When we used to gather for a pre-Christmas meal with members of one branch of our extended family, one of our cousins usually brought a Broccoli Casserole that was always among our most-talked-about foods in our conversations on the car rides home from gathering.

One year, my mother put together a cookbook of some family recipes to share with each household who attended the meals. This recipe, which we credit to our cousin Kim Marks, was in that cookbook.

The flavors of this Broccoli Casserole just blend so well, and it is full of both plenty of broccoli and all of the ingredients that make so many casseroles so delicious, including condensed soup, cheese and bread/cracker crumbs. We’ve started making it at least once each holiday season in our kitchen, and we hope you’ll try it out with your family.

Our Favorite Broccoli Casserole

What You Need:

2 packages frozen chopped broccoli (about 12 ounces each)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise

1 or 2 eggs, beaten

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

buttered bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook broccoli until tender.

3. Mix all ingredients, except cheese and bread crumbs.

4. Add mixture to casserole dish.

5. Top mixture with cheese. (You can also mix the cheese with the other ingredients if you like.)

6. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. (You can use crushed crackers mixed with half a stick of butter instead of bread crumbs).

7. Bake 45 minutes uncovered.