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 loved it.
Excellent! My family loved it!
I have some really overcooked/mushy brown rice I’ve wanted to use up. Do you think it would be good cooked into this?
The texture of the rice may get softer but will probably still taste great. Another idea would be to make it into rice pudding.
This recipe was delicious. To make it super easy, I used Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Whole Brown Rice that cooks in the microwave for 90 seconds, and also thawed some frozen broccoli since I didn’t have fresh broccoli. I’m sure the leftovers will be even better!! Thank you for an easy and wholesome side dish!
Hello! Can this casserole be made using fresh zucchini in place of broccoli? If so, should the zucchini be partially cooked or will it be to soft?
Thanks!!
While I do think it would work, the zucchini might get too soft. I would suggest pre-cooking it a little bit to keep it from getting watery. Let us know how it goes!
Can this be made ahead and cooked later in the oven?
Is this fish freezable? If so what’s the best way? Trying to find some dishes for my maternity leave
Thanks!
Hi Jenn, this recipe can be frozen. I would let it thaw 24 hrs before popping in the oven to bake!
This recipe was great! I cooked the rice with half water and half chicken broth with a little season all for flavor. I seasoned some chicken and added it to the casserole. Also use half cheddar/half Monterey Jack cheese. When I added the rice, I thought there was too much cheese roux but it was perfect! It was definitely cheesy as opposed to the cheese casserole featuring rice I thought I was making, which is great! I have never made a casserole before but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this one came out. Tastes great
This was a great recipe! Just made it tonight. However, I added chicken on top it. Note to self: add salt!
I was impressed by how well the sauce thickened with gluten free flower and almond milk substitutes. Great!
Loved it! Don’t forget salt though :) saw 1 post say it was bland. That might be where they went wrong. I almost forgot salt because it didn’t say when to add it. Ours turned out great though will definitely make again!
Hello, if I’m using frozen broccoli do I only need to cook it for 2 mins in boiling water like fresh broccoli?
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.
Very easy and very good!! My husband has been craving his favorite from the neighborhood steak house. I surprised him with broccoli cheese casserole and steak tonight.
I followed the recipe exactly except without mustard. Was amazing!
We are not a fan – Followed recipe and found it bland. Didn’t keep leftovers – Sorry!
Sorry to hear that Wanda, this recipe is a popular one among readers. You could increase the spices to your preference for a little extra flavor!
Could I add chicken or turkey to make it a one dish meal?
Sure you can! Either chicken or turkey would be perfect in this dish!
Super delicious! Broccoli and cheese Rice-a-roni was my favorite as a kid and this recipe was my first try at it from scratch (hate eating from a box). I didn’t have any paprika or dry mustard but added a tablespoon of stoneground mustard and it was super good. Definitely will be making again. Can’t wait to try with cauliflower rice and chicken
Thank you for sharing, very yummy! I made it tonight and everyone asked for seconds.
I didn’t have enough broccoli, so I added corn. Sweet & delicious.
Could I use frozen broccoli ?
Definitely Margie. It will change the texture of this recipe slightly but will still be delicious!
Oh and I was lucky to have onion and chive cream cheese!