Fargo Ham And Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 12x9x2-inch casserole dish.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, then cook the broccoli stems until al dente, about 4 minutes.

Add the florets and cook until bright green and tender, about 6 minutes. Do not cook the broccoli more than this. Drain stems and florets together and well.

Break up florets into smaller pieces. Arrange florets and stems in casserole dish and sprinkle with salt.

In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat, then stir in flour to form a roux and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir in milk and sage, whisking well as you do.

Return saucepan to heat and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 12 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Cover broccoli with the slices of ham and spread sauce on top. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake until light golden, about 25 minutes.

Increase the heat to broil or turn the broiler on and broil until bread crumb topping is spotted with golden and black flecks, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.