Broccoli Rice Casserole
Serving Suggestion: Entrée or Side
This easy casserole is the perfect entrée or side dish for dinner! Made in one pot, completely from scratch, this cheessy dish is a total crowd pleaser. Delicious enough for the holidays yet easy enough for weeknight dinners!| Recipe Times | |
| 35 min | Preparation |
| 15 min | Cooking |
| Ingredients | |
| 950 ml | Broccoli Florets (chop into bite-sized pieces) |
| 2 tbls | Butter (salted or unsalted) |
| 1 tbls | Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| 1 | Yellow Onion (very finely diced) |
| 300 ml | Rice (Uncle Ben's, uncooked) |
| 3 | Garlic Cloves (minced, unbleached) |
| 900 ml | Vegetable Broth (Campbell's) |
| 300 ml | Half & Half Cream |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| 200 g | Cheddar Cheese (coarsely grated) |
| 25 g | Parmesan Cheese (finely grated) |
| Casserole Topping | |
| 8 tbls | Butter (salted or unsalted) |
| 300 g | Panko Breadcrumbs |
| 1/4 tsp | Smoked Paprika |
| 75 g | Parmesan Cheese |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish, set aside.
- Steam broccoli on stovetop for 3-4 minutes until broccoli is slightly tender and bright green. Do not overcook.
- In a large deep skillet or dutch oven, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in rice and garlic and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute.
- Add in the chicken stock, half and half and salt and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender, about 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Carefully combine the rice, cooked broccoli, grated cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese making sure to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and prepare the topping.
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, smoked paprika and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake the casserole for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips & Ideas
- Turn this broccoli rice casserole into a meal by adding protein to the recipe. Marinated and grilled tofu is a great idea!
- Swap in half cauliflower for the broccoli for a unique flavor twist!
- Tired of cheddar cheese? Try Swiss cheese or pepper jack cheese for a yummy change. You can go half and half with the cheddar or all in!
- Customize the crunchy topping! This Panko topping is delicious but here are some other delicious options: Ritz crackers, cornflakes, seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Using a rice cooker for this recipe is recommended. Sautee the garlic & onion as described and combine with rice at end of cooking cycle.
- Consider adding a small amount of Cayenne Pepper to the rice while it's cooking. BAM!