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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Holly I just wanted to let you know I’ve used this recipe as a staple in my menu planning since I first came across your recipe. I’ve used it as is for side dish and as a base for many other recipes I’ve come with. Thank you so much for sharing this and all your other recipes with us.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe Kris, it’s a favorite in my family too!
Hi Holly, can you use frozen broccoli in this recipe? It looks delicious. Thanks.
You can use frozen broccoli in this recipe. It will change the texture slightly but the dish will still be delicious.
Do we measure out 2 cups of rice after it is cooked which is essentially one cup of uncooked rice or is that 2 cups of raw rice then cooked ?
The rice is measured after it is cooked.
You say the sauce is easy, but it requires a lot of preparation, and a person who doesn’t cook much wouldn’t have all those spices handy. Using the creamed soups and cheese whiz makes it just as good with a lot less prep time.
Anything that has got lots of cheese in it is good with me. This looks like a good way to get fussy eaters to eat more veggies.
I’m with you Dannii! Cheese in everything!
Oh yum, now that looks great. I make broccoli cheese (like cauliflower cheese) but haven’t tried adding rice before now – looks like a great way to round this out to a proper meal. A proper cheesy one ;) Will give this one a try!
Enjoy Jo, my family LOVES this one!
Your dish is right up my comfort food ally! Looks delish.
Thank you!
How refreshing to find a recipe that doesn’t rely on condensed soup. This is a beautiful dish and I bet it tastes as yummy as it looks!
Thank you Amanda!
I made this casserole tonight. The kids, even the picky eater, loved it. It was easy to make and nicely served. Thank you.
I’m so glad your family loved this Lynn! :)
Really love your Extra Creamy One Pot Mac n Cheese recipe. Totally delicious!
Thanks for coming back to let me know that you loved it! It is one of my favorites!
This looks familiar Ive been making asimilar dish for 30 years or so. I fry chicken livers battered in dry bread crumbs(lemon pepper and garlic for spices) cook a pot of white rice pour in three cans cream of broccoli soup mix it up…layer half the rice in a baking dish then the fried livers next the rest of the soup and rice on top then shred some mozzarella cheese on top melt it in the oven for a couple of minutes…Yum. But the homemade version sounds like it may be an Upgrade. Guess I’ll have to try it.
I was looking for something that used fresh broccoli and did NOT use canned soup. I made this yesterday for Easter dinner with the extended family. It turned out great. Will definitely make it again.
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it Ann!!
Can I make this a day ahead and bake it the next day.
Yes that should work just fine. You may need to add 15 minutes or so to the cook time if it is cold from the fridge.
Thank You.
Could you cook the broccoli in the skillet with the sauce instead of boiling it separately? Or would that not work?
If the broccoli is fresh it would likely not soften enough cooked in the sauce as you don’t really want to boil the sauce, just thicken it.
I forgot to add that I topped it with buttered Ritz cracker crumbs.
Yummy addition!! Thank you for sharing!
Okay, this was really fiddly, BUT, it tastes amazing!! Thank you!!
Could you use frozen broccoli and just steam it first?
I’m sure that would work however I do find frozen broccoli to be much softer. I’d suggest you don’t steam it too long so it doesn’t get mushy.
You don’t specify what type of milk, can you be skim, low fat, almond?
I use low fat (approx. 2%)
How much salt do you usually use? When things say salt to taste I end up using too much or not enough
I would say about ½ teaspoon should be plenty.
This sounds wonderful. Will serve it Christmas Eve and report back.