For many people, the memorable casserole of childhood is green bean or tuna casserole. But for me and my family, it is this simple combination of rice, cheese, and broccoli. How clever was my mom to concoct something delicious enough to seduce us into eating broccoli.
I will admit to serving this casserole to children for that same reason and its also a quick and easy casserole to make. You can serve this casserole with roast or fried chicken and a green salad or sliced tomatoes ripe from the garden.
Here's a Tip for you.
Mushroom soup casseroles used to be the usual thing to do and I still cook with cans of musroom soup today. The soup adds a welcome creaminess, and by minimizing the number of ingredients, it saves time, allowing you to put together a salad while the casserole bakes. I use the regular full flavored mushroom soup in my casserole and I suggest you do the same thing.
Ingredients Needed For Your Broccoli And Rice Casserole
1. Two Packages ( 10 Ounces Each ) Chopped Broccoli.
2. One Cup Instant Rice.
3. One Can ( 10.5 Oz. ) Cream Of Mushroom Soup.
4. One Half Cup Cheese Whiz.
5. One Third Cup Whole Milk.
6. One Half Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
7. One Level Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt.
8. Dash Of Hot Sauce.
9. One Level Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper.
Instructions For Making The Broccoli And Cheese Casserole
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the frozen broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and the broccolli thaws enough to be broken up.
Transfer the broccoli and its liquid to a 13" X 9" 3 quart glass or cermic baking dish and place it in the oven to continue thawing while you complete step 3.
3. Place the rice, mushroom soup, cheese whiz, milk, hot sauce and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. The mixture will be thick.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and, using a wooden spoon , spread the broccoli evenly over the bottom of the dish. Spoon the rice mixture over the broccoli in a even layer. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Put the baking dish in the oven and bake the casserole until it is bubbling through and slightly browned. This will take 25 to 30 minutes. Serve the casserole at once or cover it with aluminum foil if serving later. You can reheat it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil when your ready to serve it.
Tips For Cooking And Doctoring Rice
I learned from my mother to measure twice as much liquid as rice when cooking the grain and to allow a 20 minute cooking time. For the most part this rule of thumb still works, but there are some exceptions.
Fragrant, elegant basmati rice cooks in just 15 minutes.
Instant brown rice is done in just 10 minutes.
Instant rice needs just 5 minutes to cook.
Rice is perfect for doctoring. The suggestion here all start with 1 cup of uncooked rice, which will make 3 cups when cooked and will serve about four people.
Stir 1/4 cup of fine diced green onions including tops, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger, and 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar into basmati rice.
When cooking brown rice, add 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
To dress up instant rice, add a bit of butter, some salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to your rice.
Basmati and instant brown rice or white rice can all be cooked in a liquid other than water. You can use canned beef broth, chicken broth, coconut milk, or a blend of coconut milk and chicken broth. For a tasty treat add a piece of lemon grass and a cinnamon stick to the rice.