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This Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole is Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients! Simply add everything to a pan, bake, and enjoy.
The phrase “Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole” sounds delicious in and of itself, don’t get me wrong. But what if I told you that this casserole was also dump-and-bake, dairy-free, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients?
Now we’re talking, friends.
But how is this casserole Dairy-Free, you ask? Nutritional Yeast, of course! Nutritional Yeast (or “Nooch”) is a form of fortified yeast flakes that has a deep umami and “cheesy” flavor to it – without any cheese. Crazy, right?! It can be an acquired taste at first, but once you get familiar with it you’re going to put this ‘ish on everything.
We’re going to toast our Nutritional Yeast before we add it to the Vegetable Broth for some extra cheesy goodness and depth of flavor. It only takes about 2 or so minutes, but makes a huge difference in the final flavor.
All in all, this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole is packed full of good stuff! There’s plenty of fiber, complex carbs, and plant-based protein thanks to the addition of Chickpeas.
Plus, it couldn’t be easier to make. Simply mix all of the Vegetable Broth ingredients together in a pot, bring it to a boil, and pour it into a Casserole dish with Broccoli, Chickpeas, and uncooked Brown Rice.
Yes, you heard me – uncooked! The Brown Rice will absorb the Vegetable Broth as it bakes in the oven and after only 1 hour you’ll have a fluffy, cheesy, and perfectly cooked casserole. How’s that for convenience?!
Once I found out that many restaurants actually cook their rice in the oven, I decided to put that to the test with this casserole. Well I sure am glad that I did, because this rice is SO dang fluffy. And I forsee a lot more casseroles of this nature coming to me in the future 😉
A Few Final Thoughts:
- I used fresh Broccoli Florets for this recipe, but Frozen will work as well – just add them to the casserole dish frozen and do not thaw!
- This recipe is great for Meal Prep or an Easy Dinner; leftovers will also stay good in the freezer for up to one month.
- You can swap out the Chickpeas and Broccoli for another bean/vegetable of choice, but you cannot substitute the Brown Rice. Each grain absorbs a different amount of liquid and has a different cook time, so the recipe will not come out the same.
If you’re looking for more easy Vegan Dinner recipes, you’ll also love this One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff and these Sheet Pan Fajitas!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chickpeas
This Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole is Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and made with only 8 healthy ingredients! Simply add everything to a pan, bake, and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth (bring to a boil)
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- 2 cups Chickpeas, cooked*
- 2 cups Fresh Broccoli Florets
- 1 cup uncooked Brown Rice Rice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the Nutritional Yeast to a medium pot and toast over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. The yellow flakes will become darker and more fragrant.
- Once toasted, add the Vegetable Broth, Turmeric, Garlic Powder, and Paprika to the pot; raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- While the liquid is coming to a boil, pour the Chickpeas a 9×13″ pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle the Broccoli evenly over the Chickpeas, then sprinkle the uncooked Brown Rice over the top of the dish.
- Whisk the Vegetable Broth well to evenly distribute the spices, then pour the boiling mixture over the casserole dish. If any spices “clump” in a particular area, stir them around a bit with a spatula. Cover the casserole with Aluminum Foil, then bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve as desired. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
- If you are using canned Chickpeas, make sure you drain and rinse them thoroughly
- You can use Frozen Broccoli florets instead of fresh, but do not thaw them
- If you’d like the top of your casserole to be crispy, broil it uncovered in the oven on HI for 5-10 minutes after it finishes baking.
Keywords: dump and bake casserole, broccoli cheddar casserole, vegan broccoli cheddar casserole, chickpea casserole, vegan rice casserole
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This was fantastic. With such a simple list of ingredients, I wasn’t expecting a lot, but my 16 yo son and I both loved it. Followed it exactly as written. Will be a new staple around here. Thank you.
★★★★★
Happy it turned out great, Ramae! Thank you so much for the feedback.
I didn’t follow the recipe exactly so take this review with a grain of salt.
2.5 cup billion broth (2 cubs)
½ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ paprika
(Combine all of the above)
2 cans of chickpeas (drained)
1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
(Add the broth mixture)
2 cups frozen broccoli
Bake 50 min at 400°F
Top with ¼ cup Vegan mozzarella cheese and bake another 10 min
More broccoli is welcome 😃
★★★★
Love that you added cheese!
You have mad skillz in the kitchen and appreciate you sharing your recipes! I’m new to the vegan lifestyle and I am loving all your ideas and helpful hints! I prepared this and used smoked paprika as I didn’t have sweet…to my surprise it came out fantastic! Because of this and other recipes I have tried of yours, I bought your cookbook and made several dishes from it so far…my personal favorite is the Blueberry Cardamon Cheesecake (even my husband love it!). Thank you for making my transition to becoming a vegan easier and flavor rich! Cheers!
★★★★★
Made this tonight and it came out excellent!!!
★★★★★
Flavorful and so comforting! One of the easiest meals ever! I added plain cubed tempeh for some protein, and extra nooch. The broccoli was really soft, but I used frozen, so I’m thinking that could’ve caused it. Will definitely make again; this is great for meal prep.
Thank you for the super easy recipe, Caitlin! Would love to see more of these, and will be checking out the other dump and bake recipes you have on your website.
★★★★★
I made this last night for dinner and we really liked it. The recipe was delicious as written. It made enough for my husband and I to get two meals out of it. I didn’t read the recipe carefully and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour and it was still good.
★★★★★
Nice to hear it worked out even with the oven difference! Thanks for making it!
Hi! Looking forward to making this. If I omitted the nutritional yeast completely would that kill the entire dish?!
It will change the overall flavor for sure, since we call for a quarter cup. There’s not a real replacement for nutritional yeast in this way so if you make it you would just need to omit it.
I LOVED this recipe! I made a few changes. I put in some leftover potato cheese sauce instead of the nooch, and I put in some faux chicken strips instead of the chickpeas. But DAMN. Tasty! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Cool swaps! Glad it worked out!
so good and so easy!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much!
Very delicious and easy to make! I about doubled the amount of seasonings and it was perfect. This is perfect for a quick dinner!
★★★★★
I tried this recpie by my rice didnt cook after 60 mins in the oven! Any suggestions on how to combat this?
Thank you!
When you got to step 4 did you make sure to whisk broth over the top of everything, stir things a bit if the spices are collecting together in clumps, and then cover with aluminum foil?
I’m not even vegan, but tried this for my daughter. I love this recipe. Super easy! I added fresh green beans chopped into 1 inch pieces in addition to the broccoli and vegan chicken the 2nd time I made this. I put leftovers into a tortilla with chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes and sriracha. Thank you so much for a new staple in our house! Cook once and meals for days.
★★★★★
That’s so awesome! Thanks for making it – and that’s a great idea for the leftovers!
I also had quick cook brown rice (trader Joe’s brand) but kept everything basically the same and it worked out fine! I did take the foil off at about 40 minutes in, and let it cook 10-15 minutes without it so the extra liquid could evaporate. This was very tasty, but I did add garlic salt, regular salt, and full salt better than bouillon broth, so I definitely think it needs salt haha! Super easy and made a bunch so I will keep this recipe handy! Thanks!
★★★★
That’s a lot of salt varieties! Glad you liked it and were able to make it your own!
Hey Caitlin,
Whenever I make a casserole dish, it never cooks the rice all the way so it ends up hard. Would I be able to cook this in an instant pot? If so, how long do you suggest I cook it for? Thanks
Hey! Do you make sure to cover the casserole completely with foil? We don’t have a method for instant pot on the dump and bakes at the moment. If you haven’t used the foil on top, give that a shot. To be extra safe you could stir around the rice half way through to make sure its getting enough liquid exposure.
This is legit easy and good. I made the recipe with frozen broccoli. The broccoli turned super soft, but that didn’t bother any of my eaters. The chickpeas were so good. The size is great for picnic/potluck sharing. I’ll definitely make this again and play with the add-ins. Thanks.
★★★★
Thanks for making it!
Just made this today and it was so so good 🙂 I think next time I’ll just add a bit more nooch. Thanks so much for sharing this, I love easy recipes like these ❤️
★★★★★
Happy you liked it, throw in some more nooch!
That’s a cool idea! We haven’t tried it but would love to hear if anyone has done it!
I just made this after watching your Youtube video with 3 dump casseroles. It’s delicious. I have never toasted nooch before, and it’s a technique I’ll definitely repeat. However, I’ll make these changes next time I make it.
– Almond milk instead of broth. I already use bouillon instead of broth, so I think this change will give it more fat and creaminess.
– White rice instead of brown rice. By the time the brown rice was tender, the broccoli was overcooked.
I look forward to cooking more of your recipes.
★★★★
Let us know how you like the other recipes – and how the changes work out for you!
Seriously SO good! Thanks for sharing your talents so freely! I’m such a fan and I am very grateful for all you do to enrich the plant based cooking community. You should be so proud!
★★★★★
Thank you so much! Means a lot!
This was AMAZING! Toasting the nooch makes all the difference. When I was a kid we used to have Uncle Ben’s broccoli cheese rice. It was my favorite. This recipe comes amazingly close to that. I basically followed the recipe except for the following… I used my own powdered broth mix with water to make the broth. I also added a little black pepper and a tsp of onion powder. I used frozen broccoli. For me this came out a touch undercooked (I’m not an al dente person). But next time I’ll just add a touch more water and cook it a bit longer. I did add about half a cup of water the next day and popped it back in the oven for 20 minutes to reheat. Perfect! I may add another cup of vegetables to it next time too, because why not?! All in all, this recipe is a find. This will be a staple for me now. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Always appreciate when a recipe makes it to the rotation! Glad you liked it and that it was able to bring back a little bit of childhood!