Tasty Tuesdays: Gorgonzola Broccoli Casserole

It's almost here!!!  Can you believe we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in just two days?!?!  Do you have your recipes ready?  I made our big Turkey Day grocery trip on Saturday, so I am ready to get cooking.  This is my absolute favorite meal to cook.  Last year, over the course of several Tuesdays, I posted all of the recipes I make for Thanksgiving.  Here's a recap...  You can click on each dish to find the link to the recipe...

Popeyes Fried Turkey

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Brown Sugar

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage, Wild Mushrooms, and Toasted Pecans

Green Beans Slow Cooked with Bacon and Onions

Cranberry Jello Mold

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

This year I thought it would be nice to add a new dish to the menu, and my friend Amy highly recommended this broccoli casserole.  The name alone sounds completely heavenly!!

Gorgonzola Broccoli Casserole

Yield: Makes 12 to 14 servings

Ingredients

• 3  pounds  broccoli
• 1/4  cup  (1/8 lb.) butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  cups  milk
• 2  packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2  cup  crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese
• 2  cups  1/2-inch cubes French or other firm white bread (3 oz.)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Rinse broccoli and trim off and discard tough stem ends; if skin on stalks is tough, peel stalks. Cut broccoli into 1-inch pieces. Add to boiling water and cook just until barely tender when pierced, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Rinse and dry pan. Add 1/4 cup butter to pan and melt over medium heat. Stir in flour and salt until smoothly blended; cook until bubbly, about 1 minute. Add milk and stir over medium-high heat until mixture is boiling and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and gorgonzola; whisk until smoothly blended. Stir in broccoli. Pour into a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart casserole.

3. In a blender or food processor, whirl bread cubes into coarse crumbs; you should have about 1 1/3 cups. In a small bowl, mix crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over broccoli mixture.

4. Bake until casserole is hot in the center and crumbs are golden, 20 to 30 minutes.