Cheddar Beer Broccoli au Gratin Recipe

I don't usually post on Sundays, but I just whipped up an amazing Cheddar Beer Broccoli au Gratin for lunch, and had to share.

It was lunchtime.  I was hungry.  I was foraging through the fridge, trying to come up with a plan, and I found the container of leftover cheddar beer pretzel dipping sauce from last week's pretzel post.  We'd already eaten all the pretzels, but still had a couple cups of this delectable cheese sauce left over.  I found a bag of broccoli florets in the veggie drawer, and inspiration struck.

I first roasted the broccoli with a light spritz of olive oil at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  I then dumped the hot broccoli in a mixing bowl with about a cup of the cheddar beer sauce, and mixed until the broccoli was fairly evenly coated.  The cheddar sauce is pretty thick (kind of pasty in texture) when it's cold, but it mixed up nicely with the hot roasted broccoli.  

I then transferred the cheese and broccoli mixture into a Le Creuset baking dish, and sprinkled lightly with some breadcrumbs and shredded parmesan I had on hand.  Bake at 425 for another 15 minutes, until bubbly and hot and fully of cheesy goodness.

I'd skip the breadcrumbs next time, I think.  It didn't really add much to the final product.  But I did like the way the parmesan on top crisped up into a kind of frico texture, adding some nice crunch to the dish.  

It was absolutely delicious!  I only wish I'd had some bacon to crumble over the top to make a Welsh rarebit broccoli dish.  Next time!  (Tomorrow, maybe?  I still have a cup of the cheddar beer sauce left over!)