Aunt Anne’s Broccoli-Cheese Rice Casserole
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 442
- Total Fat
- 30
- Saturated Fat
- 18
- Carbohydrates
- 30
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 14
- Cholesterol
- 82
- Sodium
- 588
- Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 medium red onion, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices white sandwich bread (about 4 ounces), crusts removed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups cooked white rice, fresh, day-old, or cold
20 ounces frozen chopped broccoli (do not thaw)
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with softened butter.
- In a large skillet, melt the 1 stick of butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with the sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the bread to the buttery onions, increase the heat to medium, and sauté until slightly toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In your biggest bowl, use your hands to toss together the rice, frozen broccoli, cheddar, sour cream, milk, 2 teaspoons salt, and the buttery onion-bread mixture until well mixed. Spread evenly into the greased baking dish. (You can make this ahead up to this point; see Cook’s Note.)
- Bake the casserole until bubbling, warmed through, and slightly browned at the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Cook’s Note
You can prep this casserole completely in advance (just don’t bake it yet) and freeze it for up to 1 month or refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just add a few minutes to the bake time when you’re ready to cook it.