Potato Broccoli Wonder

I wasn't expecting to make anything tonight worth blogging about but this throw together lunch turned casserole dinner just turned out amazing.  Three of the four kids gobbled it up in no time and daddy loved it.  And personally, I don't really like broccoli but I'm sitting here eating a second serving of this!

This is the second time I've bought the bagged broccoli florets from Aldi's and this is the second time I have loved eating the broccoli.  The bagged veggies don't last long in the refrigerator but the flavor of the produce is unlike anything I've eaten from the frozen section.  The only broccoli I've ever eaten that I liked pretty ok was the stuff I grew myself.  This is very much like that.  It's been very tender and the flavor has not been over powering.

Aldi's also carries a cheese that is relatively new to me; asiago.  I love cheese and it doesn't matter if it is mild or pungent.  Asiago cheese is like a more pungent parmigiana cheese in my opinion.  And for the main reason we shop at Aldi's, the price is so good compared to the other store I have found it at.  So, it has become a staple for our home.

The kids were hungry, daddy and mommy have been crazy busy working on building our new chicken coop and cooking has just not been a priority lately with so much other work on my plate.  But, we had a few things that I could throw together: the broccoli, a few boiled potatoes and some turkey hotdogs.  I planned on making some potato salad and just calling it simple but I got an idea from another recipe and took these three simple things and SCORE!!!  So, here's how it goes:

1 package of broccoli florets steamed
5-7 boiled potatoes (skin on or off depending on your preference) diced small.
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp of smoked paprika
3 cloves of garlic (I use a microplane with my garlic so that it is more of a paste)
1/2 tbsp of dried onion (or a small onion sauteed)
3/4 of a wedge of asiago cheese grated, divided (I also had a small bit of blue cheese left over that I tossed in.)
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together except for the broccoli, potatoes and second half of cheese.  Add broccoli, potatoes and a splash of milk to a casserole dish.  Add the mixture to the dish and coat everything well.  Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake at 375* until hot and the top is golden.  Serve with whatever else you choose to have with it (we had diced up hotdogs because that's what I had pulled out and it was fast).

This was a wonderful way to use up some leftovers and jazz up some simple ingredients and make for a very satisfying and low cost dinner.  Next time I make this, I'll be sure to take a picture to share with everyone.  This didn't stick around long enough to photograph!  I think I'm about to go eat a few more bites of what's left.  Have a good night!