Creamy “Cheesy” Rice & Broccoli Casserole

This comforting rice casserole is creamy, cheesy, and packed with simple whole-food ingredients. The smooth carrot-potato cheese sauce makes it rich and satisfying without dairy, while the crispy breadcrumb topping adds the perfect golden finish. It’s a great family meal and an easy way to turn leftover rice into something special.

Ingredients

Casserole

700 g cooked brown rice
300 g broccoli, steamed and finely chopped
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 pinch garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

3 medium potatoes (peeled if needed)
2 medium carrots
60 g cashews
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1½ tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Chop the potatoes and carrots into chunks and boil them together with the cashews in a pot until very soft.
2. Drain the water but reserve the cooking water.
3. Add the cooked potatoes, carrots, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender.
4. Pour in 1,5 to 2 cups of the reserved cooking water and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Add more of the hot cooking water if needed to reach your desired sauce consistency.
6. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
7. In a casserole dish (20x30 cm) , combine the cooked rice, chopped broccoli, and the vegan cheese sauce.
Stir well until everything is evenly coated.
8. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top and season them with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
9. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden and crisp.

Tip: If the rice, broccoli, and sauce are already hot, you can simply broil the casserole for a few minutes to brown the breadcrumb topping quickly. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Tip for picky eaters
If you’re cooking for very picky eaters, you can simply leave out the broccoli the first few times. The creamy cheesy rice casserole is already delicious on its own. Once the dish becomes familiar, you can gradually add small amounts of finely chopped broccoli to slowly introduce the flavor and texture.

Want to go deeper?
If you’d like to learn how to integrate these principles step by step into your everyday life — without diets or complicated plans — you’ll find more resources here on the blog and in my free ebook and online course.