Broccoli and Cheese Mina

This dish is for my Jewish friends out there. I am not Jewish but when I saw this recipe I thought it would be perfect for the first night of Hanukkah. I tweaked the original recipe to my family's taste. I've posted the original and I'll put my changes (they were minor) beside in italics. I hope you enjoy. My kitchen smells divine right now!!!!


Broccoli Cheese Mina
Ingredients:

4 cups of bite-sized fresh broccoli florets (or one 14-ounce bag of frozen broccoli)
1 small onion, chopped
8 matzo squares
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, chopped
2 1/4 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups cottage cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 green onions, chopped
5 eggs
3 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. Boil or steam broccoli and onion until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender. Drain.

2. Wet 4 matzos (briefly) under running water, then set aside to soak. Matzos should be slightly soft after soaking, but not soggy or falling apart.

3. Butter a large baking sheet. The baking sheet needs to be large enough to place all 4 matzos in a single layer. Use two sheets if necessary.

4. Place the dampened matzos on the greased sheet(s). Top with even layers of broccoli and onion, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions.

5. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and water. Pour slightly less than half of the egg mixture over the broccoli and cheeses.

6. Wet the remaining matzos and place on top, again, in a single layer. Pour the remaining beaten egg over the top. Sprinkle minced garlic, and dot with half of the butter.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Dot with remaining butter and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mina is golden brown and crisp on top. Serve hot or warm.

I topped ours with a little more cheese once it was baked.

This was so good! The kids ate it up like it was their last meal. Which surprised me because they aren't huge fans of broccoli. All in all I say this was a HUGE hit and I will be including this into our routine more often!