Cheesy broccoli and rice casserole is a classic comfort food side dish. Broccoli baked together with condensed soup, cheese, and rice. Topped with a mix of panko and buttery cracker crumb.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

This year we are taking our family Thanksgiving on the road to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Four families and all our snacks/drinks plus a full Thanksgiving dinner will somehow fit into the tiny side by side refrigerator.

Right?

Are you hosting? Are you making any new dishes this year?

My staple Thanksgiving dishes are:

My Mom’s Overnight Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes

Black Pepper Dinner Rolls

Apricot, Pear, Brussels Sprout Slaw

Cauliflower Gratin

Those are my favorite. The best leftovers with a little cold turkey.

Not sure what our leftover situation is going to be with over a seven hour transport.

I might make this easy roasted turkey breast at home just to make sure I get enough leftovers.

Turkey sliders are the bomb!

I added a new casserole to the rotation this year.

Making this cheesy broccoli and rice casserole made me feel like Betty Draper.

In a good way.

The casserole is made using the following:

• frozen and thawed broccoli
• cooked brown rice
• grated mozzarella
• sliced cheddar
• heavy cream
• condensed soup
• salt & pepper
• minced garlic
• minced onion
• oregano
• butter
• panko bread crumbs
• crushed Ritz crackers

It seems alike a lot, I know.

You just throw it all into a bowl, mix it, and then pour it into a casserole dish.

I normally poo-poo casseroles with condensed soup. 

Don’t ask me why.

I don’t shy away from them anymore.

Funeral potatoes are God’s gift to the casserole world.

This casserole is just as good.

You can assemble it the night before and then just bake it for 30 minutes the day of serving.

I like to use a cream of chicken condensed soup, but you can use condensed cream of mushroom or broccoli cheddar soup if you prefer.

Lots of flavor comes from the soup of course. You also get a lot of flavor from the dried minced garlic and dried minced onion.

It’s also a time saver instead of grating or chopping onion.

Baked cheesy broccoli and rice casserole is a great way to get picky eaters to eat a green veggie at Thanksgiving.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Yield: Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Broccoli and rice casserole with lots of cheese and a buttery panko and cracker topping.

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Ingredients

• 16oz frozen, thawed broccoli florets
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 8oz mozzerella cheese, grated
• 4oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 10.5oz Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp dried minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x11-inch baking dish and set off to the side.
2. Add broccoli, rice, both cheeses, milk, soup, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and oregano to a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Pour the contents of the bowl into the baking dish.
3. Melt the butter in a small heatproof bowl. Add the crushed crackers and panko to the melted butter. Mix to combine.
4. Spread the topping all over the casserole.
5. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

The casserole can be fully preppeed the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake and eat.

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