Lightened Up Broccoli Casserole

Why This Broccoli Casserole Needs a Place at Your Table

• Cheesy and delicious. This lightened-up broccoli casserole has everything I love in the classic recipe, in an updated version that doesn't weigh you down after eating it. In fact, I feel pretty energized after one serving.
• Adaptable. There's the option to make this recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. It's also easy to switch up the ingredients with different vegetables, seasonings, and add-ins.
• Loaded with veggies. Casserole recipes are a great way to get a good serving of vegetables into a meal. This one is pretty kid-friendly, too, with mild, savory flavors and melty cheese throughout.
• Versatile. This broccoli casserole can be eaten as a complete vegetarian meal or served as a side dish to an entrée.

What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities of each ingredient.

• Brown or white rice – Brown rice makes this dish a bit more wholesome and hearty, which I love. However, you can substitute white rice, like basmati or jasmine rice, if you prefer a fluffier texture. Make sure the rice you're using is certified gluten-free as needed.
• Broccoli – Chopped into florets. Try to cut the broccoli into even-sized pieces so that it'll roast and cook through evenly.
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes – Quick seasonings for the broccoli. If you'd like to put your own spin on this recipe, you can get creative with seasonings like Cajun spice, Italian herbs, and Old Bay seasoning.
• Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs – I prefer gluten-free, but if you eat gluten, you can substitute these for regular panko breadcrumbs. 
• Grated cheese – I use a combination of shredded part-skim mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. You can use dairy-free cheese if you'd prefer.
• Nutritional yeast – Gives the cheesy flavors a boost (see, what is nutritional yeast?)
• Garlic – Using both fresh garlic and garlic powder gives a more complex garlic flavor to the broccoli rice casserole. You can substitute one with the other if needed (use about ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove, or vice versa).
• Low-fat milk or plant-based milk – If you use plant-based milk, make sure that it’s unsweetened and unflavored. Good options are soy milk, oat milk, and unsweetened almond milk.

How to Make a Broccoli Rice Casserole 

This is a remarkably easy casserole to make, and you don’t have to dirty many dishes, either! Follow the steps below.

• First, cook the rice. Cook your rice according to the directions on the package. Make sure to season with salt to taste during and after cooking.
• Roast the broccoli. Next, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss or mix the broccoli with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Roast the broccoli in a 400ºF oven for 12-15 minutes. Optionally, you can cook the broccoli in the microwave, though I love the caramelization that comes from roasting.

• Prepare the other ingredients. Meanwhile, toss the breadcrumbs with olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Assemble the casserole. Now, combine the cooked rice with the roasted broccoli, and add the milk, nutritional yeast, fresh garlic, and most of the cheese. Fold everything together until well combined.

• Add the toppings. Transfer the cheesy broccoli mixture to a baking dish. Then, sprinkle the breadcrumbs and remaining cheese on top.
• Bake. Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes. It will get golden along the edges. Afterward, remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Tips for the Best Broccoli Casserole

• Don’t be afraid to brown. When you’re roasting the broccoli, make sure that you get a little bit of char on the vegetables before taking them out of the oven. That will give it a stronger and more complex flavor. And when you’re baking the casserole, let it begin to brown on the edges before taking it out. This will get you a stronger flavor from the cheese.
• Use a microplane. Grate the fresh garlic on a microplane rather than chopping it. This turns the garlic into a paste, which makes it easier to distribute with the other ingredients. It also breaks the garlic down, which eliminates some of the strong raw garlic flavor. 
• Let it cool. This casserole is going to smell amazing when you take it out of the oven, and you’ll want to dive right in. A little patience goes a long way, though. Letting it cool for 5-10 minutes will allow the cheese to set and the casserole to firm up, making it a much nicer texture for when you dig in. 

Ready to Serve? Try These Suggestions

This casserole is delicious on its own. However, you can easily make it into a larger meal if you want, by adding the uncooked protein of your choice to the mixture before baking it. This could be chicken, bacon (or tempeh bacon), tofu, or another meat or plant-based protein. Serve the casserole as a side dish next to vegetarian herb-crusted baked tofu or these white bean mushroom veggie burgers, or meat dishes like garlic parmesan chicken.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. This tasty broccoli casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheat. You can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven, and it even tastes good cold.
• Freeze. Store this delicious broccoli rice casserole in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze it in an airtight bag so that you can limit freezer burn. When you want to eat the casserole, let it thaw in the fridge, then reheat it in the microwave or in the oven. 

More Casserole Recipes

• Quinoa Casserole
• Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
• Crack Chicken Casserole
• Salmon Sushi Bake
• Pumpkin & Chicken Baked Pasta