From the menu of ... Piccadilly Cafeteria, 1715 Howell Mill Road N.W., Atlanta. 404-352-1743, www.piccadilly.com.
Q: I have many recipes for broccoli and rice, but my favorite is at Piccadilly Cafeteria. Could you get their recipe, please? Thank you! -- Jennette Barron, Decatur
A: Requests for comfort foods like this broccoli and rice casserole fill the in box of the From the Menu of column. Quite honestly, I didn’t think the folks at Piccadilly Cafeteria would share one of their signature recipes.
As it happens, they were delighted to provide the recipe and now our readers can re-create this comfort food at home. Their Broccoli and Rice Au Gratin is a classic, similar to that found in many cookbooks from the 1960s.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of the volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Piccadilly Cafeteria’s Broccoli and Rice Au Gratin
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 12
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 5/8 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 (10-ounce package) chopped frozen broccoli, thawed or 2 cups steamed fresh broccoli florets (about 8 ounces fresh)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cups grated sharp cheddar, divided
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
In a medium saucepan, combine rice, 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pan and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
While rice is cooking, in a medium bowl, stir pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt into remaining 5/8 cup water. When dissolved, add broccoli. Stir in soup, 2/3 cup cheddar and margarine. When rice is done, add to the mixture and stir to combine. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish and bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining 2/3 cups cheddar over the top of the casserole and return to oven. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve hot.
Per serving: 184 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 6 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 492 milligrams sodium.
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