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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Do I cook the chicken first? How much would u use? This sounds so yummy!!
You would add cooked chicken to this casserole. You may want to add about 2 cups, but you could add more or less depending on what you have. If you have uncooked chicken, you could try 4 Ingredient Chicken and Rice Casserole.
This was really good!! We’re trying to “eat healthier,” but after reading an Amish novel that mentioned casseroles, I was ready to eat the book!! I subbed Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free flour and it worked great. I didn’t have cream cheese, so I added a couple Tbsp of nutritional yeast for thickening and flavor. I love how adaptable this is. Thanks for sharing it!
You’re welcome, and I’m so glad you loved it Leesa!
I add in some cut up pieces of chicken and it makes a really good dinner !
That sounds like a great dinner to me Nancy! Enjoy!
Making this tonight – I’m gonna double up on the broccoli. Thanks for going the from scratch route. Every other recipe I found had a can of condensed soup mixed in. Not the over salted, processed flavor I was looking for.
I made this last night. It was absolutely delicious. The whole family loved it. I added mushrooms and ham. I’ll be making this again.
So glad you guys loved it Jason!
Sounds great, but wondering if I can make it without cream cheese??
I haven’t tried it that way, the cream cheese does add a creamy texture but it’s only a little bit so you can certainly try it without. I think it will change the texture slightly but still taste great. Let us know how it goes!
Made the sauce in the microwave without onions (no one likes them, except me). Used leftover ham, no salt. Will try leftover chicken sometime. Great recipe.
So glad you loved it Ellen!
YUM. It’s so nice to have a recipe made with fresh ingredients.
Thank you Sophia! Enjoy!
I made it for dinner tonight. Very yummy.
My sister found this recipe first and told me about it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this. I’ve made it with chicken for a more main dish at home. My husband loves it. I belong to the Priscilla Circle at my church. We prepare funeral luncheons for families. The dish is always empty when we clean the table. Everyone should try this! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you love it!
It was good but bland in my opinion. Needs more flavor. But kids loved it. So maybe it is just me.
I only have about 1 TBSp of cream cheese left, do you think I could use 2 tbsp. of sour cream without it altering the taste of this dish
It may change the taste slightly, but I think it would still be delicious. Let us know how it works out for you!
Do u need to cook the rice first before putting it in the casserole?
Yes, the rice is cooked in this recipe.
This is so yummy and easy to make!!! I am impressed on how flavorful it is!!!
Great recipe! Instead of using cheddar cheese, I used Velveeta because of its creaminess and when reheated it doesn’t separate and get oily like cheddar. I did use cheddar to sprinkle over the top. I also used some Cajun seasoning to kick it up a notch while cutting back on the salt. I also used Jasmin rice instead of regular white rice because it has a nutty taste to it. Over all this recipe is a keeper as a base to start.
I am so glad you were able to adapt this recipe to meet your needs!
This was perfect! I live in Europe and needed a recipe where I could actually get all the ingredients (without substitutions). I used to make this when I lived in the States with the Campbell’s cream of mushroom, etc. This recipe is so much better! THANK YOU! Highly recommended.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Marlena!
Can you make this with gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried this with gluten free flour. Please let us know how it works out for you if you try it.
Has anyone tried this with a milk substitute such as soy or coconut? I am allergic to the whey protein in milk but can still have real cheese not processed. My family is missing broccoli rice casserole.
Has anyone tried adding chicken to this recipe? Would you change any of the other ingredients?
I have and it was perfect (I’ve added ham too). No changes needed.
Has anyone tried in the crock pot? TIA.
Thank you for a from scratch broccoli and rice casserole!!! Looking forward to trying this tonight!
Thanks! :) Let us know how it turned out!