This recipe for Broccoli and Rice Casserole is an old fashioned favorite that’s making a comeback on social media! It’s time to revisit this cheesy, easy broccoli rice casserole recipe and see why it’s trending again!
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
Remember the cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole Grandma used to make? Well….it’s back and better than ever. But this time, it’s even easier to put together because we’re skipping the homemade cheese sauce and cooking it from a can (who says shortcuts don’t work?)!
While Grandma’s broccoli rice casserole will forever remain a family favorite, busy schedules mean we don’t have hours to spend cooking in the kitchen. Say hello to this easy broccoli and rice casserole recipe!
A rice broccoli cheese casserole is the ultimate comfort food when cooler weather calls for cozy dishes. Serve it as a side with dinner or prepare it with extra protein as the main meal and watch your family want more!
Ingredients Notes
- Unsalted butter
- Long-grain white rice: You can use your favorite type of long-grain white rice for this broccoli rice cheese recipe. Jasmine rice remains nice and fluffy without getting too sticky and mushy when baked in this rice and broccoli casserole.
- Broccoli: For this broccoli rice cheese recipe, you can use either frozen chopped broccoli florets or fresh broccoli florets from a head of broccoli. You will need to cut the florets down to 1-2 inch sized pieces if the frozen broccoli florets are really big.
- Yellow onion: Adds so much flavor to this dish. Dice them small and you won’t know they are there!
- Cream of mushroom soup: The perfect creamy consistency to coat the rice and broccoli in the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese soup: In this recipe, you can substitute the can of cheddar cheese soup for an additional can of cream of mushroom soup or even for a can of cream of chicken soup.
- Milk: Whole milk makes the cheese sauce extra rich and creamy. If you prefer your sauce a little lighter, you can use low-fat milk.
- Seasoned salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Shredded cheddar cheese: I love the taste of mild cheddar cheese in the broccoli and rice casserole recipe. Sharp cheddar cheese, cheddar Jack cheese, or Colby Jack cheese blends will also work well; they’re all great melting cheeses and pair well with the other broccoli cheese rice casserole flavors.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- Prepare The Parts: Cook the rice according to package directions. Steam the broccoli according to package directions. Combine the cooked rice and broccoli.
- Make The Soup Mixture: Stir together the onion, cans of soup, milk, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Combine And Coat: Pour the soup mixture into the bowl of rice and broccoli. Fold everything together until the rice is completely coated.
- Pour In The Pan: Spread the broccoli rice casserole mixture into the buttered casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden and bubbly around the edges.
- Serve: Rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This broccoli rice casserole is best served while still warm, and the cheese is melted. It pairs perfectly with your favorite proteins. I love serving it as a side dish to complete my slow cooker butter chicken, air fryer turkey breast, crock pot Philly cheesesteak, or grilled salmon meals.
It’s also portable to bring to potlucks and holiday parties.
Tips & Variations
- Replace the White Rice: To make this casserole healthier, you can swap the white rice for brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice.
- Pack In More Protein: Feel free to make this a chicken broccoli rice and cheese casserole by adding in cooked diced chicken. Use leftover chicken from last night, rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breasts to turn this side into a main meal. Turkey or ham will work great too!
- Tasty Toppings: For a crunchy casserole topping, feel free to sprinkle some Panko bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, cornflakes, or seasoned bread crumbs on top of the casserole.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Leftover cooked broccoli rice casserole can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat thoroughly in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Cook Ahead: You can cook your rice up to a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, to save time when assembling this casserole before cooking it.
- Assemble Ahead: You can assemble the casserole, wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and freeze it before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator completely before you are ready to bake. If the casserole is too cold, you may need to add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
More Easy Casseroles
- Taco Bake Casserole
- Meatball Casserole
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- Pork Chops Casserole
If you tried this Broccoli and Rice Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Serves — 8
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups cooked long grain white rice Jasmine rice used and cooked according to package directions
- 3 cups broccoli florets steamed (from a 16 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets steamed according to package directions)
- 1 cup yellow onion small diced
- 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 10.5 ounce can cheddar soup
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1½ teaspoons seasoned salt Lawry’s brand
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounce block mild cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Evenly coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish with the room temperature unsalted butter. Set aside.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cook the long grain white rice according to package directions. Set aside.3 cups cooked long grain white rice
- Steam the broccoli florets according to package directions. Set aside.3 cups broccoli florets
- To a large mixing bowl add the cooked long grain white rice and steamed broccoli florets. Set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl add the diced yellow onion, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese soup, whole milk, seasoned salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir to fully combine all the ingredients.1 cup yellow onion, 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup, 10.5 ounce can cheddar soup, ½ cup whole milk, 1½ teaspoons seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the soup mixture into the large bowl of rice and broccoli. Gently fold all the ingredients together, being sure not to break apart the steamed broccoli florets too much. You want to be sure that the soup mixture has completely coated the rice.
- Spread the broccoli rice casserole mixture into the buttered 9×13 baking dish.
- Top the broccoli rice casserole with the shredded mild cheddar cheese.8 ounce block mild cheddar cheese
- Bake the broccoli rice casserole for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden, and bubbly, around the edges of the casserole.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze leftover cooked broccoli rice casserole for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat thoroughly in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Cook Ahead: You can cook your rice up to a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, to save time when assembling this casserole before cooking it.
- Assemble Ahead: You can assemble the casserole, wrap it in a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and freeze before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator completely before you are ready to bake. You may need to add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time if the casserole is too cold.
- You can swap the white rice for brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice to make this casserole a bit healthier.
- Feel free to make this a chicken broccoli rice and cheese casserole by adding in cooked diced chicken. Use leftover chicken from last night, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken breasts to turn this side into a main meal. Turkey or ham will work great too!
- Feel free to sprinkle some Panko bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, cornflakes, or seasoned bread crumbs for a crunchy casserole topping.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1380mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1304IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 445mg | Iron: 2mg
amazing recipe! I added shredded chicken and we are obsessed with it