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
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli florets cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups cooked white rice
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- In a medium saucepan, cook onion and butter on medium-low heat until softened and translucent. Stir in flour, garlic powder, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Gradually pour in milk while whisking. Continue whisking over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add dry mustard, paprika, cream cheese, and 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Taste, and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Place broccoli in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until bright green, but still crisp. Drain well.
- Stir together cooked rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 35 minutes. or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Video
Notes
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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How many days in advance can I prep this casserole?
Hi Patricia, you can make this up to a few days ahead. Enjoy!
Hi Holly. The recipe calls for 1/2t garlic powder, but in a comment made earlier this month it was mentioned that the amount should be 2T. Please clarify. Looking forward to making this! :-)
Hi Tracy, you can add additional garlic powder if you would like but as find ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, as listed in the recipe, is best for this recipe.
This was the best broccoli rice casserole I’ve ever made. Everyone here in the UK that has tried it raved about it. I don’t understand how some say it’s bland. Luckily, I saw your comment about how it’s actually 2 tablespoons of garlic powder not 2 teaspoons. I only had garlic salt so I omitted the salt from recipe. I used basmati rice and a mature cheddar. Delicious. Thanks for sharing. I highly recommend.
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Lindy!
What kind of butter should we use? Unsalted or Salted?
I would use unsalted butter and add salt to your preference
love this recipe and all of the family did too. tried something on 2nd time making and it was really good..crushed cool ranch doritos on top for a good crunch..
How would you make this with long grain rice? I never use precooked or instant rice, only Ben’s converted long grain rice, Lundberg brown rice, Dynasty jasmine rice or basmati rice. Would you just make it ahead of time and add in with the other ingredients?
I would cook the rice according to the package directions, let it cool and then proceed with the recipe.
Loved
I LOVE your site! Quick question I meal prep for some older folks – can this be frozen?
Than you so much! Yes, this recipe freezes well.
Delicious! I added shredded chicken and subbed 4tbsp ricotta cheese for the cream cheese (since I was out). I actually think I enjoyed it more since it was a bit lighter. Super tasty and fast weeknight meal!
Hello – would this be able to be made with frozen broccoli? Would any other adjustments need to be made? Thanks!
You can use frozen broccoli in this recipe. It will change the texture slightly but the dish will still be delicious. If defrosted it should be fine to add directly to the casserole, if still frozen you may want to boil it (or run it under hot water) for a minute or so to defrost it before adding it in, but don’t cook too long as frozen broccoli tends to get soft!
Absolutely delicious! Wish I had made more because I know this will go like hotcakes. Thank you for another amazing recipe!