Easy Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
Easy and cheesy, this is truly the best Broccoli Rice Casserole!
Servings 6 people
Calories 366kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup 2% or whole milk
- 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup lightly crushed Ritz crackers
Instructions
- Cook the broccoli for about 2 minutes in boiling water, just until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to a very low flame. Stir in soup, paprika, dry mustard, nutmeg, 1 cup of the cheese and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add cooked rice and broccoli; stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with crushed crackers and remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
- When pre-cooking the broccoli, steam or boil just until crisp-tender (not too soft, and still a bright green color). For frozen florets, this is about half of the recommended microwave cooking time provided on the package. Remember, the broccoli will continue to cook as the casserole bakes in the oven, and you don't want mushy over-cooked broccoli when it's finished.
- Cook the cheese sauce over a very low flame. Adding milk and cheese to a very hot pan can cause the cheese to separate or the milk to curdle.
- For another shortcut, use microwaveable packets of rice (such as Uncle Ben's Ready Rice). Cook the rice according to the package instructions and then use in the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 773IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 1mg