Cheesy Broccoli Primavera Bake is sure to be the hit of all your holiday potluck dinner parties!
When it comes to holiday meal planning, if you’re anything like I am, then you never think you have enough.
Every year I’ll look at my menu and think that we need one more appetizer, perhaps another main dish, a side-dish or dessert.
Enter Cheesy Broccoli Primavera Bake.
The lovely thing about this recipe is that the Parmesan Cheese Sauce can be made ahead (imperative for holiday cooking), and can also be used for other dishes. It’s great as a sauce for pasta, drizzled on roasted vegetables or dolloped over tender baked potatoes. It’s so versatile.
I first made this recipe in my earliest days of hosting Christmas dinner. Young Ciao Chow took a number of community ed. cooking classes way-way back in the day. First, to build my holiday recipe repertoire, then to merely get more practice.
This recipe has needed very little in the way of tweaking over the years – it was pretty perfect straight out of the gate.
INGREDIENTS:
fresh cheese-filled tortellini
steamed broccoli florets
chopped pimiento
chopped onion
freshly grated Parmesan
For the sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 plump garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
Begin by making the Parmesan Cheese Sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg and black pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring until smooth and bubbly.
Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. About 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add cheese, stir until melted. Set aside.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the tortellini 6 minutes. Drain.
Heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole.
In a large bowl, combine cooked tortellini and all remaining ingredients except the grated Parmesan.
Mix well and spoon into casserole dish.
Cover and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until thoroughly heated, stirring twice during baking.
Remove from oven; uncover.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover, let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This Cheesy Broccoli Primavera Bake is creamy, comforting and perfect for a weeknight meal or for your holiday dinners and potlucks!
Your family and friends are sure to love this classic!
Buon Appetito!
Cheesy Broccoli Primavera Bake
Description
Cheesy Broccoli Primavera Bake is sure to be the hit of all your holiday potluck dinner parties!
Ingredients
2 (9 oz.) pkg. fresh cheese-filled tortellini
18 oz. steamed broccoli florets
1 cup chopped pimiento
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Parmesan Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 plump garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Begin by making the Parmesan Cheese Sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg and black pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring until smooth and bubbly.
Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. About 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add cheese, stir until melted. Set aside.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the tortellini 6 minutes. Drain.
Heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole.
In a large bowl, combine cooked tortellini and all remaining ingredients except the grated Parmesan.
Mix well and spoon into casserole dish.
Cover and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until thoroughly heated, stirring twice during baking.
Remove from oven; uncover.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover, let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
Notes
If you like a little extra sauce on your pasta, feel free to double the Parmesan Cheese Sauce.
This sounds wonderful, Annie! Love that it’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but also great for sharing with guests. So intrigued by that parmesan cheese sauce! I just bought a big wedge of parmigiano reggian, so your timing is perfect!
Lovely!! Enjoy, my friend!
I love everything about this! And, it’s red and green! So pretty!
Don’t you just love pretty food?
Easy pasta dish with a hearty parmesan cream sauce, perfect for holiday get togethers!
I highly recommend it! Thanks, Kevin!!
I love easy, flavorful bakes like this Annie! Perfect for a crowd! Bet that parmesan cream sauce is fabulous!
Ohhh, it’s so good!! Thanks, Mary Ann!
I just love pasta bakes like this! So much goodness in one lovely pan 🙂
And they’re just so easy!! 🙂
It’s been a long time since I made a tortellini dish. This seems like a great comfort food recipe for the Holidays.
Hi James! Indeed it is! Thank you for stopping by with a kind word!
Beautiful bake! Love how all the food groups are covered:) Pinned!
Thanks so much, Milena!! 🙂
I wish I was eating this right now! It looks so cheesy and yummy! Love the pimiento – adds such great flavor!
The pimiento is a nice addition! Plus, I love the pop of color!! Thank you, Kelly!
This is totally happening for Christmas. I always make at least 10 times more food than I need, but some dishes–like this one!–are a MUST. That cheese sauce sounds amazing!
The sauce is so good! And who doesn’t love dishes that are the colors of Christmas?! Thanks, friend!
This is absolutely a holiday dish that would be a hit with my family! I mean, you can’t go wrong with a parmesan cheese sauce! Looks delish Annie. Happy Monday!
Parmesan Cheese Sauce is quite the tasty treat! Thank you, Leanne!
You know, this does sound pretty perfect for the make-ahead list. And you can never have enough of those! Even better, a recipe that uses the tortellini as well. 🙂
Who doesn’t love tortellini?! Thank you, Bill!
I always think I need just one more dish too. And I always end up with more food than I need, but I’d rather have more than enough than not 🙂 Love that this beauty can be made ahead – so perfect for the busy holiday season! Happy Monday,my friend. XOXO
I’m sure we are more typical in our thinking than we know! Never too much! Thank you, friend! XOXO