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This Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe is made from scratch with 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!
This cheesy broccoli rice casserole is great served alongside our Crispy Baked Chicken with a tossed 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 the answer! I’ve 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 Rice 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 milk added). Let the butter and flour cook for a few minutes before adding milk for the best flavor.
- Slowly stir in milk a bit at a time while whisking and cook until thick and bubbly. Add cheeses and stir until melted and creamy.
- Toss cheese sauce with broccoli and rice and bake in a casserole dish.
Variations on Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Lighten it up: 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.
- Add protein: We very often add in chicken to make a chicken and rice casserole (the perfect way to enjoy your leftover baked chicken breasts). Turkey or ham work great too.
- Swap the Cheeses: Out of cheddar? Use swiss, monterey jack or whatever you have on hand.
- Add veggies: Add in cauliflower or whatever other veggies you have on hand to turn it from a side into a whole meal!
Serving Suggestions
Broccoli Rice Casserole is great as an entrée for vegetarians, but if you are a meat-eater, it goes perfectly with any kind of protein! It’s a perfect complement to roasted chicken, pork chops, or even a beef roast!
Add a crunchy, cold salad, some dinner rolls with butter!
Cheesy Dishes You’ll Love
- Broccoli Cheese Soup – ready in 20 mins!
- Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole – made without condensed soup
- Cheese Grits – deliciously creamy side dish!
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham – quick & easy cheese sauce!
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole – rich, creamy casserole
Broccoli Rice Casserole from Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli florets cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups cooked white rice
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup diced onion about 1 small
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°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 ½ cups cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper.
- 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.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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This looks delicious, what kind of shredded cheddar do you use? Mild? Sharp? Thank you!
I usually use sharp for better flavor but you can use any cheese you prefer.
can I use almond flour to make this gluten free?
For best results, you can use a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose blend but I would love to hear how it turns our with almond flour!
It was yummy big hit on Easter I put 3oz of cream cheese and coconut milk
I only have a 13×9 aluminum pan on hand. Will it work?
Yes, this will work but since it’ll be a thinner layer, it will need less cooking time.
I read an earlier comment about baking the day before with reheating the next day. … Instead, can I make this the day before and then wait to bake it the next day?
Thank you!
Yes you can, the rice may soak up some of the sauce so you may need to stir in a little milk before baking. If it’s cold from the fridge, the cooking time will need to be increased slightly.
Can this be made a day in advance and reheated? Could it be then reheated in the microwave? Hoping to make for Easter dinner.
Yes, this can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave. Reserve the cheese for topping until it’s hot as I’d recommend stirring it a couple of times while it heats through. Once it’s hot, top with the cheese and microwave until melted.
Hello Holly! Trying to free up oven space, so wondering if this can be made in the crockpot?
Thank you!
I haven’t tried it but since it’s just heating through and blending the flavors, I think it would work. Let us know how it goes!
I added a few diced carrots and loved the results!!!