Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe | Made From Scratch In 30 Minutes

This broccoli rice casserole recipe is designed to make your life easier. It's made with simple ingredients like broccoli, rice, and creamy cheese, and yet the results are anything but basic. The best part is that with minimal prep time, you get a casserole fit to feed the entire family!

The Best Broccoli Rice Casserole

I know a casserole with broccoli and rice may sound plain, but this cheesy broccoli rice casserole recipe is seriously exceptional. It has a rich, creamy, and cheesy base that is filled with flavor, and a sauce that's so good you could eat it with a spoon!

Gah, it's so good.

It's also a super easy to make casserole recipe too. Just 4 simple steps are all you need to follow to make it, and from start to finish the whole process will take you under 30 minutes. Yes, that includes the time it takes to cook in the oven.

By the way, while this broccoli cheese casserole is delicious on its own, it's even more delicious paired with some sides. A few of my favorites to pair with it are these honey glazed carrots, this sweet potato cornbread, this Little Caesars crazy bread, and corn cake.

Ingredients

You'd never guess how simple the ingredient list is to make this cheesy broccoli rice casserole.

Honestly, you probably have most - if not all - of them at home already!

Anyway, here are all of the broccoli rice casserole ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. Butter
• ½ cup Onion, diced
• 3 tbsp. Flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 tsp. Dry Mustard Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 tsp. Paprika Powder
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 3 cups Broccoli Florets

Not too bad, right?

Also, if you have all of these ingredients, you basically have everything you need to make this chicken divan recipe next. It's one of my most popular casserole recipes on the blog right now.

Or, if you want something a little different, you can use some of the ingredients to make this Panera broccoli cheese soup!

Substitutions And Modifications

Ok, so there are an endless number of adjustments you can make to this broccoli rice casserole recipe. 

So, when it comes to rice, you can use either brown rice, white rice, long grain rice, or short grain rice. Or, if you're watching your carb intake, you can even use cauliflower rice.

As for the broccoli, you can use fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli. Just keep in mind, if you choose to use frozen broccoli, you'll want to microwave it until it is fully cooked through before using it in the casserole.

Want more protein in the casserole? Easy. Just add in some cooked chicken - using a rotisserie chicken works great here - right before you bake it in the oven.

Oh, one more thing, if you want to add additional toppings to your casserole before baking, you can add parmesan cheese, Ritz crackers, or panko breadcrumbs before baking. For what it's worth, the Ritz crackers are always a huge hit at our house when we add 'em.

All that said, I think it's incredible as is, but feel free to put your own spin on it.

How To Make Broccoli Rice Casserole

Again, this broccoli and rice casserole recipe is super easy to put together. Seriously, even if you don't do a lot of cooking at home making this will be a breeze.

All in all, you're looking at about 30 minutes tops to make this recipe. But, if you're using pre-cooked broccoli and rice, it'll be even quicker!

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get into how to make this broccoli rice casserole!

Step 1: Prep Work

So, the first step will be to cook your rice. To do this simply follow the package directions.

Now, while the rice is cooking, take out a large skillet and put it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Then, add the butter and rotate the pan to make sure the butter fully coats the entire surface of the pan.

Now, add the onions to the buttered pan and cook for around 7 minutes or until browned. 

Step 2: Cook The Broccoli

Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once it's boiling, add the fresh broccoli to it and cook for a few minutes until it's bright green and fork-tender. Then, strain the broccoli and set it aside for later.

Alternatively, you can microwave frozen broccoli to thaw it and use that instead. 

Step 3: Make The Cream Sauce

Next, you'll want to preheat your oven to 350°F (180ºC) and start working on the creamy sauce for the casserole.

So, for the sauce, add the flour, dry mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pan with the cooked onions. Now, cook the sauce until it starts to thicken - just make sure you stir everything constantly while it's cooking.

Now, once it thickens, add the milk and mix everything together until well incorporated. Then, once that's looking good, you can add the cream cheese, half of the cheddar cheese, and paprika to the sauce.

To finish up, mix everything together until it's well incorporated, and the cheese melts.

Step 4: Bake The Casserole

By now, the oven should be preheated, and the broccoli and rice should be cooked and ready to go.

So, you can go ahead and add the broccoli and cooked rice to the cheesy mixture and give everything a good stir to combine it all.

Then, grease a casserole dish with baking spray, transfer the casserole mixture to it, and top it with the rest of the cheese. When that's looking good, bake the casserole for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.

Finally, serve the casserole warm, and enjoy! 

How To Store Broccoli Rice Casserole

This broccoli casserole recipe will make about 4 large servings. So, not only is it ideal for a big family dinner, but it'll make some pretty fantastic leftovers too.

And speaking of leftovers, if you're fortunate enough to have any, you can store 'em in a few different ways. You can either wrap your casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap - or tin foil - or you can transfer it to an airtight container. Either way, it'll stay good in the fridge for about 3-4 days stored this way.

Alternatively, if you want to store it for longer, you can freeze this casserole in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat Broccoli Rice Casserole

So, when it comes to reheating your leftover broccoli cheese rice casserole, I recommend using either the microwave or the oven. No matter which option you go with it's guaranteed to taste as good as the day you made it!

With that said, for the quickest reheating method, you can reheat the casserole in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments until warm. Just make sure the bowl is covered while it's cooking in the microwave to prevent any splattering.

As for reheating the casserole in the oven, just place the baking dish in a preheated oven set to 350°F and heat for about 10-15 minutes - or until it is thoroughly warm.

Also, just so you know, I like to top my leftovers off with more sharp cheddar cheese for an even cheesier reheated casserole.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make a broccoli cheese rice casserole!

Out of all the casserole recipes out there, this is by far one of my favorites. It's so simple yet deliciously creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor. Not to mention, it's always a hit with everyone who tries it - even the picky eaters!

Anyway, if you gave this broccoli and rice casserole recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and tell us how it went!

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for more easy casserole recipes, we have a ton on the blog that you can try next!

Check these out:

• Pork chop casserole
• Velveeta broccoli casserole
• Sausage green bean potato casserole
• Crack chicken casserole
• Million dollar chicken casserole
  

Oh, and for even more recipes check out our YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok pages. We post new ones on them every day.

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