Vegetarian Brown Rice and Broccoli Casserole with Creamy Curry Sauce

Directions

Cook brown rice according to package directions or using a rice cooker to get 4 cups cooked brown rice. When rice is nearly done, cut broccoli into small flowerets to get 8 cups broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about 1 tsp. salt, and cook the broccoli exactly 2 minutes. Drain broccoli into a colander placed in the sink. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the onion, and saute over medium-high heat until onion is starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet and hot curry powder and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the cooked rice and stir to coat with the oil and curry powder, then cook a couple of minutes to to heat the rice Whisk together sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, and sweet curry powder to make the sauce. Spray an 8″ x 8″ glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. I used my new favorite casserole dish ; if you don’t have a dish that’s this deep, use a slightly larger one. Make layers with half the rice mixture, half the broccoli, half the curry sauce, and half the cheese, spreading out to make an even layer with each ingredient. Make a second layer each of rice mixture, broccoli, curry sauce, and cheese. Bake the casserole about 30 minutes, or until casserole is starting to bubble and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Serve hot. I am guessing this freezes well, although I haven’t tried freezing it yet.