Broccoli Rice Casserole
We are now t-minus two weeks from Turkey Day in 2020, which will totally bizarro thanks to the ‘rona. Need help planning a menu? I shared a whole round-up of my favorite holiday dishes and drinks last year, which you can check out here.
It only makes sense that my all-time favorite holiday dish would be on top of my list to share with y’all this year. As you know if you’ve followed along my blog this year, but I am knee deep in a comfort food phase with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Broccoli rice casserole: the food I dream about and would probably select as my final meal (with a side of hot dogs and pickles, obviously). Packed with broccoli, rice, and CHEEZ-WHIZ as any proper Midwestern casserole should be, this is also probably one of the first recipes I really learned to make on my own.
As established last year, I don’t love most of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes I grew up with. Broccoli rice casserole was the panacea to my pickiness.
Seeing as this is a proper Midwestern casserole, I would be remiss if I didn’t show you the original recipe, sourced straight from the culinary bible for many Boney women who came before me: a local church cookbook!
Bless you, Pat Kaiser.
I have only strayed from the original in a few places because why mess with perfection? I like A LOT more vegetables in my casserole, and I bump up the rice just a smidge. I sometimes use chicken stock in place of water, but you’re not missing anything if you keep it vegetarian.
Now, wear your mask, stay home, and let me know what other Thanksgiving 2020 quandaries I can solve for y’all!
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 35-40 minutes
8 tablespoons butter
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
8 ounces Minute Rice, uncooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 jar Cheez-Whiz
1 cup water or chicken stock
Preheat your oven to 375.
In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Add broccoli and water or stock to the pot, stirring well. Let the broccoli cook 3-4 minutes until bright green and starting to soften a bit.
Mix in the cream of mushroom soup, Cheez-Whiz, and rice, stirring until well-combined.
Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 35-40 minutes.