Southern Broccoli Rice Casserole (no canned soup!)

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Such a delicious way to enjoy broccoli, one of nature’s most healthful vegetables! This isn’t just any old Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe! You won’t find things like canned soup or processed cheese products here. Everything is fresh and made from scratch. 

A rich combination of flavorful ingredients makes this Southern Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole the perfect side. In fact, it is so scrumptious and filling you could even pair it with a green salad and serve it as a main dish.

Ingredient notes

• Instant white rice — Instant rice is specially prepared to cook extra fast. It’s the kind you need for this recipe.
• Broccoli — Fresh broccoli will give your finished dish the best, full-flavor complement. It’s just so good!
• Onion — Chopped onion is such a powerful ingredient for enhancing the savory factor in your cheesy broccoli casserole. Feel free to use any kind of onion you prefer. 
• Mushrooms — Chopped mushrooms help tie all the wonderful, savory flavors in this recipe together. Choose any type you like.

How to make Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole

I recently got an order of produce from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box and was blessed with fresh garden broccoli. It was the perfect time to make Broccoli Rice Cheese Casserole again. 

STEP 1 | Make the cream soup

Create a roux of melted butter and flour over medium heat. Slowly add milk and chicken broth and cook until the mixture is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. EASY! No weird canned stuff here.

STEP 2 | Cook broccoli and rice

Give the broccoli a rough chop and steam it. Cook one cup of instant white rice per package directions.

STEP 3 |  Sauté the mushroom and onions

Add a little butter to a skillet and saute your chopped mushrooms and onions just until soft, not mushy.

STEP 4 |  Mix all the ingredients together 

In a large bowl, combine the steamed broccoli, cooked rice, and sautéed veggies. Stir in the homemade cream soup, and cheddar cheese. Pour it all into a lightly greased casserole dish.

STEP 5 | Bake

Sprinkle more shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese over the top and bake until hot, bubbly and a little golden brown on top.

Variations and substitutions

• If you really want to use regular white rice, you’ll need to par boil it by cooking it for 8 -10 minutes before adding it to the recipe.
• If fresh isn’t available, then frozen is the next best option.
• If you are not a mushroom person, just leave them out or substitute with more broccoli or cauliflower.

Storage and reheating tips

• Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days or in your freezer for 1-2 months.
• For best results, cover the casserole with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven at 350 until it gets bubbly again. 

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

• Southern Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole makes an ideal side dish when you’re serving pork chops, baked BBQ chicken breast, meatloaf, or nearly any other favorite main course.
• This rich, cheesy broccoli creation will be a big hit at special occasion dinners and gatherings, too.

Southern Broccoli Rice Casserole (no canned soup!)

Author: Sheila Thigpen

A rich combination of flavorful ingredients makes this Southern Broccoli Rice Casserole the perfect side. In fact, it is so scrumptious and filling you could even pair it with a green salad and serve it as a main dish.

3.89 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Vegetables & Sides

Cuisine American

Servings 8 – 10 servings

Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup uncooked instant white rice
• 1 ½ cups water
• 3 cups broccoli cooked and chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms optional
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Homemade Cream Soup

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Cook the rice in 1 1/2 cups boiling water per package instructions. Fluff and place in a large bowl.
• Steam the broccoli in a microwave steamer basket for 5 minutes; then roughly chop and add to bowl with the rice.
• In a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped onions and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, just until softened, and add to the broccoli mixture.
• Add 2 cups cheddar cheese along with the homemade cream soup and stir until combined.
• Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Homemade Cream Soup

• In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and chicken bouillon until smooth. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add milk, whisking continually until mixture thickens.
• Remove from heat and stir in black pepper.

Notes

• This recipe can be easily halved.
• Change up the recipe by using whatever cheese you have on hand (or a combination of cheeses) and even add a cracker crumb topping or french fried onions.
• Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days or in your freezer for 1-2 months. For best results reheat in the oven at 350 until it gets bubbly again. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 16gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 440mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword side dish, vegetarian

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