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’m feeding 14 people. Do I double the recipe, or just add extra rice/broccoli?
Thank you!
You’d want to double the whole recipe so you have the right ratio of sauce to ingredients. If it’s all baked in one pan, you may need to add little bit of extra cooking time.
I’m making this for thanksgiving this week… but I love a Ritz/butter topping on broccoli casserole. I can’t believe I haven’t seen anyone comment on it… does it not need it?
I usually just add cheese but if you’d like a bit of crunch, Ritz & butter would work well.
Can this be made in a slow cooker? And if so how long would you cook for?
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker but I think it would work. Let us know how it goes!
Can this be made in a 9×13 pan?
Yes, we made this recipe in a 9×13 dish.
Hi! Do you mean 2 cups uncooked rice? It looks delicious, but measurement of rice just seems off if its only 2 cups cooked rice? Thank you!
Hi Luanne, we use 2 cups of cooked rice in this recipe. You will have to try it out and let us know what you think!
Hi! I was wondering if there was a flour substitute to make this gluten free. Thanks!
I would try using a gluten-free all-purpose flour or even cornstarch for this recipe. Hope that helps!
I just use any gluten free flour. I’ve made it the last 2 years for my daughter. It’s great. Nobody knows it GF.
Failed to add salt “to taste.” Would add it next time when I add the pepper like most sauces. Probably a teaspoon to start. Also will add another cup of cheese as it needed more gooeyness. Beautiful dish to serve.
Do you think this can be put together the night before and kept in the fridge until ready to bake?
Hi Janette, Yes this can be made ahead of time. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. If it is very cold, you may need to allow a few extra minutes of cook time.
This sounds amazing I’m making it tonight. Was wondering if it’d work with cauliflower rice. I have a head I need to use.
I think it would turn out great with cauliflower rice, JB.
I have made this before and my god it’s absolutely delicious, but i just made it again last night, and yall…. do not forget that onion! ITS ESSENTIAL!! but this is such a sweet/savory light meal; one of the new family favorites!
Can this be frozen in a freezer bag after cooking to save for leftovers (thaw and reheat)?
Hi Jennifer, other readers have frozen this recipe before or after baking with success. If freezing before baking I would thaw in the fridge 24hrs or overnight before baking.
Excellent! My family loved it and we will definitely make many more times. Thanks for the recipe.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Hi Melissa, 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!
This was TERRIFIC. I followed the recipe almost to a T. I had two 90 second bags of rice (one regular, one basmati) so I zapped those and threw them in. Scrumptious. I wasn’t in the mood for meat and my hubby was so I poached a chicken breast for him to have with it on the side.
Love all your recipes, keep cookin!!!
This recipe was a big hit in my house. It’s delicious – pure comfort food. I had 3 cups of cooked rice instead of 2, and when I saw how saucy the mixture was, I added the 3rd cup of rice – really glad I did. I also added plenty of sea salt as well as bit of nutmeg for depth of flavor. Will definitely be returning to this recipes on the regular! I grew up eating a made-from-scratch broccoli rice cheese casserole that my mom used to make (she cooked everything from scratch), and I’ve tried for years to find something that came close to the one she made that I loved so much. This one is IT. Very grateful to have finally landed on one!
Made tonight and it was delicious! Everyone loved it and went back for seconds. Will definitely make again. Will have to double next time! Thank you!
You’re welcome Julia, that’s awesome to hear!
So good! I like many recipes you post and this is no exception, my whole family loved it.
For those of you wondering how much uncooked rice = 2 cups cooked, I used 2/3 cup and it was perfect.
It was delicious! I added 1/4 tsp nutmeg- which creates a deeper complex flavor that I love! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Courtney!
So delicious my family devoured it
Thanks So much for this recipe
You’re welcome Elissa! So happy your family loves the casserole!
Can u make this ahead of time?
Yes this can be made ahead of time. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. If it is very cold, you may need to allow a few extra minutes of cook time.
So Good! Im usually one that follows recipes to a tee, but I made a few small changes. I used plant based milk, butter, and cream cheese. I used a fiesta cheese blend (real cheese… I pick my spots) and I added your sautéed mushroom recipe (cooked them, then chopped them) to the mix.
So far I have only tried these two recipes and both were so good that Im looking forward to trying more.
Thank you.