Broccoli rice casserole is loaded with good stuff. Broccoli and rice fold into a creamy sauce with sour cream, cream cheese, and bacon, plus sharp cheddar and Parmesan, then top it with more cheddar and crushed Ritz crackers before baking until bubbly and golden.
This classic casserole first found its way onto my plate at my college roommate’s house, the Thanksgiving I went home with her instead of my own family. It was my first Thanksgiving away from my parents, and I was missing home more than I expected until this dish got passed around the table. I’ve made my own version of it every year since.
It’s great for a holiday table because you can bake it right alongside the turkey, and it doesn’t need the oven or your attention all day. But don’t file it away as a once-a-year dish. It’s also at home on Sunday next to a rotisserie chicken or as a side for a simple family dinner.
If you’ve had a broccoli rice casserole that came out bland or a little gummy before, that’s usually the cheese. Shred your own cheddar and Parmesan instead of using the bagged, pre-shredded kind, and the sauce will melt more smoothly every time.
Below, I’ll walk you through the ingredients, the steps, and my best tip for getting that topping properly crisp, plus answers to the questions I get asked most. Once you’ve made it once, you’ll understand why it followed me from my college roommate’s kitchen to my own.
Looking for more side dish casseroles? Try Instant Pot sweet potato casserole, Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole, or chile relleno casserole.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Bacon: Cook and crumble it first, then let it sit while you prep everything else. If you’re short on time, the precooked bacon works fine here too.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese: Let it soften on the counter before you start. Cold cream cheese leaves little lumps in the sauce no matter how hard you whisk.
- Whole milk
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and paprika.
- White rice: Cooked and cooled. Leftover rice from the fridge works great here.
- Broccoli florets: Lightly steam before adding to the mix, but don’t fully cook them. More on that in the tips below.
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Ritz crackers: One sleeve, crushed.
- Melted butter
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt, and paprika until it’s completely smooth. Take an extra minute to work out any cream cheese lumps.
- Add the cooked rice and stir until it’s coated in sauce.
- Stir in the steamed broccoli, crumbled bacon, 2 cups of the cheddar, and the Parmesan. Mix well.
- Spread everything into your prepared dish in an even layer, then scatter the remaining half cup of cheddar over the top.
- Stir the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter until they’re evenly coated, then sprinkle that over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until it’s bubbling at the edges and the topping is a deep golden brown.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley if you’re using it.
Serving Ideas
This one’s rich enough to eat on its own, but it goes well with other things too. My favorite way to serve it as a main is next to a simple roast or grilled chicken. The casserole does the job of a starch and a vegetable at the same time, so you’re really only cooking one more thing.
It’s also a natural next to the turkey at Thanksgiving, on the same plate as the stuffing and the cranberry sauce. Nobody’s going to notice it’s not the traditional green bean casserole once that cracker topping comes out of the oven.
For a potluck, bring it in the same baking dish with a towel wrapped around it. It holds its heat well for the drive, and it’s the kind of dish that disappears fast.
How to Store
Leftovers keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or reheat the whole dish in a 325-degree oven until it’s heated through, which keeps the topping from turning soft the way the microwave sometimes does.
If you want to get ahead, cook your rice the day before. That’s the slowest part of the prep, and having it done and cooled in the fridge makes assembly the day you bake quick.
This casserole also freezes well before baking. Assemble it completely, skip the oven, and wrap the dish tightly (or transfer to a freezer-safe container) for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed, adding 10 to 15 minutes if the center is still cold going into the oven.
Variations
Once you’ve made this once, it’s easy to make it your own. Here are some easy variations.
- Ham & Broccoli Rice Casserole: Stir in 2 cups of diced cooked ham along with the broccoli. A good way to use up leftover holiday ham.
- Three Cheese Broccoli Rice Casserole: Swap 1 cup of the cheddar for a mix of mozzarella and Gruyère. You’ll get more stretch when you pull a spoon through it.
- Spicy Broccoli Rice Casserole: Add one diced jalapeño to the filling and swap half the cheddar for Pepper Jack.
- French Fried Onion Version: Skip the Ritz topping and scatter crispy fried onions over the top for the last 10 minutes of baking instead.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Steam the broccoli just until it’s bright green and still has some bite, not fully soft. It keeps cooking in the oven while everything bakes, so if it goes in already soft, it’ll be mush by the time this comes out.
- Shred your own cheddar and Parmesan if you can. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than bagged pre-shredded cheese, which has a coating that keeps it from melting as cleanly.
- If you want the topping extra crisp, slide the casserole under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes right at the end, after it’s already baked through. Stay by the oven for this part, since the crackers can go from golden to burnt fast under direct broiler heat.
- Go easy on the added salt and taste before you commit to the full amount. The cream of chicken soup, bacon, and Parmesan all bring their own salt, so it’s easy to over-salt.
Reader Questions
Yes, any of those work fine in this recipe. Use whichever you already have in the pantry or prefer. The casserole won’t change texture either way.
Monterey Jack or Colby Jack both melt well here and won’t fight with the other flavors. I’d stick with something that melts smoothly rather than a harder aged cheese, since this casserole depends on that gooey middle layer.
Yes, plain Greek yogurt swaps in at the same amount. It’s a little tangier than sour cream, but most people can’t tell the difference once it’s mixed in with everything else.
Yes, thaw it completely and drain it well, then pat it dry with a paper towel before it goes in the bowl. Frozen broccoli holds a surprising amount of water, and if you skip the draining step, you’ll end up with a watery casserole.
Stir in 2 cups of diced cooked chicken, leftover turkey or ham along with the broccoli and bacon. It’s an easy way to make this a full dinner on its own instead of a side dish.
Yes. Split it between two 9×13 dishes rather than cramming it into one bigger pan, since it needs room for the topping to crisp up evenly. Bake time should stay about the same; check both dishes for that golden top before pulling them.
The most common cause is broccoli that wasn’t drained well, especially if you used frozen. Another culprit is not giving it the full 10-minute rest before serving, which is when the sauce finishes setting up.
This recipe is really better if frozen before baking, not after. Once it’s baked, the rice and broccoli have already released moisture, and freezing and reheating it a second time leaves a softer, wetter texture than freezing it raw does.
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Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 4 cups broccoli florets lightly steamed
- 2½ cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Topping
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed (about 30 crackers)
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and paprika until smooth.1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika
- Fold in the cooked rice until coated.3 cups cooked white rice
- Add the steamed broccoli, crumbled bacon, 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until evenly combined.6 slices bacon, 4 cups broccoli florets, 2½ cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese over the top.2½ cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- In a small bowl, stir together the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter.1 sleeve Ritz crackers, 4 tablespoons butter
- Sprinkle the buttery cracker topping evenly over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Steam the broccoli just until it’s bright green and still has some bite, not fully soft. It keeps cooking in the oven while everything bakes, so if it goes in already soft, it’ll be mush by the time this comes out.
- Shred your own cheddar and Parmesan if you can. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than bagged pre-shredded cheese, which has a coating that keeps it from melting as cleanly.
- If you want the topping extra crisp, slide the casserole under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes right at the end, after it’s already baked through. Stay by the oven for this part, since the crackers can go from golden to burnt fast under direct broiler heat.
- Go easy on the added salt and taste before you commit to the full amount. The cream of chicken soup, bacon, and Parmesan all bring their own salt, so it’s easy to over-salt.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
