Broccoli has a reputation problem: most people only ever meet it boiled, in soup, or steamed beside something else. Baked under an egg custard it behaves completely differently, holding its shape and picking up the browned edges that make a casserole worth eating.

The custard here is eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt rather than cream, which is why it comes out light enough for a weeknight and still sets firmly enough to slice. Blanching the broccoli first is not optional. Raw florets release water into the custard as they cook and leave you with a wet bake.

Suluguni melts into strands rather than oil, which is what gives the top its texture. Mozzarella is the closest easy substitute.

This is one of the dishes people land on in SomeYum when they cannot face deciding what to cook. Swipe through a few cards, and the app settles it for you.

Ingredients

  • 400 g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 400 g chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
  • 5 eggs
  • 150 ml milk
  • 150 g Greek yogurt
  • 200 g suluguni cheese, grated (mozzarella works too)
  • Salt, black pepper, and paprika

Method

  1. Blanch the broccoli. Boil the broccoli florets for exactly two minutes, then lift them out to cool. Two minutes is the whole trick: long enough to lose the raw bite, short enough that they do not collapse in the oven.
  2. Mix the filling. Whisk the eggs with the milk, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and paprika until smooth. The yogurt is what makes this set light rather than heavy, so do not swap it for cream.
  3. Layer the dish. Scatter the cooled broccoli, raw chicken, and pepper strips through a baking dish so every serving gets some of each. Season the layer directly before it goes under the custard.
  4. Pour and top. Pour the filling evenly over the vegetables and meat, easing it into the gaps. Top with the grated suluguni.
  5. Bake until set and golden. Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes, until the centre is set and no longer wobbles and the cheese has browned in patches.
  6. Rest before slicing. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes out of the oven. Cut too early and it weeps; rested, it lifts out in clean squares.