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!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I have only eaten the Rice a Roni cheesy broccoli rice…I’ve always wanted to try the real deal…and I really like it!! The recipe is great on its own but I think next time I’ll put a lil flare on it and make it my own
Wow this recipe is sooooo good! It’s make my cheesy midwestern heart so happy. Great recipe Holly!
Delicious dish!! We added a can of rotel tomatoes and chillis along with some chicken. Really flavorful!
Thank you for the recipe! Can it be frozen after it is baked to eat later?
Hi Amy, other readers have frozen this recipe before or after baking with success. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Great recipe! I used 2% milk in the roux and it was creamy enough to skip the cream cheese. Delicious!
This came out amazing! I used one bag of frozen chopped broccoli because that’s what I had on hand, and added a shot of hot sauce like I do with everything, but this recipe would still be perfect as is. I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for an awesome recipe.
Delicious! Nice rice to sauce ratio. Everyone’s tongue has their own measurement for what they’re looking for – and this was JUST what I was looking for! Yes – I knew I might like to tweak it according to my liking (1T butter extra, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 4 OUNCES of cream cheese, and 8 oz of Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese grated for the sauce, and then I’ll probably put the other 8 oz on the top! Also used GF flour so my grandson can eat it). I loved that this called for dry mustard since it always seems to enhance a cheesy dish. May consider adding diced celery and/or diced water chestnuts next time for an added crunch factor. Getting the rice to sauce ratio correct is the hardest part and Holly nails it!
Can I prep this ahead of time and bake it later? So looking forward to making this!
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.
That was my guess, just wasnt sure if the rice would soak up all the creamy cheese sauce. Thank you so much!
I made this for a Christmas Party potluck dinner and it was a hit! It was the only empty dish and everyone wanted the recipe. I used cauliflower rice.
I’m having a hard time finding cream cheese this season. What can I use in its place?
Hi Jamie, we have only made this recipe as listed but you could try cottage cheese or ricotta for this recipe. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
This was not a good recipe. Very bland. I wasted good ingredients for bland meal.
As a side note, I followed this recipe step by step with the directions.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Koi. This recipe is usually a reader favorite!
Would I be able to make this in a dutch oven if I don’t have a casserole dish big enough?
That would work just fine!
Ok so I had to leave a review. I agree with some who said this was bland. The first time I made it was on thanksgiving and it was ok but definitely lacking in flavor. The second and third time I made sure to add more seasoning, i used the same seasoning just more. Taste the roux to make sure it’s to your liking. I went in the side of almost too much seasoning because once mixed in with the broccoli and rice it evens out. I also took someone’s suggestion of adding one more cup of rice to equal about three cups. It’s so good !
I’ve made this several times and it has always been just perfect! This is my new potluck dish to bring. I always credit you. I do sometimes add crushed Ritz crackers to the top and spray lightly with the squirt butter before baking. Love the crunch it adds. Just buying the items tonight to bake after church Sunday morning. Thanks again.
Thank you I love it , its very simple
I have made this recipe several times. I used parboiled rice is the only difference and it always comes out delicious. Thank you Holly for sharing!
Can I make this a day ahead?
Hi Linda, 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.
Can I use sour cream v. cream cheese? I’d rather not run to the store and they’re both cream based.
TIA!
Hi Hailey, It may change the taste slightly, but I think it would still be delicious. Let us know how it works out for you!
Question: Can this be prepped the night before?
Definitely, Starlene. We hope you enjoy this recipe!
I followed the recipe to the letter. It makes for a big pile of bland mush.
Starting with 100% cooked rice, then baking it for another 40 minutes ends up with the texture of hot cereal.
I have come to believe that the ratings on these recipes are bogus and this one is a 5 star dish only in the pot of the author that posted it.
How disappointing Denise, I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. I can’t say for sure what went wrong as most readers do love this recipe. Did you use long grain white rice? Did you make any substitutions? Was your sauce thickened as it is in the photo/video? Did you bake uncovered?
The recipe does suggest to bake 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly so if your oven runs hotter it could have potentially been done a bit sooner.
I can assure you that the comments and reviews on this recipe are valid.