Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole (Vegetarian)

This cheesy broccoli rice casserole is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food! It's a dump-and-bake casserole that uses dry rice, coconut milk, and chickpeas for a satisfying and comforting weeknight meal.

I recently shared this dump and bake quinoa casserole and it was a hit, so I'm back with another dump and bake casserole. This time it's a cheesy, comforting rice and broccoli casserole.

This style of recipe is often made with chicken, but we're using chickpeas for a plant-based protein swap. The result is like a cross between a chicken rice casserole and cheesy broccoli rice casserole.

The best part about this casserole is that the rice cooks in the oven, not on the stove. Dry rice is added to the casserole dish alongside the chickpeas, a bunch of seasonings to bring that chicken noodle soup feel, and coconut milk for a touch of creaminess.

This recipe reminds me a lot of my vegan broccoli mac and cheese recipe (another definite comfort food recipe).

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• Recipe features
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Tips for success
• Storage information
• Looking for more vegetarian comfort food?
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Recipe features

• Dump and bake: No dicing, chopping, or cooking is needed before you put the casserole together. Just add everything to the casserole dish and cover tightly with foil. The rice cooks in the dish!
• Comforting: This is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food recipe. It's cheesy, simple, and satisfying. It reminds me of casseroles that I grew up eating, just a touch lighter (and made without canned cream of mushroom soup!).
• Balanced: We're omitting chicken to make this recipe vegetarian, but this meal is still balanced from rice, broccoli, and chickpeas. Don't be mistaken, but it's still a cheesy, comfort-first casserole!
• Texture: This is a sliceable casserole, so it's not super creamy or overwhelmingly rich. The rice is firm and perfectly cooked but still tender.
• Dietary features: Vegetarian as-is, easy to make dairy-free/vegan, soy-free, gluten-free optional, nut-free

Ingredients

• Long grain white rice: I have only tested this with long grain white rice, so that's what I recommend using. Brown rice doesn't work because it requires additional liquid to cook fully.
• Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk adds depth and creaminess. It also provides some liquid to help cook the rice. For a lighter option, use light/reduced-fat coconut milk. I don't recommend replacing the coconut milk with another non-dairy milk.
• Seasonings: Old Bay is an all-purpose seasoning that is at the heart of the flavor in this recipe. If this seasoning is new to you, it's also great to keep on hand for drop biscuits, mac and cheese, and breaded tofu.
• Broccoli: To make this recipe as easy as possible, choose a bag of frozen broccoli. Make sure to fully thaw the broccoli before adding it to the casserole.
• Panko and coconut oil combine to make a crispy, golden topping. Regular breadcrumbs work in a pinch, but panko texture is the best. This step adds a lot to the casserole, so don't skip it! Melted butter works if you don't have coconut oil.
• Shredded cheese and nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is a staple seasoning because it adds depth and a hint of cheesy flavor. Combine with shredded cheddar to make the casserole extra cheesy.

Step by step instructions

Prep: Before you assemble the casserole, make sure to bring the liquids to almost simmering. You can either heat the liquids on the stove in a medium pot over medium-high heat or heat them in a heat safe bowl in the microwave.

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with oil. Rinse the rice thoroughly under cool, running water, then add to the baking dish. Add the seasonings, simmered coconut milk and water (or broth), and chickpeas.

Cover tightly with foil so that steam does not escape while cooking. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is mostly cooked through (like 95% done).

Stir the rice casserole. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and panko breadcrumbs until combined. It will be a dry and crumbly mixture. To the casserole dish, add the thawed broccoli and sprinkles of breadcrumbs.

Return to the oven to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the panko breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Tips for success

• Casserole dish: This recipe uses a 9x13 baking dish. I use a glass baking dish; ceramic or metal work but may slightly affect cook time. Same with dish size: most similar dish sizes work, but may affect cook time.
• Thawed broccoli: To keep the broccoli bright green, I recommend using frozen broccoli and thawing it instead of cooking it completely. To do this, either let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours or cook it for 1-2 minutes less than the bag recommends.
• Fresh broccoli: I have not tested this recipe with fresh broccoli but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Make sure to steam the broccoli to al-dente (a little bit of a bite) before adding it to the casserole.
• Why heat the liquids? I found that heating liquids prior to adding them to the casserole dish makes the cooking process a little quicker and yields softer rice. If you forget to heat the liquids you may just need to add an extra 5 minutes of cook time before removing the foil.
• Cover the casserole: This step is non-negotiable! Covering the casserole tightly with foil prevents steam from escaping. The steam is necessary to completely cook the rice.
• Rice texture: Don't remove the lid from the casserole dish until the rice is 95% cooked. It's not going to cook much more when the lid is removed. If the rice isn't fully cooked but looks dry, add an extra ⅓ cup of water to the dish.
• Gluten-free option: To make gluten-free, just use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs.

Storage information

• Leftovers: Best within 3-4 days. Let cool to room temp before covering with foil or a lid and refrigerating.
• Reheating: I reheat the casserole in the microwave. I have not tried reheating it in the oven, but it should work fine. Just cover tightly with foil and heat at 325 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
• Freezing: I have not tried freezing this casserole but will update the post if I do. I'd love to hear from you if you do try freezing it.

Looking for more vegetarian comfort food?

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