Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole – A Comforting & Low-Carb Favorite!

This Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole is the perfect comforting dinner for anyone who loves the classic combination of chicken, broccoli, and cheese! While it’s a popular KETO-friendly recipe, it’s also a great meal for the whole family, whether or not you’re following a low-carb diet.

Made with toasted rice (or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option), creamy condensed soup, sharp cheddar cheese, and tender chicken, this delicious, cheesy casserole is filling, easy to make, and packed with flavor.

Whether you’re making it as a weeknight meal, meal prep, or a holiday side dish, this recipe is guaranteed to be a new favorite in your home. Let’s get started!

Preparing the Rice Base

To get started, you will be using one cup of long-grain rice, one small onion, and two cups of chicken broth.

Preheat the pot and add around two tablespoons of oil to toast the rice. Now, you can definitely boil your chicken broth, and then add your rice and just boil your rice that way and make chicken rice.

Why Toasting the Rice Matters

I do find toasting at first does keep the rice together and less mushy towards the end of making the casserole, but you can do what you like. Then, add your rice into the pan with two tablespoons of oil and toast it.

How to Toast the Rice Properly

Toasting the rice on low heat may be somewhere between low and medium, and you don’t want to burn it, so you want to take your time toasting it and getting it a nice golden brown color.

Adding Flavor to the Rice

So now that your rice has had a chance to get a head start on toasting, go ahead and add your diced onion as you continue to toast the rice.

Now, add one clove of minced garlic (you can add one or two cloves depending on what you like).

Cooking the Rice with Chicken Broth

Once everything is toasted and sautéed, add the two cups of chicken broth.

Alternative Cooking Method

If you want to skip the step of making this chicken-flavored rice and just use regular boiled rice, you can do that. Just remember to season accordingly when you start mixing in the casserole, because the chicken broth, onion, and garlic add tons of delicious flavor to the rice before you get started on the casserole.

Simmering and Cooling the Rice

Now that everything is added to the pot, bring your chicken broth up to a simmer and cover it with a lid.

Cooking Time for Perfect Rice

Lower the heat and allow it to continue cooking for 18 to 20 minutes.

 

Now, as your chicken broth rice is done, fluff it a bit and set it aside to allow it to cool and come to room temperature before starting to add any other ingredients together.

Preparing the Casserole Ingredients

Now, moving on to the other ingredients, which are:

• One 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom if preferred).
• ½ cup of milk.
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
• 8-ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated.
• 1-pound bag of frozen chopped broccoli.

Why Thawing the Broccoli is Important

Make sure you work with thawed chopped broccoli if you buy the frozen bag because that will give you a more even cooking time.

Combining the Ingredients

Once your rice has completely cooled, combine all of the ingredients together and add pepper to taste.

You can season accordingly to your taste as well.

Assembling the Casserole

Now that everything is combined well, go ahead and add it to a lightly buttered baking pan.

Add all the mixture into the pan, pat it down, and cover it with aluminum foil before baking.

Adding Extra Cheese for a Golden Crust

You can reserve some cheese or just add extra cheese to the top of this.

Once you’re done baking it covered, you can uncover it to get a bubbly golden-brown cheese.

Baking Instructions

Cover this and bake it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for somewhere around 35 to 40 minutes covered.

Then, uncover it and bake for an additional 10 minutes just to get the top a little golden brown and crusty.

Important Cooking Tip

I’d also like to mention that the cooking time may vary if your broccoli is not brought to room temperature or thawed.

Ensuring Even Cooking Time

So, if you’re using frozen broccoli, it is important to make sure you thaw it completely, or it might take longer to bake.