Made without condensed soup, this from-scratch Broccoli Rice Casserole is still incredibly simple to make! Made with a creamy, cheesy sauce, crisp-tender broccoli, and rice, this Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole is easy enough to be enjoyed any night of the week, yet fabulous enough to be served as a standout holiday side dish.
When it comes to broccoli, sometimes we have to get a bit creative to entice the pickier eaters to give it a try. Add a little cheese and you can almost guarantee a vegetable that once was a no-go, is now something begged for. Just take Broccoli Cheddar Soup and this Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole as all the proof you need!
This simple casserole reminds me of Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice--without the chicken. It is creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly good. It was a dish that my mom made often for the holidays and now I make it for my own family--but it is too good and too easy to reserve this casserole just for the holidays!
And I think you will love this simple broccoli rice casserole as well!
Reasons this is the Best Broccoli Rice Casserole
- From-Scratch. While traditionally made with condensed canned soup, my recipe for Broccoli Rice Casserole is made with a homemade cream sauce, leaving the preservatives and excess sodium on the shelf.
- Best Flavor. The sauce in this casserole is luscious, and creamy, with no artificial aftertaste or salt lick from the high-sodium canned soup.
- Easy to Make. Making broccoli rice casserole from scratch is not complicated or time-consuming, especially when using leftover cooked rice. It only takes a few minutes to make a homemade cream sauce and will taste a million times better than using condensed soup.
- Kid-Friendly. Cheese. Need I say more?! HA! In all honestly, the creamy, cheesy sauce, paired with the soft rice and tender broccoli is a winning combo.
Ingredients for Broccoli Casserole
- Broccoli: You can use fresh or frozen steamed broccoli, for this casserole.
- Rice: This recipe calls for cooked rice. As for the type of rice, either brown or white rice works just as well. This is a great time to use leftover Instant Pot Brown Rice or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
- Cheese: To give this broccoli and rice casserole an irresistible cheesy finish, use both shredded sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Homemade Cream Sauce: Instead of using condensed canned soup, this recipe starts out very much like my recipe for homemade cream of chicken soup. It is a quick and easy homemade cream sauce that comes together quickly with butter, flour, milk, broth, and seasonings. For the broth, use either vegetable broth or chicken stock.
Recipe Modifications
- Keep it Vegetarian: Using vegetable broth will keep this dish vegetarian-friendly.
- Gluten-Free: To make this broccoli rice casserole gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour. I have done this many times with fabulous success.item
Tips for Making Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the broccoli. You don't want to add raw, fresh broccoli as the broccoli won't have the best texture. Nor do you want to add frozen broccoli directly to the casserole, as this will make for a watery sauce. Use leftover steamed broccoli or steam the fresh or frozen broccoli until just crisp-tender.
- Remove the stem from the broccoli. In order to keep the texture of this casserole appealing use broccoli florets, rather than using them hard stems and pieces of the the broccoli. Shredded broccoli stems make a great addition to salads or the filling of Vegetable Potstickers.
- Toast the roux. After whisking the flour into the melted butter for the cream sauce, allow that mixture to cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. This will ensure there is no raw flour taste in your casserole.
- Slowly whisk the broth and milk into the roux, rather than adding it all at once. This will help it to evenly incorporate into the roux and prevent a lumpy sauce.
Prepping in Advance
Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole can be prepared up to a month in advance, making it a great option for the holidays or entertaining.
- Up to Two Days in Advance: Prepare the casserole up to baking and cover it tightly with foil. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours before baking. When ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes covered, uncovered, and then bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is warmed through.
- Up to One Month in Advance: Prepare the cream sauce and toss it with broccoli, rice, and cheese as directed. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe greased baking dish. Cover tightly with at least 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. To cook this broccoli and rice casserole from frozen, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes covered, and then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
While Broccoli and Rice Casserole is a delicious side for holiday meals when paired with Instant Pot Turkey Breast or Glazed Ham, it is also a perfect weeknight side dish when served alongside Homemade Rotisserie Chicken or Air Fryer Pork Chops.
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- Corn Casserole
If you liked this recipe for Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and a review.
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, delicious from-scratch recipe that is loaded with broccoli and cheese.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 8
Calories: 285kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups cooked rice measure rice AFTER cooking
- 4 cups lightly steamed broccoli cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat on the stove. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, to remove the raw flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in stock and milk, allowing the liquid to fully combine into the flour mixture. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Continue cooking over medium heat until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly.
- Once the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, remove it from the heat. Add in the rice, broccoli, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese and parmesan.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly browned and warmed through.
Notes
Broccoli: To cook the broccoli, place raw or frozen broccoli florets in boiling water and cook for 2 minutes until JUST crisp-tender. You can alternatively steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, drain and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Broth: Chicken stock or vegetable broth can be used to make the sauce. Use vegetable broth to keep this casserole vegetarian-friendly.
Gluten-Free Broccoli Rice Casserole: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour to keep this casserole gluten-free.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days once cooled slightly.
Preparing in Advance:
- Up to Two Days in Advance: Prepare the casserole up to baking and cover it tightly with foil. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours before baking. When ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes covered, uncovered, and then bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is warmed through.
- Up to One Month in Advance: Prepare the cream sauce and toss it with broccoli, rice, and cheese as directed. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe greased baking dish. Cover tightly with at least 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. To cook this broccoli and rice casserole from frozen, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes covered, and then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 731IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 272mg | Iron: 1mg
Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
Liz R
We love this Broccoli rice casserole! It is so simple and delicious. is a must-try recipe. Thanks, Kristen for this wonderful recipe, I'll surely make this again!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! So happy to hear you enjoyed!
Erin Lochirco
Delicious as is but I think I will try more cheese stirred into the milk mixture next time.
Kristen Chidsey
More cheese never hurts! Glad to hear you enjoyed, Erin!
Rebecca Hubbell
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! Loved how creamy and cheesy it was!
Jen
Such an easy but comforting and delicious meal!! My family loved it!
Gretchen
This recipe is fantastic! Even my picky eaters liked it. I used brown rice & added white sharp cheddar for the top layer of cheese. I also added about 1 tsp. of cajun seasoning to give it just a little kick. Some cream-based casseroles can be bland, but this is so flavorful. The from-scratch cream is easy to make, and it has to be more healthful than the canned cream soups I have used in the past. This recipe is a keeper!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe so much Gretchen! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Nancy
This recipe turned out really well! Though it technically was not 'supposed' to have chicken in it (based on the discussion beforehand) and it would have been great without it, I did add some diced, cooked chicken breast to it since I knew my family would like it better that way. My husband, who doesn't usually care for "casseroles" or broccoli, gave unsolicited and highly positive commentary on this dish. It's definitely a 'make-again' recipe at my house!
Kristen Chidsey
Oh I am so happy you and your family enjoyed so much Nancy! I think adding the chicken is a great option. I am all for making a recipe work for your family! I hope you continue to enjoy many more times!
Rachel E Sayers
I'm making this as we speaking and I will be adding some shredded chicken to it since I need to cook it up.
Kristen Chidsey
Enjoy! And adding chicken makes it a great one pot meal!
Bren
Can’t find mention of chicken or Parmesan in instructions. Sounds delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Bren! This is a recipe for a side dish, however, I do have a recipe for a Creamy Chicken Casserole that you may be interested in--just add cooked broccoli to the mix if desired.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I'm making this for the weekend, I bet everyone is going to devour it!
Katie
This dish was always one of my favorites growing up. This recipe did not disappoint!