Blanching

• Blanching broccoli by cooking it very quickly in a pot of salted water and then "shocking" it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process gives you the best result for a casserole. Blanching allows the broccoli to retain its bright green color and cooks the vegetable enough so that your casserole won't get watery from raw broccoli. The result is a crisp-tender vegetable that cooks evenly and looks wonderful in the casserole.

Cooking

• To blanch broccoli, peel off any tough ends of the stalks, rinse the broccoli thoroughly, and cut the florets into 1 1/2-inch pieces and the stalk into 3/4-inch pieces. A large pot of boiling water allows the broccoli to begin cooking immediately without the water needing to reach a second boil. Boil the pieces for 2 to 5 minutes, then drain them and plunge them into a large bowl of ice water.

Classic Casseroles

• Both chicken divan -- named for an old New York City restaurant called Divan Parisien -- and chicken Mornay rely on a creamy sauce, shredded or cubed chicken breasts, and broccoli. For either recipe, use 1 head of broccoli for every 2 pounds of chicken, and a sauce made with flour, chicken stock, and milk or cream. Add cooked mushrooms for chicken Mornay or a few tablespoons of sherry for chicken divan, and bake the casseroles at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes.

A Quick Variation

• A creamy cheese such as cheddar, feta, goat, Parmesan or Swiss, pairs well with the strong flavor of broccoli. For a casserole that you assemble hot and cook in the broiler for just 2 minutes, combine cooked broccoli with sauteed mushrooms and top the mixture with a cheesy sauce and bread crumbs. One rich sauce combines 2 cups of cheddar cheese with a thickened white sauce, a small amount of cream cheese and 2 eggs.