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Tender jasmine rice with bite sized broccoli florets in a cheesy sauce makes this cheesy broccoli rice picky eater approved.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
This dish is one of those “do it all” dishes. It’s wonderful as a hearty and crowd-pleasing side dish to be sure, but it also makes an excellent vegetarian main dish.
With just the little one-ingredient addition of leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or a quick batch of last minute chicken, you can transform it into a meaty main dish casserole, too! Whether you’re serving the cheese rice as a side dish or as the main feature of the meal all by itself, everyone is going to love this.
And I said it’s picky eater approved and I stand by that! At least at our house, any time we want to get someone to try a vegetable they’d normally turn their nose up at, covering it in cheese or cheese sauce does the trick.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Recipe
To whip up this hearty, comforting dish, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- jasmine rice
- fresh broccoli
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- flour
- granulated garlic
- dry mustard
- granulated onion
- cayenne pepper
- cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
Cook the rice and set it aside to cool. Steam the broccoli and set it aside to cool as well.
While the rice is cooking, combine the flour and all of the spices with the milk. Whisk it until smooth. Set this aside.
Warm the cream in a large deep sided skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the cream begins to steam (not boil!) add the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
Continue whisking until the milk thickens slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, a handful at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon to melt.
Remove from the heat once all the cheese has melted. Add the rice and broccoli to the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Taste and add salt, only if needed.
Top with remaining cheddar cheese and cover with lid to melt. Serve warm. Any leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days and reheat nicely for easy lunches.
For a few more cheesy dinner options, check out our favorites. When you pull this cheesy and delicious Ham Potato and Broccoli Casserole from the oven everyone will be clamoring for a bite.
Saucy bites of tangy chicken come together perfectly with roasted potatoes and broccoli in this BBQ Chicken Potato Casserole. This flavorful and hearty dish is a big win at my house.
Pasta and sausage in a rich tomato pasta sauce is topped with an abundance of cheese to create this Cheesy Sausage Pasta. Everything bakes and melts together to create an irresistible dinner for any cheese or pasta lover!
Cheesy Broccoli and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 6-8 cups small broccoli florets
- 1⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice and set aside to cool. Steam the broccoli and set aside to cool.
- While the rice is cooking, combine the flour and all of the spices with the milk. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Warm the cream in a large deep sided skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the cream begins to steam (not boil!) add the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
- Continue whisking until the milk thickens slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, a handful at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon to melt.
- Remove from the heat once all the cheese has melted. Add the rice and broccoli to the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Taste and add salt, only if needed. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and cover with lid to melt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
