- 1
Ingredients
- 8 ounces broccoli florets
- 12 ounces light cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 1/4 cup real mayonnaise
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided use
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Preparation
Step 1
-If preparing immediately, preheat the oven to 450°, and lightly mist a baking dish (roughly a quart size) with cooking spray; if not, prepare the recipe as follows and keep refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to bake and serve.
-Blanch the broccoli florets in well-salted boiling water for about 30-45 seconds; drain and immerse into an ice bath for about 30 seconds to immediately cool and keep the broccoli a vibrant green; remove from the ice bath, and pat dry as much as possible with paper towels; chop up the florets into small pieces, and set aside for a moment.
-Add the softened cream cheese, the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and parmesan cheese into a large bowl; with a hand-held mixer (or even a spatula if the cream cheese is nice and soft), blend the ingredients until well combines and fairly smooth.
-Next, fold in ¼ cup of the grated cheddar cheese, and mix until incorporated; spoon the mixture into the baking dish and smooth the top, then finish by sprinkling over the remaining ¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese, and the Italian seasoning.
-Bake for about 20-22 minutes until bubbly and golden on top; allow to slightly cool (you can even scoop some out and place it into a bowl to cool it a bit and serve), and serve with the Garlic Crostinis on the side.