Creamy Homestyle Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Creamy Homestyle Broccoli Rice Casserole

This creamy, comforting casserole brings together tender broccoli, fluffy rice, and that irresistible cheese sauce we all secretly crave on our weeknight dinner table.

You’ll love how it transforms simple ingredients into something that tastes like pure comfort food magic, without requiring any fancy techniques or hard-to-find items.

The best part is watching everyone go back for seconds, because honestly, who can resist that golden-brown, bubbly top that screams “homemade goodness”?

Ingredients List

• 1 (20 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets
• 1 (8 ounce) jar Cheez Whiz
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 2/3 cups Minute Rice (uncooked)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup margarine
• Fresh vs. frozen: Feel free to swap fresh broccoli for frozen, though you’ll need to steam it until tender-crisp first
• Healthier swaps: Try low-sodium soups and reduced-fat cheese sauce if you’re watching salt or calories, though honestly, sometimes comfort food is worth the splurge
• Butter substitute: You can use real butter instead of margarine for richer flavor, or even olive oil if you want to lighten things up a bit
• Rice flexibility: Regular long-grain rice works too, just cook it according to package directions before adding it to the mix

Step by Step Directions



Making this comforting broccoli rice casserole is straightforward and takes about an hour from start to finish.

• Prep the oven: Preheat to 375°F and grease a 13×9 inch baking pan.
• Cook the basics: Prepare the frozen broccoli florets according to package directions, then drain well; cook the Minute Rice following package instructions.
• Sauté the vegetables: In a large skillet, lightly sauté the chopped onion and celery in margarine until softened.
• Make the sauce: Add both cans of soup (cream of mushroom and cream of chicken) plus the Cheez Whiz to the sautéed vegetables, mixing until well combined.
• Combine everything: Stir the well-drained cooked broccoli into the soup mixture, then gently fold in the cooked rice.
• Bake: Spread the mixture evenly in your greased baking pan and bake revealed for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

For best results, use professional stainless steel cookware throughout the cooking process to ensure even heat distribution and optimal flavor development.

Substitutions and Variations

• Butter vs. margarine: I know the recipe calls for margarine, but butter works just as well and adds a richer taste—your call on this one.
• Make it crunchier: Top with some buttered breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, or even fried onions during the last 15 minutes of baking for added texture.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This casserole is basically a complete meal in one dish, but sometimes you want to round out the dinner table with a few extras.

• Simple proteins: Grilled chicken, baked pork chops, or even some rotisserie chicken from the store work beautifully—the casserole has plenty of flavor to complement whatever meat you choose.
• Fresh salads: A crisp green salad with vinaigrette cuts through all that creamy richness, or try a simple cucumber and tomato salad for something light and invigorating.
• Warm dinner rolls: Because let’s face it, carbs with more carbs is never a bad thing, and you’ll want something to soak up every last bit of that cheesy goodness.
• Roasted vegetables: Carrots, green beans, or Brussels sprouts add some color to your plate and make you feel like you’re getting your daily dose of vitamins.
• Garlic bread: Perfect for when you want to go full comfort food mode and throw nutritional balance out the window—sometimes that’s exactly what dinner needs to be.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

A few smart moves in the kitchen can turn this good casserole into an absolutely stellar one.

• Don’t skip the draining step—seriously, soggy broccoli will make your casserole watery and sad, and nobody wants to eat sad casserole. Press that broccoli with paper towels if you have to.
• Cook your rice just shy of done because it’s going to keep cooking in the oven for 45 minutes, and mushy rice is the enemy of texture here.
• Let your sautéed onions and celery cool for a minute before adding the soups and cheese—you don’t want to accidentally scramble anything or create a lumpy mess that looks like it belongs in the trash.
• Mix the Cheez Whiz and soups together first, then add everything else, because trying to incorporate that thick cheese sauce at the end is like trying to fold concrete into cake batter.
• Spray that 13×9 pan like your life depends on it—this casserole will stick to an ungreased pan faster than you can say “kitchen disaster,” and scraping burnt cheese off bakeware isn’t how anyone wants to spend their evening.
• Check it at 35 minutes because ovens are moody creatures, and some run hotter than others—you want golden brown, not charcoal black.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes after baking so it can set up properly instead of falling apart like a house of cards when you try to serve it.

Nutritional Facts

This hearty casserole packs plenty of flavor, but it’s also loaded with calories and sodium from the processed ingredients.

• Calories per serving: Approximately 320-380 calories (based on 8 servings)
• Total fat: 18-22 grams per serving, primarily from margarine and Cheez Whiz
• Saturated fat: 6-8 grams per serving
• Sodium: 900-1,100 mg per serving (nearly half the daily recommended limit)
• Carbohydrates: 28-32 grams per serving, mostly from rice and soup bases
• Fiber: 3-4 grams per serving from the broccoli
• Protein: 12-15 grams per serving from cheese and cream soups
• Vitamin C: Good source thanks to the broccoli (about 80% daily value)
• Calcium: Moderate source from the cheese (about 15-20% daily value)
• Iron: Small amount from fortified rice and vegetables
• Processed ingredients warning: High in preservatives and artificial additives from canned soups and processed cheese

Fun “Did You Know?”

Did you know that broccoli wasn’t widely accepted in America until the 1920s, when Italian immigrants introduced it to the broader population? I find it fascinating that this “crown jewel of nutrition” was once considered exotic!

Minute Rice, another key ingredient in our casserole, revolutionized cooking when it debuted in 1946. The convenience factor changed how families approached meal preparation forever.

Here’s something cool: broccoli belongs to the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. When you combine these historical ingredients in one dish, you’re literally serving up decades of culinary evolution on a single plate!