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bowl of cheesy broccoli rice casserole with fork in it
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5 from 7 votes

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

This delicious broccoli rice casserole is rich and cheesy, perfect for using up any leftover rice, and made from scratch with no "cream of" soups!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli side dish, easy casserole
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 656kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

  • 25 Ritz crackers or your favorite buttery cracker
  • 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • 3 - 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened and cut into cubes
  • 4 cups chopped frozen broccoli (thawed) approximately a 10-12 oz package
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

Prepare

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 2 quart baking dish. Set aside.

Make topping

  • Add Ritz crackers to a food processor and pulse until pea-sized crumbs are formed. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Make cheese sauce

  • Add 5 Tbsp of the butter to a skillet over MED heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
  • Add flour and stir well to combine, then cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add salt, paprika, black pepper, and dry mustard.
  • Slowly, whisking as you pour, pour in the chicken broth. Do the same with the heavy cream.
  • Let cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Remove from the heat, then add the cubes of cream cheese, stirring until completely melted.
  • Add approximately 2 cups of the cheese (about 1 cup at a time, stirring until melted after each cup), stirring well to combine.

Assemble the casserole

  • Add cooked rice and broccoli to a large mixing bowl, then pour in the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
  • Transfer to prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
  • Melt the remaining 3 Tbsp of butter pour in the bowl with the Ritz cracker crumbs from earlier. Stir well to combine.
  • Sprinkle cracker crumbs over the top of the casserole.

Bake

  • Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly, the cheese is melted, and the edges are lightly golden.

Notes

  1. I've estimated this recipe will serve approximately 8 people as a side dish, but of course, you're free to portion out the dish as you see fit.
  2. If you're shredding your own cheese (which I highly recommend), you'll want about 12 oz of cheddar.
  3. If assembled ahead of time, let the baking dish sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then add an additional 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 656kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 767mg | Potassium: 396mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6105IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 390mg | Iron: 2mg