-cooked wild rice-in-a-bag, whoops)
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
½ cup half and half
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Healthy pinches of salt and pepper
1 tbsp. herbes de Provence
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of Adobo
½ cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
1 diced yellow onion
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 egg (beaten)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs (optional)
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a standard size casserole dish.
Steam broccoli florets in a big pot with a lid & about an inch+ of water, until bright green and pierceable. In a colander, rinse broccoli with cold water to stop the cooking process, then set aside in a big mixing bowl.
Go ahead and cook your rice, whether you’re doing it the easy way (microwave) or regular way. When that’s done, add to the bowl with the broccoli.
Add 2 tbsp. of butter to a skillet, and batch-fry your mushrooms until fragrant and browned. Set aside with the broccoli. In your same pan, saute onions & garlic in the mushroom-butter juices until soft and garlic is fragrant, seasoning with salt, pepper, Adobo, and herbes de Provence. When onions & garlic are done, add to the broccoli & mushroom mixing bowl.
In a smallish saucepan, melt remaining butter -- do not let it brown. Slowly whisk in the flour until blended, then drop in mustard and keep whisking as you slowly pour in the milk & half-and-half (or cream), it will thicken continuously but might take a minute. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if you have it (this part replaces the need for canned cream of stuff). Stir in your Greek yogurt -- this doesn’t need to cook, it will just add more “stick” to the casserole. Pour this sauce into the bowl with broccoli, mushrooms, rice, and onions/garlic.
Add the beaten egg, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and ½ cup of breadcrumbs (if using) to the bowl, and drained water chestnuts, and mix to combine. Pour all of this into your greased casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs, making sure to cover the corners for crispy edges.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for 15 more minutes, until the top is bubbling and browned. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, hot. You can also make this the day before and reheat slowly in a warmed oven.