My favorite part of any potluck dinner has always been the broccoli casserole dishes that always taste so good.  I have actually had a plate of almost nothing but various broccoli casserole dishes before!  For many years, I thought those crunchy, cheesy broccoli casseroles were a mystery.  I never thought I could make one.  I was surprised to learn exactly how easy these are to make! I have come up with a quick and easy recipe that I like to use all year long. 

I am giving you the recipe for a family size dish, and you can even bake this in the broiler oven to save energy. (and money!)   If you need a larger dish for a potluck or larger dinner, you can easily double these portions.  The problem I usually have is people wanting more!

Ingredients:

1 bag of broccoli

1 egg

3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons of dried minced onions

Around 1/2 of a sleeve of Ritz type crackers

margarine or butter

salt and pepper

Directions:

Place the frozen broccoli in the microwave with around a tablespoon of water in a dish with a lid.  Cook around five or so minutes .  The broccoli should be cooked,  but not very soft. 

In a bowl, mix the cheese, mayonnaise, onion, egg, salt, and pepper.  Stir well.  Add Broccoli.  Stir and place in a greased baking dish.  I use a small, square glass baking dish that will fit in my broiler oven. 

Crush the Ritz crackers and place on top of dish.   Generously dot with butter, and give a shake of salt and pepper.

Place in a preheated 350 -375 degree oven for around 20-25 minutes.   Watch for burning of the topping.  When I use a broiler oven, I usually have foil over the dish for most of the time.