“You had a broccoli recipe earlier,” our daughter Lee said when I told her about this week’s subject. I checked, and she was right. Over the years, I had used two similar recipes, each somewhat different from the other and both good – so this one will make three. Try them all.
The one today is from two people, Susan Keck and her mother Elsie Morgan, both “members in good standing” of First Church in Edgefield. Both had submitted the recipe to a cookbook published by the church’s Youth Missions Organizations several years ago.
Susan’s mother Elsie is a longtime member of Edgefield First, and Susan was reared in the church. She chose education for a career and for 18 years has been on the faculty of Strom Thurmond High School in Edgefield. For some time she taught health science, but now is the full-time school nurse.
Caring for the aches and pains of students is not her only interest. She enjoys vegetable gardening, reading and smocking. She and her husband Rob, a consultant with Bass Pro Shop, also grow blueberries.
Among all this teaching and nursing and blueberry growing, Susan and Rob have reared two daughters: Carolyn Wright in North Augusta and Heather Reynolds in Greenville. They have a granddaughter and a grandson.
At Edgefield First, Rev. Stacy Williams has been the pastor about five years. The church, part of Edgefield Association, has an average attendance of 225 and a full range of Southern Baptist programs: Sunday school, worship service, WMU, Brotherhood, Mission Friends, GAs, etc. Susan teaches the Adult 3 Sunday school class, and works with Mission Friends and the children’s choir. Both her husband Rob and her father, “Buddy” Morgan, are deacons.
Susan got this recipe from her mother Elsie, whose recipe asks for the cheese dip (Cheez Whiz) or pasteurized cheese products (Velveeta). I don’t usually use brand names in the ingredients list. Add this broccoli casserole to your box of saved recipes, because there probably won’t be a fourth!
This recipe, which serves about eight, is simple enough to prepare after work for a family dinner and good enough to serve guests at any time for … Sunday Dinner.
Susan’s Broccoli Casserole
1 small onion, minced
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup Minute Rice
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 8-ounce jar cheese dip
Slightly thaw the broccoli. Sauté the onion in the melted butter. Mix together all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.