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Can I use milk as a substitute in a broccoli casserole?

I have broccoli and milk that will start going bad soon, all recipes I see ask for cream of mushroom or chicken soup. Is it a bad idea to use milk and season to taste? Broccoli and rice casserole

Public Comments

1. Yes, you can use the milk instead of the cream of soup. Make a white sauce: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, rub these together with fork, stir in 2 cups milk, season with salt and pepper, or with boullion cubes or powder to taste, heating to thicken, pour over your broccoli as you would have the cream of soup.
2. This one calls for milk, no soup. BROCCOLI PARMESAN CASSEROLE BROCCOLI Salted water to cover 2 pounds fresh broccoli SAUCE 1/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder 1 1/2 cups skim milk (I was out of milk, too, so watered down some half & half) 1 cup fat-free chicken broth (I used a bouillion cube) 1 cup grated cheese (I used provolone, the recipe called for reduced-fat extra sharp cheddar) 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon pepper TOPPING 1 cup bread crumbs (I used panko, the recipe called for 12 ground garlic melba toasts) 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cooking spray Preheat oven to 400F (to save oven time, do this about the time the broccoli's done). BROCCOLI Bring the salted water to a boil in a large covered pot. While the water heats, trim the broccoli. (Use a vegetable peeler to pare away as much thick skin as can be reached on the trunks. Chop the trunks into bite-size pieces and set aside. Cut the florets into bite-size pieces and separately set aside. Why separately? Because they need different cooking times.) Drop the trunks into the water and let cook til soft about 7 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Drop florets into the water and cook for about 4 minutes, until cooked but still bright green. Drain in a colander. SAUCE In a medium saucepan on MEDIUM, stir together the flour, salt and mustard. A tablespoon at a time to start, stir in the milk and chicken broth, incorporating each new addition before adding more. Let cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese, Parmesan and pepper. Gently combine the broccoli and sauce (use the pan the broccoli cooked in). Transfer to a well-greased baking pan. TOPPING Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over top. Spray the top with cooking spray. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
3. No, it's not a bad idea at all! Just start with a "mother sauce". Make a roux of equal parts butter and flour, and cook the raw taste out of the flour. Add milk slowly while whisking constantly (that's how I do it anyway) and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you're going to add cheese to the sauce, leave it a bit thin. Cheese is a thickening agent. Just keep in mind what you're going to add later and adjust the amount of liquid accordingly.
4. Of course you can use those ingredients. But your 'season to taste' is a bit vague. You should use flour with the milk to make the casserole liquid a bit denser. Two techniques: either a) separately heat milk and blend in with a whisk or electric beater SLOWLY the flour, about 1/2 tablespoon of flour per half cup of milk, mix, add your flavorings, seasonings or other ingredients, and THEN pour the mixture over parboiled broccoli Or, if baking in oven, over raw broccoli. b) make bechamel. You can google it and find ample recipes; bechamel is more refined and can be flavored as well. It's main ingredients are milk flour butter.
5. No, that's a great way to use up the milk. Only make a white sauce w/ it, so your casserole will be thick enough to stay on a fork and not be soup! I'd double this recipe to replace 1 can of cream soup: Basic White Sauce 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup milk In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. Add more or less milk depending on desired consistency. Cheese Sauce: To hot white sauce, stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, stirring over low heat until melted.