Broccoli, Rice, and Cheese Casserole

One night last week, hubby was off of work and decided (without my prompting) to cook dinner :) He's thoughtful like that. 

Although he's really great about grilling meats, he's not so great about the side dishes...which is fine, because luckily, that's my area of expertise!

As I was Pinning furiously (I hadn't in a few days and needed to catch up) I stumbled across a broccoli and cheese casserole that had my mouth watering in seconds. 

I jumped out of the chair and scurried to the kitchen to check and see if I had all of the necessary ingredients. Sure enough, I did. 

Simple to put together and filling enough to feed several people, I'd say this recipe is a keeper. 


The Ingredients:

medium sweet onion, diced
2 T olive oil
1 C long grain brown rice
2 C chicken broth
1 14 oz. bag frozen broccoli
1 11 oz. can cream of mushroom, chicken, or cheese soup
3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)


How To:

Saute the diced onion in olive oil. When it turns translucent, add 1 C long grain brown rice. 

Continue to cook and stir for 2-3 minutes more until the rice looks transparent. Browning the rice brings out more of it's natural flavor (toasty...yum!)

Add 2 C chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. (White rice will take about 40 minutes)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Thaw broccoli florets according to package instructions (or leave them out while rice cooks). You want the broccoli to be bright green and still firm. 

Drain the broccoli when you're ready to cook it. 

Mix together cream of ____ soup, broccoli, pepper and cayenne powder. 

When the rice is fully cooked, add it to the soup/broccoli mixture and stir. Add in 1/2 C cheese and transfer to a casserole dish. 

Top with remaining cheese if desired. You can also add Panko breading for a crunch! 

Bake for 30 minutes and serve. 

Melt in your mouth, craving satisfying, warm, gooey goodness.