For dreary winter nights, here’s a cheesy casserole that’s kinder to your waistline.
This recipe blends several cheeses and bakes them with fresh chopped broccoli mixed in. Soft, warm cheese is great comfort food, right? But the resulting casserole is surprisingly low in fat and calories, while providing lots of protein.
The secret is cottage cheese. But you don’t have to tell anyone that!
To make this recipe all your own, throw a handful of your favorite herbs into the cheese mixture before baking this broccoli and cottage cheese casserole.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups water (for pre-cooking the broccoli)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
16 ounces cottage cheese, 1 percent fat, no added salt
3⁄4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 egg whites, plus one whole egg, beaten
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat a 9-inch pie pan or a 7×9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a 1-1⁄2-quart saucepan, bring the water to boil.
Boil the broccoli for about 4 minutes, until al dente or still crunchy in the middle.
Pour the broccoli into a colander and drain well.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, egg and Parmesan cheese.
Stir the broccoli into the cheese mixture.
Pour the mixture into the pie pan or baking dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the center of the casserole is set.
Allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 16 ounces cottage cheese, 1 percent fat, no added salt
- 3⁄4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 egg whites, plus one whole egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Coat a 9-inch pie pan or a 7×9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a 1-1⁄2-quart saucepan, bring the water to boil.
- Boil the broccoli for about 4 minutes, until al dente or still crunchy in the middle.
- Pour the broccoli into a colander and drain well.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, egg and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir the broccoli into the cheese mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the pie pan or baking dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the center of the casserole is set.
- Allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Recipes for Life After Weight-Loss Surgery, Revised and Updated.
