Creamy Vegetable Medley Casserole

I LOVED this casserole!  

With something this yummy, your family would be nuts to not eat their vegetables.  It is so creamy and rich and flavorful.

It smelled SO GOOD.  I was lucky I didn't burn the tip of my nose on the hot casserole dish, because I had to keep smelling it.  I served this alongside some baked pork chops and lets just say, the vegetables were the first thing gone on the plate. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One of the first gadgets I bought when I moved out of my parent's house was a microwave steamer like my Mom's.  I bought mine around 8 years ago at Target for under $15 and I use it all the time.  It came in super handy for this recipe.  I'm not sure if Target still has them, but you can always get one from Tupperware, it will just be a little more pricey, but well worth it. 

All you do is fill the bottom with a little water, place the vegetables in the top, cover with the lid and microwave.  Simple. 

Creamy Vegetable Medley Casserole

adapted from: Stella B's Kitchen
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

Crumb Topping:
1 1/2 c. Ritz crackers, crushed (I used low-fat)
1/4 clove garlic, grated
dash of pepper
1/4 c. shredded cheese (Parmesan & Cheddar mixed)
1-2 Tbl. melted butter

Vegetables:
2 c. baby carrots, steamed for 7 minutes
3 c. cauliflower, steamed for 5 minutes
3 c. broccoli florets, steamed for 4 minutes

Cream Sauce:
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
3 Tbl. flour
1-2 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 (14.5 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. half-and-half (I used fat-free)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. shredded cheese (Parmesan & Cheddar mixed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put steamed vegetables in a large, greased, casserole dish.  For the cream sauce: in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, one Tablespoon at a time, until a thick paste forms.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, to cook out the raw flour flavor.  Stir in the garlic and nutmeg.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and cook until thickened.  Add the half-and-half and cook a few more minutes until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Last, add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.  Pour cream sauce over vegetables in casserole dish; stir together.  For the crumb topping: combine crushed crackers, grated garlic, pepper and shredded cheese.  Add the melted butter and toss until evenly coated.  Sprinkle evenly over casserole.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbling and topping is golden.  Serves: 8-10

Jenn's Notes: I made 1/2 a batch and it was enough for 4-5 generous servings.  This recipe is for fresh vegetables and I recommend using fresh.  If you really wanted, you could use thawed, frozen vegetables and skip the steaming part.  If you do not have freshly grated nutmeg, you can easily omit it from the recipe.  I can't wait to make this again.