Name: Cheesy Frankfurter Casserole
Ingredients: 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli; 1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup; 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed (about 2 cups), divided; 1/2 cup milk; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 2 tablespoons prepared mustard; 6 drops hot pepper sauce; 3 cups cooked rice; 1 12-ounce package frankfurters, cut into 1-inch pieces

Why it works: Broccoli and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 705 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓

Cheesy Frankfurter Casserole

Oven350°F

Time20 minutes

Ingredients

2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed (about 2 cups), divided
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
6 drops hot pepper sauce
3 cups cooked rice
1 12-ounce package frankfurters, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

Prepare the broccoli

Cook broccoli according to package directions.
Drain broccoli well.
Set aside.

Make the filling

Heat soup, 1 cup cheese, milk, onion powder, mustard and pepper sauce.
Stir in rice, franks and broccoli.

Bake and serve

Turn mixture into buttered shallow 2-quart casserole.
Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

633Calories

25 gProtein

24 gFat

82 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Broccoli	1 cup chopped (156g)	55
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Soup	not in our table	0
Sauce	not in our table	0
Frankfurter	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Broccoli + mustardtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together705 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Celery + mustardtop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,169 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Broccoli + celerytop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together807 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Broccoli + oniontop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,294 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cheddar cheese: Melts into the sauce to give it richness and a sharp, savory flavor.
Condensed cream of celery soup: Forms the creamy base that binds the casserole together and keeps it moist.
Cooked rice: Adds bulk and soaks up sauce so the casserole holds together when served.
Frankfurters: Provide the main protein and savory, salty flavor throughout the dish.
Milk: Thins the soup base so it heats into a smooth, pourable sauce.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (broccoli, cream, celery, cheddar cheese, milk, mustard, pepper):

Potatofits better
Lettucefits better
Spinachfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against broccoli, cream, celery, cheddar cheese, milk, mustard, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.