Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Casserole

Every year for major holidays, (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas), my mom makes a cheesy rice and broccoli casserole. Her recipe has cheese whiz in it. It is my mom’s and sister’s favorite. I personally like green bean casserole better, but I decided to make come up with a recipe without the cheese whiz. (Cheese whiz makes it creamier, cheesier and more delicious, but does anyone really know what is in cheese whiz anyways? I feel like it’s the same thing as Velveeta cheese, just in liquid form. As a kid I would slice off a piece of Velveeta cheese and just eat it. That sounds really disgusting now, but I thought it was great as a kid).

This cheesy rice and broccoli casserole recipe is so delicious. My husband and I both really loved it. My son just wanted the broccoli and my oldest daughter just wanted the rice. (I guess that works out for them to share). My youngest pretty much eats anything, so she liked it.

I used to be a hater of broccoli. Mainly cooked broccoli, but in the last few years I have grown to really like it. I would probably still prefer raw broccoli with ranch dip over cooked broccoli, though.

This recipe calls for cream of chicken soup. I always have some of my Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup ready in the freezer, but you can certainly use canned cream of chicken soup. (I know it’s more work to make your own cream of chicken soup, but it tastes so much better).

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Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Casserole

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• Author: Lisa
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

This recipe is creamy, cheesy and delicious.  Perfect for the holidays, or even for every day.  It’s got enough broccoli in it to make it healthier, but also has enough cheese to make it kid, and husband friendly.

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Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cups fresh broccoli, can substitute frozen.
• 2 cups instant brown rice, cooked as instructed.
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese, divided.  You can substitute whatever cheese you like best.
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can cream of chicken soup,  here is my recipe for homemade cream of chicken soup.

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray an 8×8 pan, or a similar sized casserole dish. (I love my Corningware dishes.  I use the largest one for this recipe.  It holds approximately 2.5 quarts)
3. Preheat a frying pan on the stove on medium heat.
4. Add olive oil, onions and broccoli.  Saute until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
5. While onions and broccoli are cooking, in a large bowl, mix together cooked brown rice, 2 cups shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, chicken broth, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cream of chicken soup.
6. Add onions and broccoli and stir until thoroughly mixed.
7. Pour into your prepared dish.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

• If you substitute frozen broccoli, you would not have to saute it first and I would almost thaw it completely before mixing it into your rice mixture.
• When I make the rice according to the box, I use chicken broth instead of water.  This adds even more flavor. 
• This recipe is fantastic as a main dish if you mix in about 2 cups of cooked chicken or turkey.  Try using this Oven Roasted Turkey Breast recipe.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes