Last Weekend at Valia's

Last weekend we had a dinner party at my friend's house.  It was unbelievable!  Her husband, Leo, was craving foods from the South and we fulfilled his desired.  We prepared such a feast that I am still savoring it a week later.

In this post, I will showcase all the dishes and I promise you that I will come back with all the recipes individually because each of them is a star.  Here we go:

Photo by Laura

Photo by Laura

Photo by Laura

Photo by Laura

My mouth waters just by watching these pictures.  I know yours will too.  It was a  wonderful night among wonderful friends and plenty of great food.  

Buon Appetito!

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

This is such a hearty dish that I suggest, if you have children and they don't want to eat their veggies, make this dish for them and I guarantee they will scrape their plate clean.  This is a recipe I took from one of my vegetarian cookbooks and change it a little bit to my taste.  This is a family favorite at my home.

Photo by Laura

Ingredients:

• Four boxes of frozen broccoli florets, 10 oz each, coarsely chopped and thawed
• 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups fat free milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup Kraft extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Kraft Italian five cheeses, shredded
• 2 tablespoons of roasted pimientos, diced
• Kosher sea salt and pepper to taste
• Canola cooking spray
• Panko 

Photo by Laura

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2. Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife.  Place flour and  dry mustard in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Gradually add milk, broth and whisk until blended.  Cook until thick, about 8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, add cheeses and Dijon mustard, stir until cheeses are melted.  Add roasted pimiento peppers and broccoli tossing to coat.  
3. Coat a baking dish with the canola cooking spray and spoon in the broccoli and cheese mixture.
4. Mix together the Panko and Cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the mixture.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the mixture.
5. Bake until bubbly about 20 minutes, depending on your oven.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Photo by Laura

All I can say is YUM!  My friends were really impressed with this delicious dish.  Please do make this at home.  Share your thoughts.  

Buon Appetito!