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.Â
 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.
made this tonight and added chicken and sauteed onion! so so good. thanks for sharing!
Can this be made ahead? I’d like to put it together a day prior, then pop it in the oven when in ready to serve it.
Hi Eunice! I’m afraid if you make it ahead of time without cooking it the sauce may “break” or separate – it won’t come out as creamy and may even be watery. You could cook the rice the day before and measure everything else out to have ready to make for a quicker assembly. Or you could cook it then reheat it the next day although it won’t be as good as if you made it fresh. Hope this helps! Merry Christmas!
Thank You! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Eunice!
We gave this a try last night. Yum! This is the first casserole type dish that I made that didn’t turn into a goopy mess. Is definitely being added to our meal rotation.
AJ Thomas recently posted..Merry Christmas
Thanks a lot! I appreciate your kind words!
I made this tonight and it turned out SO good! Thanks for the great recipe. I posted it on my website, as well. Thanks again.
Cynthia recently posted..Delicious Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
Well I used your recipe today, and it was delish!!! Thanks for that wonderful recipe.
Thanks Nikki! Makes me happy to hear!