Recipe: Broccoli Casserole

Usually the side dishes you get at Thanksgiving are pretty lame: cold, gummy, and salty. This year, I improved on the usual, and made something that transcends broccoli, water chestnuts, and cheese - a heavenly transformation!

Oh, it's good - real good!

Broccoli Casserole
Serves ~8 people as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lbs broccoli florets (fresh, dammit!)
• 1 can (15 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz can water chestnuts, sliced
• 4 oz can evaporated milk
• 1/3 Cup milk
• French fried onions (small can, unless you already have some - you don't need too many)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trim the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. In a large pot of boiling salted water*, cook the broccoli for 5 minutes. Remove from water and immerse into an ice bath to immediately stop the cooking*. This can be done the night before.
2. Mix the soup, evaporated milk, and regular milk in a bowl and set aside - this is the sauce.
3. Open the water chestnuts and drain.
4. In a casserole dish (9x9 should do it), make a layer of broccoli, then a layer of water chestnuts, and a layer of cheese. Repeat. Top with one more layer of broccoli only and then pour the "sauce" over everything*
5. Top with a layer of french fried onions
6. Cover with foil, and bake in a 400 degree oven for ~20 minutes, or until heated through. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (this will crisp-up the onions on top)
7. BOOM, done.

FAQs

• Large pot of boiling salted water - what gives? >> When you boil things, especially pasta, you want an immense amount of water and you want that water to be salted. Why? First, because you want the items to be able to move-around freely in the water. Second, because putting cool things in a small amount of boiling water will drop the temperature very quickly. If you have a LARGE amount of water, that effect is lessened. Third, salted, because salt makes things taste good - might as well add some flavor, yes? I'd go with ~2 Tbs of salt per gallon of water.
• Ice bath? Sounds weird >> Ok, this is advanced cooking school for you people... Prepare a bowl of water with ice in it - this is an "ice bath." When you remove the broccoli from the boiling water, it will still be cooking. Put it in a colander and drop that into the ice bath - the cooking will stop immediately. Why do this? First, because the texture will be saved. Overcooking vegetables makes them floppy and soggy - lame. Second, because it will freeze the color as a vibrant green. Overcooked vegetables have a muted color (olive green broccoli anyone?)
• How many layers and what? I'm confused >> You will have three layers of broccoli, two layers of water chestnuts, and two layers of cheese - in this order (bottom to top): 
• broccoli
• water chestnuts
• cheese
• broccoli
• water chestnuts
• cheese
• broccoli
• Why are all these holiday casseroles topped with french fried onions? >> I don't know - it was like that when I got here...