Description
Creamy rice casserole with tender broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, and golden crispy Panko topping. Perfect comforting side dish for any meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups broccoli florets (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice (not cooked)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2½ cups chicken stock or broth (low sodium)
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Steam broccoli florets until just tender, about 4 minutes, then drain and set aside for later.
- Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot and ready to use.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet, cooking until softened and smells good, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in uncooked white rice, toasting gently until grains are coated and slightly golden looking.
- Pour in chicken stock and half and half, add salt, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.
- Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes until the rice soaks up all the liquid and becomes tender.
- Take off heat and stir in steamed broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, and Parmesan until cheese melts.
- Put mixture into a greased baking dish, spreading evenly with a spoon for uniform cooking and perfect texture.
- Mix melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl until well combined.
- Sprinkle breadcrumb topping evenly over the casserole surface, covering completely for a golden, crispy finish after baking.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and crunchy all over.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes after baking to let flavors settle before serving to everyone.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 50mg