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Whether you choose to serve this as a side dish or vegetarian main, this broccoli rice casserole is all kinds of delicious. Easy to make, it’s perfectly cheesy and creamy.
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I just know you are going to love this hearty and comforting dish. Loaded with loads of fresh veggies, this broccoli and rice casserole is the perfect option for an easy weeknight meal, or serve it up as a side as part of a bigger feast.
It’s super creamy and cheesy and finished with breadcrumbs for a tasty crunchy topping. Truly, a family favorite.
Be sure to try my Squash Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole if you love this dish!
Why you will love this healthy broccoli rice casserole recipe!
- Easy: There’s nothing complicated about this recipe. It has a pretty quick prep time and then into the oven it goes.
- Healthy: Made with fresh, simple ingredients, this dish is both flavorful and satisfying!
- Make ahead: This is a great make-ahead dish that is easily reheated.
Ingredients
To make this Southern broccoli cheese rice casserole, you will need the following:
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, broccoli.
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice, like basmati, for this recipe.
- Lemon zest: For a nice fresh flavor.
- Cheese: Use a good melting cheese, like Swiss, Gruyere or Cheddar cheese.
- Stock: To keep this dish meat-free, I used vegetable stock, but you can use chicken broth or stock instead.
- Sour cream: For a nice creamy sauce.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese: For the topping.
How to make broccoli rice casserole – step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and carrots for a couple of minutes until tender and translucent.
- Add sauteed onions and carrots, rice, and lemon zest to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and stir to combine. Add broccoli florets on top of rice and vegetables. Sprinkle with melty cheese. Set aside.
- In a bowl whisk vegetable stock with sour cream and season with garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Pour stock over the rice and vegetables, then use a spatula to submerge broccoli in the liquid.
- Combine shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle everything with the mixture. Cover loosely the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes covered, then remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes for the cheese to brown.
- Sprinkle the cheesy broccoli rice casserole with a little fresh thyme if desired and serve warm.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use white rice for this recipe. Brown or wild rice will require a longer cooking time and your broccoli will be overcooked.
- If making ahead of time, ensure that the broccoli rice casserole is cooled before storing it.
- You can use fresh or frozen broccoli in this recipe.
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great make-ahead dish. You can make the whole casserole up to the point of baking, then cover it and place it in the fridge for up to two days. Just add 5 minutes of extra cooking time when you pop it in the oven.
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 4 days and can be reheated at 250F until warmed through to serve.
What do you serve broccoli and rice casserole with?
As a side dish, this easy broccoli rice casserole with cheese is great to serve with any protein – baked chicken breasts, steak, or salmon, in fact, it’s great with so many mains! It’s also great with turkey at your Thanksgiving table. Larger portions can be served as a main alongside some steamed veggies.
Recipe Variations
To make this a heartier meal, you can easily add cooked shredded chicken or cubed ham to the casserole dish. Feel free to throw in any other veggies that you have in your fridge, red bell pepper or sliced mushrooms both work great.
More Rice Dishes
If you loved this broccoli and rice casserole, make sure you try some of the other rice dishes:
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms
- Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp
- Beef Fried Rice
If you enjoyed this Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Broccoli Rice Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into small dice
- 1.5 cups long-grain rice, uncooked (i used basmati)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets of equal size
- ½ – 1 cup melty cheese, (Swiss, Cheddar, or Gruyere)
- 2.25 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock works too
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, (gluten-free for gluten-free diet)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- fresh thyme optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and carrots for a couple of minutes until tender and translucent.
- Add sauteed onions and carrots, rice, and lemon zest to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and stir to combine. Add broccoli florets on top of rice and vegetables. Sprinkle with melty cheese. Set aside.
- In a bowl whisk vegetable stock with sour cream and season with garlic, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Pour stock over the rice and vegetables, then use a spatula to submerge broccoli in the liquid.
- Combine shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle everything with the mixture. Cover loosely the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes covered, then remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes for the cheese to brown.
- Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme if desired and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Use white rice for this recipe. Brown or wild rice will require a longer cooking time and your broccoli will be over cooked.
- If making ahead of time, ensure that the casserole is cooled before storing it.
- You can use fresh or frozen broccoli in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
Pro tip to others following this one – I assumed that the foil was to keep the crumb topping from burning. Since I omitted the topping, I did not use the foil. My rice did not cook correctly, and my guess is that I was attempting to cook it without a “lid” – so, topping or no, my advice would be use the foil!!!!
Yes, you have to use the foil in order for the rice to cook well.
I have made this recipe twice and the flavors are very good. The challenge is that the rice isn’t fully cooked and comes out crunchy. Typically the liquid/rice is 2 to 1 for 20 minutes, so I’ve tried increasing the broth and cook time, but it’s still undercooked. Maybe use an 8×8 instead of a 9×13 to give more depth for the rice to cook?
Actually, using a shallower dish should help the rice cook faster. What kind of rice are you using? and are you following the liquid to rice ratio on the packaging? Different types of rice have different ratios and slightly different cook times. If you are using the same ratio and cook time as recommended on the packaging, the dish should come out perfectly cooked.
It looks like the problem is not in this particular recipe but rather with the rice instructions.