Requested Week After Week (After Week…)

If there’s one thing I dread, it’s having to put together a menu. Tell me what you want, I’ll make it. Give me a recipe, an ingredient, something.. just don’t leave the menu up to me. The main dish is usually chicken, since it’s cheaper than meat and requires a lot less skill to master. But when it comes to soup, sides, and dessert (mmm dessert) – I could look through my cookbooks a million times and still have no idea what to make.

I try so hard to make different things from week to week. After all, who likes to eat the same thing over and over and over again?

My husband, that’s who.

So whenever we’re deciding what to make for shabbat, without fail, Ari will say “can you make broccoli kugel again?”

I have to say, after making it so many times, I have definitely gotten this recipe down to a tee. So here it is:

Broccoli Kugel

Ingredients

• 2.5 Lbs fresh broccoli (or 2 lb frozen broccoli cuts, thawed and drained..I do think using fresh is worth the extra time)
• 1 Cup mayonnaise
• 4 eggs
• 4-5 heaping Tbs Onion soup mix (I like Osem brand.. especially since they offered me my first real job 🙂 )
• 1/2 Tbs salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 9inch frozen pie crust (if you make your own…good for you..)

Directions 

1. Cut the broccoli into small pieces (using some, definitely not all of the stems), and steam until easy to fork. If you don’t have a steamer, put about an inch of water into a pot and add the broccoli. Cook over a high flame with the lid slightly open until easy to fork. (about 5-10 min)
2. Throw into a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain very well.
3. Once drained, transfer into a large bowl.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
5. Pour into a frozen pie crust bake at 375° F for 1-1.5 hrs. Make sure to sick a piece of foil under the pie to catch drippings. 

> If you don’t want to use a pie crust because you think it’s too fattening.. just do it anyway. But if it’s going to deter you from making this amazing kugel you can throw it into a greased 8×8 pyrex.

> If you are cooking for someone who eats especially healthy (sucks for you), just don’t mention the mayonnaise.. I mean, the main ingredient is broccoli.

Enjoy!

Li-or