Rice and broccoli florets swimming in a cheesy sauce and baked to a bubbly, golden brown.
This is my knock-off of broccoli-au-gratin-rice-in-a-box. You know, the San Francisco treat. The one I happily grew up on. Years ago I said my goodbyes to cut down on overly processed foods.
Purely by mistake, a box ended up in my groceries. . .
“Sorry” goes to the lady ahead of me in line. I owe you one.
True confession time. I was a little giddy when I found it.
It was like running into a best friend from high school you haven’t seen in years. Or something like that.
Not one to fight fate, I cooked and ate it, only to be disappointed. It was nothing like my memory. But all was not lost because it led me here.
A broccoli rice au gratin that will not disappoint! Super creamy and cheesy. The greatest comfort food.
Made fresh with good-for-you broccoli, brown rice, real cheese and milk.
You can’t box this.
Rice and broccoli florets swimming in a cheesy sauce and baked to a bubbly, golden brown.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch casserole pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan melt the butter over low heat; add garlic and saute until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in milk, mustard and season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer 4 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add 2 cups of cheddar cheese and parmesan; stir until mostly melted; remove from heat.
- Stir in rice and broccoli florets, pour into casserole pan, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden on top. Allow to set 5 minutes before serving.
I lost a recipe that my daughter loved. I think this one may be a good replacement. To make all the dirty pans worthwhile, double the batch and cook in muffin tins, pop out once cooled and freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag for future meals or lunches.
This was delicious. I just made it and used cooked quinoa instead of the rice because I had some in the fridge that I wasn’t sure what to do with. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks Diane! Love the idea of using quinoa! A great alternative to the rice.
Let’s see…1pan for cooking the sauce, 1pan for cooking rice, 1 pan for cooking broccoli, and a casserole dish for baking. Too many dirty dishes to wash. I’m too lazy for this one. Sounds delicious though.
Hi Nanci! You could cook the broccoli in with the rice – in a steamer basket or right in the pan with it. That would save you one pan anyways. Plus you are almost certain to have leftovers for the next night. I was going to do a stove top version using one pan – I’ll work on it for you!