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!
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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
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 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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I doubled this recipe for Thanksgiving. I used a full 8oz brick of cream cheese and grated the onion. Wow, so glad there was no cream of anything soup. It was wonderful from scratch. It was gone in minutes at 2 different places I took it to. So rich, creamy, and delicious. Will make this again.
Great recipe. The only thing I would add would be salt. After I added salt it was awesome! Great recipe.
I’ve always steered clear of white sauce because any time I use flour, I get lumps. Any tips to avoid this? I’d love to try this recipe!
Be sure your roux (butter/flour) is HOT and your milk is COLD when you’re adding it, this will eliminate lumps. Be sure to whisk while adding the milk.
Wooden spoon is the best way to stir and not have lumps!
I always use Wondra flour. No lumps.
I added a Ritz cracker topping! By melting 3 tbs of butter and adding that toba sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers! I still added the 1/2 cup of cheese but it gave it the missing peice! It was amazing!
So glad you loved it. Your topping sounds delicious, thank you for sharing!
Just made this and it’s fabulous! Used ready made dijon mustard instead of dry, fresh garlic instead of powder and added mushrooms…going into my recipe box! Thanks! :-)
Can this be frozen as in a make ahead freezer meal?
I have not tried freezing this recipe.
Yum! Made this tonight and it turned out great! I used 2 bags of uncle bens ready rice in bags, and heated them separately for 90 sec each in the microwave. I also added the breast meat from one rotisseri chicken. The only thing I did wrong was didn’t salt the dish, it still was great but could have used a little salt.
What a great idea adding chicken to this! I like to buy the already cooked roasted white chicken meat at my local Cost Co. I usually divide it up and freeze for quick meals. I have some in my freezer right now. I would think like 2 cups of shredded meat would make this a full meal depending on your family size.
Can anyone suggest amount of chicken that I would place in this dish and if I should cook it before putting it in the casserole to cook for the 35 minutes with the rest of the dish.
can I use “minute” white rice?
I haven’t made it that way but I’m sure it will work. You may need to adjust your cooking time.
Uh oh, forgot to cook rice first. Anything I can do now? I turned down the temp to a lower temperature and covered with aluminum foil to try and keep the cheese from burning, as the rice will take a while longer to cook. Any suggestions? Yikes!
That’s disappointing! I would just suggest keeping an eye on the liquid so it doesn’t dry out to much. :/ Hopefully it’s still ok.
Adding some chicken broth to the dish to help the rice cook by absorbing the liquid would help and of course, covering the dish with foil is a great idea.
Thanks for the recipe!! Its in the oven now ill let you know how it turned out!!(:
Can white rice be subbed out for whole wheat brown rice without changing other ingredients??
Yes, that would work just fine!
So do you cook the rice first?
Yes, the rice is cooked.
How much rice do you use?
Approximately ⅔ uncooked white rice makes 2 cups cooked.
Wow a little different from the one I make but this really sounds good I’m trying this
ummm, this really looks so good. I love this dish.
Here from MiZ Helens
Thank you BJ!
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a great week and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Thank you for featuring my Broccoli Rice Casserole Miz Helen!! :)
This looks SO good! Thanks so much for sharing. I have all of these ingredients on hand.
Pinning and making SOON!
Had anyone tried to make this totally diary and wheat free?
I have made scratch cheese sauce with gf flour in the past with no problem. And I will be doing this recipe for tday tomorrow
You can substitute cornstarch for the flour to make it gluten-free.
I love this idea! That would work for me… :-)
The versatility of a great white sauce is endless! Everyone should learn how to make the base for so many great sauces and casseroles. I bet the whole “Cream of” soup business would crumble! How much healthier is it to add fresh green beans and mushrooms to a well seasoned white sauce to make the traditional holiday casserole? Add cheeses of many flavors to top veggies and meats. Make the base of great soups. I should start a class about what butter, flour and milk can really achieve!