Broccoli and Rice Casserole: Better With No Canned Soup

Name: Broccoli-Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups (10 ounces) fresh broccoli florets and stems, chopped (stems should be VERY finely chopped); Juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tablespoons butter; 1/4 cup chopped onions; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 3/4 cup minced mushrooms; 1 tablespoon flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon white pepper; Freshly ground black pepper; Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional); 12-ounce can regular evaporated milk (or 3/4 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup whole milk); 1-1/2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese; 1 1/4 cup cooked rice

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Fresh broccoli and rice combine with homemade mushroom-vegetable-cheese sauce to make this Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe.

Instructions included for making the sauce in the microwave or on top of the stove.

BROCCOLI-RICE CASSEROLE, No Canned Soup with a side of sausage

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You may be familiar with versions of Broccoli-Rice Casserole that use cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup. Some call for Cheese Whiz, too. Yikes! Not my style–although I’m not averse to keeping a few cans of soup in the pantry for emergencies.

Instead of the cans, this recipe calls for a simple, do-it-yourself cream sauce. You control the salt and avoid the preservatives. Your reward is a fresher flavor customized to your needs and tastes.

Random thoughts about Broccoli and Rice Casserole:

If you are feeding reluctant broccoli eaters, chop the broccoli finely.

How large or small you chop the broccoli has a pronounced effect on the final product. Larger pieces will keep the broccoli more defined and not as soft. I like bigger pieces for textural interest as seen in the picture above.

You might have more luck pleasing picky eaters or kids if you chop the broccoli finer. The broccoli bits will be softer (less crunchy) and not as well defined. See the picture below.

broccoli and rice casserole using finely chopped broccoli and white cheddar

What to do if the sauce seems too runny or too thick before baking:

The sauce should be somewhat thin when you pour the broccoli-rice mixture into a baking dish. It will thicken as it bakes. If it seems thick enough to hold a shape before baking, stir in another 1/4 cup of milk.

Likewise, if the prepared casserole sits very long before baking, you might consider adding a 1/4 cup of half and half or milk. Rice is a sponge!!!

Any variety of rice will work.

Jasmine is my favorite. However, I frequently use long-grain, basmati, or even brown rice.

Whenever I make plain rice, I freeze the leftovers. They are perfect to use in this recipe.

Evaporated milk or heavy cream+milk keeps the cream sauce from curdling.

Substituting fat-free or low-fat milk are not recommended. If you want to avoid dairy, try using chicken broth and leaving the cheese out.

Don’t overcook the broccoli.

uncooked broccoli vs broccoli cooked in microwave — Left: Fresh broccoli Right: Cooked broccoli should be bright green when added to other casserole ingredients.

Using a microwave:

Besides cleaning and chopping the broccoli, the sauce is the most labor-intensive step. I make sauces in my microwave, so I don’t have to worry about burning or sticking. See the microwave instructions in the notes of the recipe.

In regards to using a microwave oven: I know many chefs and restaurants are negative about them, but I think they are a modern miracle for the home cook WHEN USED CORRECTLY AND CAREFULLY.

Consequently, I have two of them in my kitchen. Microwaves are one of my best kitchen secrets because they help make healthy eating convenient–a priority for me.

How to make Broccoli and Rice Casserole with no canned soups:

fresh broccoli..some of it chopped — Chop broccoli is small pieces. Cut the stems in very small pieces.

broccoli steamed in pyrex dish using a microwave — Cover and steam chopped broccoli in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on High. No water needed.

squeezing lemon over cooked broccoli — Squeeze half of a lemon over the cooked broccoli and set aside.

Frying onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms until softened — Sauté onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms in butter for about 3 minutes until softened.

evaporated milk or cream added to veggies — Add flour and heat for 1 minute stirring to cook the flour. Stir in evaporated milk or cream/milk.

Cheese added to cream mixture — Add all but 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

Adding broccoli and rice to cheese and cream sauce

cheese sprinkled over top of unbaked casserole

Broccoli and Rice Casserole out of the oven

Pin the picture below to save for later.

Pinterest image for -Broccoli-Rice Casserole

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

Yield: 10 servings

Broccoli-Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup)

Traditional Broccoli-Rice Casserole with mushrooms but no canned soup. See microwave directions in the Notes below.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 cups (10 ounces) fresh broccoli florets and stems, chopped (stems should be VERY finely chopped)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
3/4 cup minced mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
12-ounce can regular evaporated milk (or 3/4 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup whole milk)
1-1/2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup cooked rice

Instructions

Steam or microwave (about 3 minutes on HIGH) chopped broccoli and stems until tender but still bright green. Squeeze lemon over broccoli.
Melt butter in skillet. Add onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms and saute until softened. Stir in flour and cook about one minute to take away the raw flour taste. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cup cheese and stir to melt.
Combine broccoli, rice, and cheese sauce. Turn into 1 1/2 quart greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F until bubbly (around 30 minutes).

Notes

If this is going to be sitting for any length of time before baking, add at least 1/4 cup of milk (maybe more) to make up for all the moisture the rice absorbs.
We like 1-2 tablespoons of chopped jalapeños added to the cream sauce.

Microwave directions:

Steam or microwave (about 3 minutes on HIGH) chopped broccoli and stems until tender but still bright green. Squeeze lemon over broccoli.
Add butter, onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms to 2 quart batter bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Add flour to vegetables and stir. Whisk in milk and cook uncovered on HIGH for 6-7 minutes. Whisk after 4 minutes and once a minute thereafter to even out the cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cup cheese and stir to melt. Sauce will thicken more as it sits.
Combine broccoli, rice, and cheese sauce. Turn into 1 1/2 quart greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F until bubbly (around 30 minutes).

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