Recipe: Broccoli-Cheese Strudel Appetizer

Broccoli-Cheese Strudel Appetizer
rec.food.recipes/Carriej999
Makes 10 first-course servings

butter or margarine
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed/drained
1/2 pound phyllo strudel leaves (about)
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

About 1 1/2 hours before serving or day ahead:

In 2-quart saucepan over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter or margarine; stir in flour, salt, and cayenne pepper until blended. Gradually stir milk into mixture; cook, stirring until thickened and smooth. Stir in cheese and broccoli; cook until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. On waxed paper, overlap a few sheets of phyllo to make a 20x12-inch rectangle, brushing each sheet of phyllo with some melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. Continue layering, brushing each sheet of phyllo with some butter or margarine and sprinkling every other layer with 1 tablespoon bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Starting along a long side of phyllo, evenly spoon broccoli mixture to cover about half of rectangle. From broccoli-mixture side, roll phyllo, jelly-roll fashion. Place roll, seam side down, diagonally on large cookie sheet; brush with remaining melted butter or margarine.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden. For easier slicing, cool strudel about 30 minutes on cookie sheets on wire rack.

To serve, cut strudel into 1-inch thick slices. Serve warm. Or, to serve later, cool strudel completely on wire rack; wrap in foil; refrigerate. Just before serving, unwrap strudel and place on cookie sheet; reheat in 375 F oven 15 minutes or until warm.