Broccoli cheese casserole

Ingredients:

900g broccoli, stems removed and crowns cut into florets
2 strips thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips
5 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
225g cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Cook the bacon pieces on medium heat in a frying pan until lightly browned, but not crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Set aside.
  3. Add the broccoli florets into boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until just tender enough so that a fork can easily pierce the floret, but still firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  4. Preheat oven to 220°C
  5. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into the flour, then whisk in the cream and milk. Add the black pepper (more or less to taste), salt, and mustard, and about a third of the cheese.
  6. Place the blanched broccoli florets in a buttered casserole dish, sprinkling cheese over the broccoli florets as you lay them down.
  7. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the broccoli.
  8. Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli, moving the broccoli pieces a bit so that the mixture gets in everywhere.
  9. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.
  10. Bake until set, 25 to 40 minutes depending on the depth of the casserole dish. Once the top has browned, you may want to tent with aluminium foil to keep from burning.