by Holly
This Broccoli Rice Casserole is made from scratch (and contains no condensed soup).
Fresh broccoli cooked until tender crisp and fluffy rice come together in a creamy cheesy homemade sauce to create a family favorite side dish!
We serve this along side our Crispy Baked Chicken along with a side salad for the perfect easy meal!
If you’re looking for a side dish your whole family is going to love, this broccoli rice casserole is definitely the answer!
I had a hard time finding a broccoli casserole recipe that was made without condensed soup (like cream of mushroom) so I turned to my own recipe.
I combined my favorite velvety cheese sauce with a combination of broccoli & rice and baked it until bubbly. The result is a side (or a quick meatless meal that my whole family loves)!
How Do you Make Broccoli Casserole
Don’t let the homemade sauce scare you away from giving this recipe a try, this from scratch cheese sauce tastes amazing (much better than just adding in a can of soup)!
The sauce for this recipe starts with a roux which is just butter and flour cooked and then milk added.
For a better flavor, you’ll want to be sure to let your butter and flour cook for just a few minutes before you add in the milk.
Once the milk is added you’ll stir the mixture constantly until it comes to a boil.
The results of creating a roux based sauce means your macaroni and cheese is going luscious and velvety smooth every single time.
How do you make Chicken and Rice Casserole?
While you most likely have most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand already, it is very versatile!
We very often add in chicken to make a chicken and rice casserole (the perfect way to enjoy your leftovers). Turkey works great too!
Out of cheddar? Use swiss or your favorite cheeses!
Add in cauliflower or add ham or chicken or whatever other veggies you have on hand to turn it from a side into a whole meal! The possibilities are endless!
To lighten this up a little bit you can use light cheese and lowfat milk with great results.
We’ve also subbed in brown rice or quinoa (or even Cauliflower Rice) with amazing results.
This is one of those dishes that my whole family loves, it’s comforting and delicious and packed with flavor.
Broccoli Rice Casserole from Scratch
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups cooked white rice
SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup onion diced (about 1 small)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon each garlic & black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook onion and butter on medium-low heat until softened and translucent. Stir in flour, garlic powder and pepper. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Gradually pour in milk while whisking. Continue whisking over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add dry mustard, paprika, cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Stir until melted.
- Place broccoli in boiling water for about 2 minutes. You still want it slightly crisp as it cooks more in the oven.
- Stir together rice, broccoli and cheese sauce. Place in a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake 35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese lightly browned.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
