Broccoli Cheesy Rice Side Dish

I’ve been eating this broccoli cheesy rice since I was little enough to need a step stool to see the bowl. This is my mom’s recipe and I’ve loved it since I was so small I could barely reach the counter! It has five ingredients and is super easy to make. You won’t have to worry about a lot of clean up either since it cooks in one baking dish. It is the perfect side dish to serve with chicken, pork, and ham and it always disappears. We’ve never had leftovers!

Is it a food that is healthy? Nope. Is it one of those meals where people are a little too shy to grab one scoop and then they come back for more? Every. Single. Time.

Why These Flavors Work Together

• Cream of mushroom soup acts as the binder and sauce — no separate roux, no extra steps
• Cheez Whiz melts in smoothly and gives you that creamy, orange-yellow cheesiness that cheddar alone doesn’t quite replicate here
• Baking it uncovered lets the top set up slightly rather than staying soupy
• It holds well in the oven and reheats easily — good for potlucks and make-ahead dinners

What to Know Before You Start

First, you need to make the rice. For this recipe, you will need 6 cups of cooked white rice, which is roughly 2 cups dry. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave, whichever is quicker for you.

Make sure to completely thaw and drain your frozen broccoli before you add it. Any extra moisture will make the dish watery. If you have to, press it in a colander or use paper towels to dry it.

The dish tolerates various sizes, so try a 3-quart baking dish. Just don’t go for smaller, or it’ll be too full to stir and distribute.

Ingredients

• Broccoli (2 cups, thawed and drained) — Frozen works perfectly here. I cut any larger pieces down so nothing is too chunky.
• Cooked white rice (6 cups) — Long grain white rice is what I use. Day-old rice from the fridge actually works great in this.
• Cream of mushroom soup (1 can, condensed) — Do not add water. Use it straight from the can — that’s what makes the sauce thick.
• Cheez Whiz (1 jar) — The standard-size jar. This is one of those cases where the processed ingredient is genuinely the right call for texture and flavor.
• Salt and pepper to taste — Go easy at first — the soup and Cheez Whiz both bring salt. Taste before adding more.

How to Make Broccoli Cheesy Rice

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

If you haven’t done so yet, cook your rice first. About 2 cups dry rice will yield 6 cups cooked. You can use either a pot on the stove or a microwave.

Combine the rice, broccoli, cream of mushroom soup, and Cheez Whiz in a 3-quart baking dish. Stir to incorporate and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake without covering at 350°F and for 45 minutes. It is done when the top is set and golden on the edges. Before scooping, let it sit for a couple of minutes — it improves a little resulting in easy serving.

Helpful Tips

• Drain the broccoli thoroughly. If there’s moisture left in the frozen broccoli, the finished dish will be too wet. A quick press with a paper towel makes a real difference.
• Taste before salting. The condensed soup and Cheez Whiz are both salty. I usually only add a little black pepper and skip extra salt entirely.
• You can add diced cooked chicken and turn this into a main dish. About 2 cups of cubed rotisserie chicken works well stirred in before baking.
• If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Storage and Leftovers

You can keep leftovers in your refrigerator for 4 days as long as they’re in a covered container. They will need to be loosened by adding a little bit of water when reheating. To microwave, reheat in individual sizes. To heat again, you can keep the dish covered and put it in a 325°F oven. Stay until it is warm throughout.

This dish does freeze reasonably well. For best results, freeze in individual portions, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave. While the texture may soften a bit after freezing, the flavor still holds.

FAQ

Can I use fresh broccoli instead of frozen?

You can steam or blanch it briefly so it is partially cooked — raw broccoli won’t soften enough in 45 minutes at 350° F. Chop it into small pieces first. When it comes to broccoli, frozen is better than fresh. That’s because frozen broccoli is blanched before freezing it which means it has already been cooked.

Can I use a different type of rice?

I’ve always stuck with long grain white rice. I can do brown rice too, but it does add a chewier texture and may need a couple more minutes in the oven. Instant rice can be done if you need to. Just prepare it per the instructions.

Can I substitute something for Cheez Whiz?

You can use Velveeta cheese by cubing it so it melts evenly when you stir it in. Shredded cheddar works, but it doesn’t mix in as smooth as the other cheeses and will sometimes clump together. On the plus side, it will still taste good! What really helps the dish get that creamy texture is the jarred processed cheese.

Can I make this ahead of time?

That’s correct. You can put together the dish a day in advance. Just cover it and put it in the refrigerator. To bake it, take it out of the fridge while the oven is heating. Since it starts cold, add about 5–10 minutes to the baking time.

What do you serve it with?

This goes well with almost anything — baked chicken, pork chops, ham, even meatloaf! Plus, it’s a potluck crowd-pleaser, as it travels easily and stays warm in a covered dish!

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